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Most patients with gum disease or severe tooth loss have insufficient bone material to hold their teeth or dental implants. As a result, dentists are forced to perform bone grafts which increase bone and gum density. Ueno Center Dental Specialists is a leading provider of gum treatments in Campbell, including bone and gum grafting to fix jawbone deterioration.
There are several gum grafting options available, for example:
- Free gingival grafting
This procedure is very predictable. Unfortunately, it is known for having more pain because they collect the tissue from the roof of the mouth and grab the surface layer. The good news is that you will not need this procedure a lot of the time because it is performed in infrequent instances for patients that have a recession on their teeth. Typically, this technique is done on the lower front teeth. The result of the treatment is very predictable because it eliminates all teeth recession. Sometimes, it may be challenging to cover all the recession, but the unpredictability of the procedure depends on the skill level of your surgeon. Another disadvantage is that the aftermath of the treatment does not blend seamlessly with the surrounding tissues.
- Connective tissue graft
95% of patients with recession in their mouth are treated using this procedure which involves collecting connective tissue from the roof of the mouth. Some of the advantages of connective tissue grafting are that it is way less painful than free gingiva grafting. Also, it is difficult to tell that a patient had gum grafting done because there is no patch effect. The grafted tissue blends perfectly with the surrounding tissues. Connective tissue is the best choice for patients looking to get full coverage. However, if you had too much bone loss, it may be challenging to achieve perfect results.
- Human donor tissue
Your surgeon can use human donor tissue, especially when you do not want to use the roof of the mouth to get the procedure done. Your dental care provider will take the human donor tissue and create pouches underneath the gum. Your surgeon will then create a tunnel, slide the pocket underneath your gums and then suture them in place. The result is a fixed recession. Whether patients decide to get tissue from the roof of their mouth or a donor is up to them. The most significant difference will be in cost. Using human donor tissue will be a little bit pricier because there is an additional cost for your surgeon to go out and buy the supplies versus if he or she used the roof of your mouth. The advantages of this are that you do not have to extract tissue from the top of your mouth hence there is less pain.
The three techniques mentioned above are the most common when performing bone and gum grafts. If you have any questions on which one will best suit your recession, contact Ueno Center Dental Specialists by phone to learn more about bone and gum grafting.
