Unbiased oral health information

Periodontal surgery

Compare treatment options

Comparing attributes for a procedure and its treatment options can be useful when making treatment decisions.

Time commitment (average)

  • Desensitizing medications
    15 minutes
  • Fillings & core buildups; silver
    1 visit; 1 to 2 hours. Assuming one quadrant of teeth is treated.
  • Fillings & core buildups; composite resin
    1 visit; 1 to 2 hours. Assuming one quadrant of teeth is treated.
  • Periodontal surgery; gum grafts
    1 visit; 1 to 2 hours. Per affected quadrant of teeth (with wide variation), plus initial consultation with periodontist.
  • Periodontal surgery; Frenectomy
    30 minutes
  • Simple extractions
    1 visit; 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Depends on the number of teeth to be removed and extraction difficulty.
  • Surgical extractions
    1 visit; 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Depends on the number of teeth to be removed and extraction difficulty.
  • Topical fluoride
    10 minutes

Actual time of treatment can vary widely by provider and the needs of the individual patient.