Gum Grafting

Soft tissue grafting (gum grafting) includes a wide variety of procedures that are aimed at correcting soft tissue defects (such as gum recession) adjacent to teeth or implants. These defects must be corrected if they show signs of progression and compromise the long-term health and maintenance of the tooth or implant. In some cases, sensitivity to temperature change can also be noted. These procedures can also be performed in order to correct the gum line and give you a more esthetically pleasing smile.

Perio-Clinik_Treatments-Procedures_Gum-Grafting-2

Why Gum Grafting?

Gum recessions causing esthetic issues

Gum recessions causing tooth hypersensitivity or gingival inflammation

Gum recessions showing signs of progression

Inadequate amount of gum around teeth

Types of Gum Graft

Autograft: a gum graft using your own soft tissue, usually sourced from the palate. this is currently the gold standard

Allograft: a gum graft using soft tissue sourced from a human donor

Xenograft: a gum graft using soft tissue from an animal source (bovine or porcine)

Treatment

Free gingival graft, mostly used for soft tissue augmentation

Connective tissue graft, mostly used for root coverage

Case-by-Case Procedure

In some cases, the tissue is transferred from one region of your mouth to another, in other cases, synthetic material is used to correct defects. A thorough pre-operative examination is required in order to identify regions that may be at risk and determine what treatment option is best for you. Every treatment is tailored to your specific needs and different regions may require different types of procedures. Ultimately, the objective is always the long-term maintenance of your dentition without any pain or sensitivity.

Local Anesthesia is Applied

Sometimes oral or IV sedatives can also be used to achieve a higher state of relaxation depending on the needs of an individual patient.

Tissue is Harvested from Donor Site

Gum Recession: Soft tissue graft surgery. 3D illustration of Dental treatment

A portion of your own tissue (autograft) is harvested from donor site or manufactured tissue (allograft, xenograft) can be used.

Gum Graft is Positioned & Secured

A small incision is made at the recipient site. Some soreness may be experienced after the surgery which can be managed by over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication.

Tissue Healing

Though you will soon feel completely back to normal, it may take your body up to 6 weeks for soft tissue to heal and several months to maturate. The waiting time allows the healing process enough time to achieve the desired aesthetic and functional results.