Have you noticed inflammation of your gums? Have they started to recede, or pull back from the tooth? If so, you might be in need of a graft.
This procedure is simple and non-invasive, despite its somewhat grizzly appearance. While the gum tissue does not readily regrow in areas with infection, it grows into existing places very well. This means that the placement of material is the best method of recapturing a healthy gumline.
Today, your Overland Park, KS dentist speaks to you a bit about the possible procedures available to help you!
It’s Not As Rare As You Think
Gum recession is incredibly common, yet comes with shame for some. People will try to alter their smile or cover their mouth with their hands more. But this is a medical issue and should be treated as such.
The underlying issue is the infection of the tissue of the gums. This will not improve significantly without the help of a trained oral health professional. So it is important to take this seriously, with the recognition that help is certainly available to you.
Sometimes, people just aren’t every knowledgeable in oral surgery, and that is completely understandable. Being able to look up surgical images directly from our phone certainly doesn’t help either. But these procedures are tried and tested.
Free Gingival Grafts Are An Option
The most common procedure that we perform in order to fix receding gums is what is known as a free gingival graft. This operation stretches healthy gum tissue back up to the level at which is safe. There are few complications with this form of graft, and it is well-known for being predictable.
Firstly, any infected tissue will be removed from the tooth by the dentist. They will thoroughly clean the area, then replace the gum at a proper level. That’s it!
This simple procedure takes around 45 minutes on average, with only local anesthesia. Recovery is usually brief and pain-free, with a soft diet required for around a week. Your dentist will give you a guideline to help you along.
What If It’s A Large Area?
When the infected area is too large for gingival grafting, a periodontist might opt for a soft tissue graft. This procedure removes a piece of donor tissue from a healthy area, then attaching the material to the gum.
Most of the time, the donor material is taken from the roof of the mouth, but it can also come from other similar areas. These two pieces of material fuse together after, creating new healthy gum tissue. As is the goal of any gum graft, dentists want to ensure that the tooth’s root is covered in healthy flesh, as the root is a highly vulnerable area.
An adhesive bandage is applied to the donor site, so that it may heal on its own. And as with a gingival graft, a week-long soft diet is usually sufficient for recovery.
Call Us For More Information!
Contact Family First Dental in Overland Park, KS by calling 913-381-2600 to schedule your next appointment with our team and discuss how we can best plan your options for a perfect, healthy gumline to protect your teeth!