Pocket Reduction Surgery

When healthy, your jawbone and periodontal tissues should fit snugly around your teeth, but in the midst of periodontal disease, they can erode, forming pockets around your teeth roots. As gum disease progresses, these pockets will grow deeper, providing a home for harmful oral bacteria and causing the teeth to grow loose. Pocket reduction surgery involves cleaning away the built up bacteria underneath the gum tissues, and if necessary, smoothing irregular surfaces of the jawbone to help prevent further accumulation of harmful oral bacteria.

In addition to improving jawbone and periodontal health, pocket reduction surgery also reduces the risk of decay forming in nearby teeth by eliminating areas for plaque to hide and accumulate. The procedure can halt the progression of gum disease, or prevent its initial formation if performed early enough.

If irregularities of the jawbone are too severe to smooth with pocket reduction surgery, then jawbone grafting may be necessary, along with other periodontal maintenance procedures to keep destructive gum disease from causing more severe damage.

What is the cost of pocket reduction surgery?

The average cost of pocket reduction surgery is $500 per quadrant or higher depending on the dentist. But with a general dentist in Doctors Network, the cost is only $65 - $100 per quadrant.