Your bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth. When you have periodontal disease, the tissue and bone that surrounds your teeth  is destroyed, forming "pockets" around the teeth.

Over time, these pockets become deeper, providing a larger space for bacteria to thrive.  As bacteria develops around the teeth,  the bacteria can accumulate and grow under the gum tissue.  These deep pockets collect even more bacteria, resulting in further bone and tissue loss. If too much bone is lost over time, the teeth will may need to be extracted.

During osseous surgery, gum tissue is folded back and disease-causing baterial is removed before securing the tissue back into place.  In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed out to limit additional areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide.  This additional procedure will allow the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.

Reducing pocket depth and eliminating existing bacteria are important prevent damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease. Eliminating bateria alone may not be sufficient to prevent disease recurrence.  Deeper pockets are more difficult for you and your dental care professional to clean, so it's important for you to reduce these pockets. By reducing these pockets, making sure that you are following a daily oral hygiene schedule and having regular professional cleanings you can increase your chances of keeping your natural teeth and decrease the chance of serious health problems associated that are often associated with periodontal disease.