Gum recession is a common problem that comes with age, but it’s often associated with the acceleration of periodontal disease. Even with treatment to stop the gum disease, the recession won’t necessarily reverse. Lost tissue needs more intensive responses like grafting to restore the natural gum line. Without restoration, missing gum tissue exposes tooth roots to infection and damage, putting the entire jaw bone at risk. Protect your overall health with a timely gum graft. Pinhole grafting techniques are relatively new, but they are minimally invasive options for restoring gum tissue with the addition of collagen.
What’s Involved in a Traditional Gum Graft?
The traditional form of gum recession surgery involves grafting on tissue taken from the roof of the mouth or the very back of the gums. This leaves a depression where the tissue was harvested, increasing the total area that needs to heal in the mouth. While this kind of treatment has a good chance of success, it’s still a surgery. Sutures are involved that will dissolve or need removal later. Some people simply aren’t comfortable with surgery, even if it’s needed to protect their teeth. The low chance of side effects or rejections also make other patients think twice about a traditional gum graft. The pinhole gum surgery technique addresses all of these concerns.
How is Pinhole Gum Grafting Different?
For a minimally invasive solution to solve gum recession, consider a pinhole treatment. No matter the cause of the recession, there’s a good chance that this advanced grafting option will work well to reverse the damage. You get a faster recovery period and a lower chance of rejection, all without the need to remove tissue from anywhere else in the mouth. With the pinhole gum rejuvenation solution, the dentist uses a pinhole entry point at the back of the gum tissue where recession has occurred. The gum tissue is pushed back down into place, then covered with a collagen strip to help hold it in place while it heals. This encourages healing and helps restore the original gum line without the need for moving other tissue around.
Recovery Differences Between Gum Graft Options
Traditional gum grafts can take weeks to heal completely. You’ll need to watch what you eat and drink, brush with care, and generally act with care to reduce the chance of rejection. In contrast, the pinhole form of receding gums surgery offers a very fast recovery period. The pinhole insertion points don’t need sutures and tend to heal the day after the surgery. The collagen strips will absorb into the gum tissue as it heals, disappearing before you realize it in most cases. You’ll experience less discomfort and little disruption to your routine by choosing the pinhole option. Even the treatment time itself is shorter, letting you get out of the dentist’s office earlier and with fewer potential side effects as you heal.
Limitations for Pinhole Treatment
Of course, not all patients will respond best to this kind of gum treatment. You might imagine that it’s limited to patients with a sufficient amount of surrounding gum tissue remaining, and you’re right. Gum grafts are often necessary instead when larger amounts of gum tissue have receded from the area. Patients will also need any active infection treated before pinhole treatment, but this is true for any form of gum grafting or related treatment. Finally, smokers will need to quit before undergoing pinhole treatment or gum grafts in general.
Tackle gum recession the easiest possible way with pinhole recession surgery. It makes the most of your existing gum tissue rather than trying to move tissue from another part of the mouth to cover the gap. Discuss your options with your dentist to determine what is right for you depending on the severity of the recession. You may need traditional grafts in some areas but would respond well to pinhole treatments in other parts of the mouth.
