What is pocket reduction surgery?
Pocket reduction surgery (osseous surgery) is a periodontal procedure for sites with pockets that remain 5 mm or deeper after non-surgical treatment. Under local anesthesia, the gum is gently reflected to give direct access to the root surface and bone, infected tissue and tartar are removed, and the underlying bone is recontoured to eliminate irregular defects. The gum is then sutured back into a position that produces shallow, maintainable pockets.
Why pockets need to be reduced
A healthy gum pocket is 1–3 mm. When that depth grows to 5 mm or more, the pocket becomes impossible to clean — your toothbrush, floss, and even professional cleaning instruments can’t reliably reach the bottom. Bacteria thrive there and continue to destroy bone and attachment.
Surgery accomplishes what non-surgical care cannot: it gives us direct access to the root surface and the underlying bone, lets us remove all infected tissue, and lets us reshape the bone so the resulting pocket is shallow enough to maintain.
How it works
Under local anesthesia, we make small incisions to gently reflect the gum away from the bone. We thoroughly clean the root surfaces and the bone, removing infected tissue and tartar that couldn’t be reached non-surgically.
Where bone has been lost in an irregular pattern, we recontour it (osseous recontouring) to eliminate craters and ledges that would trap bacteria. The gum is then sutured back into a position that produces shallow, maintainable pockets.
Recovery
Mild swelling and discomfort for 3–5 days, well-controlled with prescribed and over-the-counter medication. Soft diet for a week. We see you back at one to two weeks to remove sutures and check healing. You’ll be on a more frequent (3-month) periodontal maintenance schedule afterward.
Common questions
Will my teeth feel longer afterward?
Yes — slightly. When deep pockets are eliminated, the gum heals at the new (lower) level. This is the trade-off for stopping disease progression. Sensitivity is usually temporary.
Will the pockets come back?
With consistent periodontal maintenance every 3 months and good home care, no. Without maintenance, recurrence is common.