Gum Grafting

Gum Grafting

Gum Grafting/Gum Recession Treatment

Many individuals have receding gums around some of their teeth, and may not eben realize it. Not all gum recession needs to be treated, but there are some recessions that when left untreated will increase the chance of further gum recession, increased sensitivity to cold, root dental cavities, and loss of root structures. It is usually easier to treat gum recession early on, when it is not too severe.

Certain types of gum recession can be corrected with gum grafting.  In this treatment, a donor tissue is placed over the base of the tooth at the gum recession site and stabilized there with stitches, aiming to grow the gums in both horizontal and vertical dimension.  Donor tissue can be either harvested from the roof of the mouth, or purchased from a FDA-approved donor tissue bank. The donor tissue will attach to the gum recession site, blending in with adjacent gum tissues over time.  The donor site (e.g. roof of mouth) will usually grow back to its original thickness in 1-2 months.

Gum grafting can also be done over dental implants to improve the function and the esthetic of implants. In addition, gum grafting around dental implants creates more tissues, and room for better plaque control.