To fix receding gums, we can use a procedure called a gum graft. This is a minor surgical procedure that involves taking healthy gum tissue from another part of the mouth and attaching it to where the gums have receded, providing extra tissue to build the gums back up.
The good news is, this receded gum tissue can be restored. The traditional method of treating gum recession is through a gum graft, which entails donor tissue being harvested from another area of the mouth—usually the palate—and transplanted onto the receding area to cover the exposed tooth root.
Throughout your surgery, you can expect to feel no pain whatsoever, as the anesthesia will ensure you are thoroughly numb. However, once you are home and the effects have worn off, it is not uncommon to experience some soreness and discomfort. Fortunately, there are ways to manage the pain and avoid complications.
Gum graft surgery is a dental procedure for treating thinning gums or gum recession. Gum grafting covers exposed teeth roots and adds volume to your gum line, improving overall oral health. Recovery usually takes one week to two weeks, but it may take longer.
The cost of gum graft surgery will depend on how much area is affected and how much the gums have receded. On average, a gum graft can cost between $600 and $1,200 for a small area around one tooth. Dental insurance often covers at least part of the cost of a gum graft.
It's never too late for gum grafting as long as the patient has sufficient gum tissue to harvest for the graft. However, the success rate of the procedure may be lower in cases where the patient has advanced gum disease or other underlying health issues that can affect the healing process.
A gum graft is an easy procedure. You will receive sedatives so you will not feel any pain or discomfort during the process. You may receive local anesthesia that keeps you awake while numbing your gums. Your dentist will then extract some tissue from your mouth.
For patients who are not using donor grafting material, the healing process typically takes around 7-10 days, although most pain and discomfort should begin to alleviate and disappear within 2-4 days.
Most patients will be fully healed from a gum graft procedure within two weeks but could take up to a month. A follow-up appointment with the doctor a week after the procedure will be needed to ensure the graft was successful and patient is properly healing. After two weeks, regular flossing and brushing can resume.
Poor oral hygiene can cause receding gums in two ways. First, if you do not brush your teeth properly, some plaque remains, which can buildup up tartar. Tartar breeds disease-causing bacteria which affect the gums, causing them to recede towards the tooth root. The second is through aggressive hygiene.
When you look in the mirror, do you see more of a tooth than you used to? This is one of the easiest ways to tell if you have gum recession. When gums recede, more of the tooth is visibly exposed. Look for lines or notches along the bottom of the teeth, as this typically indicates areas where the gums have receded.
Good Oral Hygiene Habits
One of the most important things you can do to avoid further gum recession is to brush and floss your teeth twice daily. If your gums have receded due to aggressive brushing, be mindful of the force you are applying while brushing and use a soft-bristled toothbrush.
The base cost of a gum graft can be between $600 and $1200 per tooth. A periodontist is a specialist so is likely to have a higher fee. Donor tissue is more expensive than tissue that is harvested from the roof of your mouth.
If you first notice the signs of gum recession, it is important to see your dentist right away. Minor gum recession is extremely common and does not necessarily require surgical intervention. Treating the underlying cause of your gum recession may be the best course of action.
A patient suffering from gum recession usually has two options for fixing a smile. The first involves grafting tissue taken from the roof of the mouth to the receded gums, a procedure that fills in the exposed surface of a tooth. The second solution is the application of veneers over the exposed section.
As gum disease progresses, these patients wind up losing additional teeth as additional recession continues. Adult tooth loss should be avoided at all costs because it is both inconvenient and expensive to correct. So while surgery may not be preferable, it is necessary for avoiding serious, and costly, complications.
Most gum surgery procedures take around 2 hours to complete. In some cases, the surgery will require a person to be asleep or partially asleep during the procedure. Other times, the surgery only involves the use of a local anesthetic to numb the gums. The injection of the numbing medication can be mildly uncomfortable.
Because the “tunnelling” gum graft approach is minimally invasive, your new gum graft will be a natural pink color and look so natural, most of our patients cannot even tell which teeth were treated and which were not.
If you use your own tissue, the most teeth you can typically graft at once would probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-8 teeth. With alloderm, you could graft every single tooth in your mouth in one sitting!
Gum grafting surgeries have a success rate of up to 90%. Besides, with local anesthesia, you should not experience any pain during your treatment. Afterward, your dentist will prescribe pain medication to help you manage your soreness after the numbing wears off.
You typically need a gum graft when the gums recede and expose the roots of your teeth. Receding gums may be a sign of gum disease, or your gums might thin naturally. Other factors can lead to receding gums, such as: Aggressive brushing.
Pinhole Surgical Technique
Next, your periodontist uses special instruments to loosen your gums and move them back to the appropriate position. This procedure has gained popularity due to it being far less invasive than traditional gum grafting, which in turn makes the recovery time significantly faster.
This exposes more of the tooth root, leaving it vulnerable to decay and sensitivity. About 15-20% of the patients ages 20-35 have some sort of gum recession and may require grafting. About 75% of people older than 50 will require some form of gum grafting due to age and normal chewing.
With a gum graft, you can expect it to remain in place for a lifetime, but you will need to take care of your oral health on a daily basis. This means brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush and being mindful of how much pressure you're using while brushing.