Osseous surgery is a procedure that recontours and reshapes the jawbone that holds the teeth in place. Osseous surgery is performed on the bone and overlying gum tissues that have been damaged by periodontal disease. The objective of osseous surgery is to reduce periodontal pockets. During the procedure, infected bone and gum tissue is removed and areas where bacteria can hide will be cleaned and smoothed out. This will allow gums to better reattach to healthy bone and eliminate gum pockets. The procedure is generally performed using local anesthetic. If bone and tissue loss is too severe, the diseased bone or tissue may need to be regenerated through bone grafts or gum grafts.