Skin and Hormone Changes After Cavitation Surgery: A Patient Story

October 14, 2026 | Dr. Jigar Gandhi: Tooth and Body

What does recovery look like after biological jawbone surgery? For some patients, the changes they notice go beyond the mouth. In this short video, a Tooth & Body patient sits down with Dr. Jigar Gandhi after her surgery and shares two changes she has noticed since treatment: clearer skin on the side of her face that was treated, and a reduction in a hormone-related symptom she had lived with for about ten years.

Below, we walk through her experience, explain what elevated prolactin means, and look at how biological dentistry fits into a whole-body approach to health, along with the limits of what any single case can tell us.

Prefer YouTube? Watch the video here.

The Patient's Experience Before Surgery

Before treatment, the patient was dealing with two ongoing concerns. The first was acne across her face. The second was a hormonal issue involving her pituitary gland: her prolactin levels were high, and she was producing breast milk even though she had not been pregnant recently. She shared that this symptom had been present for roughly ten years.

After evaluation, Dr. Gandhi treated an area of the jawbone on her left side. As with every Tooth & Body patient, the goal of surgery was to remove unhealthy bone and support proper healing, not to promise a specific change elsewhere in the body.

What She Noticed After Surgery

Clearer Skin on the Treated Side: The first thing the patient described was her skin. She said the left side of her face, the same side where the surgery was performed, has cleared up significantly since treatment.

Less Milk Production

The second change involved her prolactin-related symptom. She reported that since the surgery she no longer feels the same urge to express milk and that her body is not producing as much as before. For a symptom that had lasted about a decade, that is a meaningful change in her daily life.

These are the patient's own observations. They are not lab results, and one person's experience cannot prove cause and effect. Still, stories like hers are a big part of why patients seek out a biological dentist to take a closer look at the jawbone.

What Is High Prolactin?

Prolactin is a hormone made by the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain that helps regulate many of the body's hormones. Prolactin's main job is to support milk production after childbirth. When prolactin is elevated outside of pregnancy or breastfeeding, the condition is called hyperprolactinemia .

Common Signs of Elevated Prolactin

  • Milk production when not pregnant or nursing (galactorrhea)
  • Irregular or missed menstrual cycles
  • Changes in libido or fertility
  • Headaches or vision changes in some cases

Common Medical Causes

Elevated prolactin has several well-known causes, including benign pituitary growths (prolactinomas), certain medications, thyroid conditions, and kidney issues. Because some of these causes require specific medical treatment, anyone with high prolactin or unexplained milk production should be evaluated by a physician or endocrinologist. Biological dentistry is not a substitute for that care. It can be one part of a broader, coordinated approach.

Why Would the Jawbone Matter?

On the tooth meridian chart from traditional Chinese medicine, the wisdom tooth areas are associated with the pituitary gland. Western medicine does not recognize this as a proven connection, and Dr. Gandhi uses the chart as a reference point rather than a diagnosis. We cover this in more detail in Wisdom Teeth and the Pituitary Gland: What the Meridian Chart Suggests, and you can view the full chart on our homepage: Tooth & Body Tooth Chart.

From a science-based view, the focus is on what imaging and examination show. Areas of poorly healed or infected jawbone, often called cavitations , can be present without pain and may not show up clearly on standard 2D X-rays. Chronic inflammation is one reason biological dentists believe these sites are worth addressing. Researchers continue to study how oral infections relate to inflammation elsewhere in the body. Read more in Dental Infections and Gut Health: The Oral-Systemic Connection.

How Tooth & Body Evaluates and Treats the Jawbone

Dr. Gandhi uses 3D cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging to see the jawbone in detail. When a problem area is confirmed, he may recommend cavitation surgery , a biological dental surgery to clean out unhealthy bone. Depending on the case, care may include:

  • Ozone therapy to support a clean surgical site
  • Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) from the patient's own blood to support healing
  • Red-light laser therapy
  • Dr. Gandhi's Bone Healing Protocol before and after surgery

Dr. Gandhi is a certified Biodentistry 3.0 practitioner with additional training through Tufts University. Learn more in Meet Dr. Gandhi and Biological Dentistry. For more patient experiences, read Cavitation Surgery Patient Stories: A Biological Dentistry Journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can cavitation surgery help with acne?

    There is no established research showing that cavitation surgery treats acne. Some patients, like the one in this video, report clearer skin after treatment. Acne has many possible causes, including hormones, diet, and skin care, so results vary from person to person.

  • Can jawbone surgery lower prolactin levels?

    This has not been proven. The patient in this video reported reduced milk production after surgery, but her experience is individual. Anyone with high prolactin should work with a physician or endocrinologist to identify the cause and monitor lab levels.

  • What causes milk production when you are not pregnant?

    Milk production outside of pregnancy or nursing, called galactorrhea, is often linked to elevated prolactin. Common causes include pituitary growths, certain medications, and thyroid conditions. It should always be evaluated by a medical doctor.

  • What is a jawbone cavitation?

    A cavitation is an area of poorly healed or dead bone in the jaw, often at a former extraction site such as a wisdom tooth. It may cause no pain and can be difficult to see on standard X-rays, which is why 3D cone beam CT imaging is often used.

  • Will I see changes on the same side as my surgery?

    Every patient is different. This patient noticed changes on the treated side, but no dentist can predict or guarantee specific results after surgery.

  • Can I consult with Dr. Gandhi if I live outside New York?

    Yes. Tooth & Body offers nationwide virtual consultations. See What to Expect at a Biological Dentistry Virtual Consult.

Explore Whether Your Jawbone Could Be a Factor

If you are living with ongoing symptoms and have had teeth extracted or root canals in the past, a detailed look at your jawbone may help complete the picture. Dr. Jigar Gandhi and the Tooth & Body team, located at 875 N Broadway in North Massapequa, NY, combine advanced imaging with a whole-body approach and work alongside your medical providers.

Get In Touch