Which of the following is listed as a corrective option for loss of attachment but is not a non-surgical root surface treatment?

• A. Subgingival curettage
• B. Opening root planing
• C. Surgical flap
• D. Grafts

Answer: (D)

Loss of attachment means the tooth’s supporting tissues have been damaged, and healing to truly restore those structures often requires regenerative or augmentative surgical procedures. Non-surgical root surface treatments, like subgingival curettage or root planing performed without raising a flap, aim to remove plaque and diseased tissue and to reduce inflammation—they don't rebuild lost tissue. Grafts, on the other hand, are used to restore or replace lost support by providing material for bone growth or a scaffold for new periodontal ligament and cementum, addressing the attachment loss itself. While a surgical flap or open root planing are surgical approaches to access and clean the roots, they do not inherently reconstruct lost tissue. Therefore, grafts are the corrective option listed that is not a non-surgical root surface treatment.