Additional Information
Postsurgical Care
It is imperative that regenerative sites be kept free of plaque accumulation. Also, mechanical disruption of the healing site should be avoided. The following recommendations are made:
1. For eight weeks following surgery, the patient should not clean the treated area by brushing, flossing, using a toothpick or other interdental cleaning techniques.
2. During this period, rinsing or direct application with an anti-infective agent such as chlorhexidine is strongly recommended. After this eight-week period, mechanical tooth cleaning can resume.
3. Professional removal of supragingival plaque should be performed every week for four weeks, then bi-weekly through eight weeks.
4. Probing the surgical site for treatment evaluation and subgingival scaling should not be done until at least six months following surgery.
Patient Homecare Instructions
Following GTR surgery patients should carefully follow instructions provided by their dentist to ensure that the gums recover and to prevent future problems. These may include the following:
- Refraining from brushing or flossing the treated area, as directed by the dentist, following the procedure so as not to disturb the GTR membrane or the tissue that covers it.
- Using a specified mouthwash to reduce plaque buildup.
It is important to keep in mind that proper hygiene is essential to prevent a serious recurrence of periodontal disease.