It is common to have some splintering of the jaw bone after a tooth extraction. In fact, the splintering can occur at different stages of the healing. They are called bony fragments, bone splinters, bone slivers, bone spurs.... all the same thing.

These pieces of bone can be super tiny or larger. They are pieces of the jaw bone that have split off during the extraction and got lodged against the socket or embedded in the tissue. Eventually they work their way up through the surgical area and poke through the gum tissue.

They can be painful or sore. Sometimes they fall out on their own .... sometimes they need a little help coming out.

If a piece of the bony fragment poking through the gum tissue is large enough to be grasped with surgical tweezers or forceps then there is no need to make an incision. If the fragment is barely poking through, then a slight incision or slit in the tissue is made to gain access to it.

If there is a need to actually file down the jaw bone, then an incision would be made, the bone would be filed and sutures would be placed.

Hope this information is helpful.
Bryanna