Gum Surgery... (serious gross-ness factor!)

Periodontal Flap Surgery, which is also called pocket depth reduction, your periodontist folds the gum back away from the tooth. Periodontal Flap surgery is recommended in many cases where pocketing depths have reached a level that makes maintenance or cleansing difficult. It is often associated with areas of bone loss and inflammation of the gum tissue around the teeth when scaling and root planing have been unsuccessful in eliminating the entire pocket of decay, or when there has been bone loss that needs to be surgically corrected, then a dentist may perform periodontal flap surgery.

In flap surgery, under local anesthesia, small incisions are made in the gum, so that it can be lifted back to expose the tooth and bone. The entire area is carefully cleaned and all tarter and infected granulation tissue are removed and the bone is examined. Because periodontal disease causes bone loss, often the bone will need to be re-contoured in order for the gum to heal properly.

After scraping away the bacteria-laden plaque and tartar, the dentist removes diseased tissue and smoothes the surface of damaged bones. Then the dentist sews the tissue back into place. Removing or smoothing damaged tissue allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.

I hope this was not too much information for you but this is what will happen to me in two weeks time. They will give me loopy meds so G. will have to drive me there and back.
The 'joys' of not so thorough dental health care in my younger years...

The periodontist was very nice though and very calm so I'm sure it will all work out for the better in the end...