Gingivectomy is the removal of a portion of the gum around one or more teeth, i.e. the correction of the shape and position of the gums.
Gingivectomy is a minor periodontal surgery that excises overlying periodontal pockets and diseased gum tissue around one or more teeth. Apart from patients with periodontal disease, gingivectomy is also performed for aesthetic purposes - gingival hyperplasia, or to perform an extraction or filling.
As a periodontal procedure, gingivectomy is performed after other non-surgical methods of improving the condition have been tried and before the disease has progressed to the point of jeopardizing the ligaments and bone support of the teeth. Gingivectomy is performed under local anaesthetic and one half of an arch (8 teeth) is removed during a session lasting about an hour.
Indications for gingivectomy
- shrinkage of overlying periodontal pockets
- in cases of gingival hyperplasia
- lengthening the dental crown for aesthetic purposes