Curettage is the removal of dead inner tissue from a gum pocket. In dentistry there are different types of curettage procedures and these are outlined below.
Gingival curettage:This is the removal with a curet (a spoon-shaped instrument for removing material from the wall of a cavity or other surface) of the inflamed tissue wall of a periodontal (area surrounding a tooth) pocket.
Periapical curettage:This is the removal with a curet of diseased soft tissues in the bony area surrounding a tooth root apex and smoothing of the top surface of a tooth without excision of the tooth tip.
Subgingival curettage:This is a slightly different form of gingival curettage.
Surgical curettage:This is a flap procedure to remove an inflamed periodontal pocket wall and the connective tissue attachment followed by reattachment of the flap to the teeth.
Ultrasonic curettage:This is the removal of inflamed tissue from the tooth surface and wall of the gingival fissure with an ultrasonic scaler.
