D

Osseous recontouring (osteoplasty/ostectomy) reshapes the interdental septum to remove interproximal bony craters, whereas gingivectomy, curettage, or massage affect only soft tissues without correcting the bony defect. Clinical studies of flap surgery with osteoplasty show successful elimination of interproximal crater-like defects and superior pocket reduction compared with procedures that leave the bone unchanged [Tuan et al., 2000, PMID 11203584].