Mountainview Periodontics & Dental Implants in Parker, CO, and Periodontics of Cherry Creek in Glendale, CO, are the go-to places for periodontal and dental implant needs. Our highly skilled team provides personalized care to patients in a comfortable and welcoming environment. We are dedicated to providing the best possible service to our patients and constantly striving to improve our practice. We offer several periodontal therapy services, including gum grafting (ideally for root coverage), at our Parker and Glendale, Colorado, facilities.
Improve Your Smile with Root Coverage and Gum Grafting
Do you want to improve the appearance of your smile? Are your gums receding and causing sensitivity? If so, gum grafting may be the answer. At Mountainview Periodontics & Dental Implants and Periodontics of Cherry Creek, we specialize in this area. We can help!
What is Gum Recession?
Our gums can recede for many reasons. One of the most common causes of gum recession is having naturally thin, weak gums to begin with. Gum recession can occur at any age, sometimes beginning even as a teenager! Other reasons for gum recession include brushing too hard, clenching and grinding, and inflammation of the gums, to name a few.
Gum recession occurs when the tissue moves from the tooth’s base and exposes the root surface. This movement can create sensitivity and put the exposed root at risk for a cavity. Recession weakens the overall support of the teeth and can also negatively affect your smile.
What is Gum Grafting?
There are many gum graft options, including using your own gum tissue from another area of your mouth or using donor tissue that has been thoroughly screened and tested to ensure your safety. In some cases, when the tissue is thick enough, we can reposition it over the gum recession without adding any tissue! In most cases, gum grafting can repair many problems, restore your smile, and help prevent additional recession and bone loss.
Gum grafting is a surgical procedure used to rebuild or strengthen existing gum tissues. During this procedure, the healthy gum tissue is taken from another area of your mouth and transferred to areas with insufficient tissue.
Gum grafting helps to thicken (and ideally restore) gum tissue that has been lost for various reasons, including recession caused by aggressive brushing, thin tissues, and clenching and grinding, to name a few. It also reduces the risk of future bone and soft tissue loss by supplementing vulnerable areas with strong, healthy tissue.
In addition to increasing gum thickness, root coverage is also a desired goal of gum grafting. Gum grafting for root coverage can help restore symmetry in cases where one side of the mouth may have more or less gum tissue than the other. It also helps create a more aesthetic smile when we can achieve root coverage. Achieving root coverage can also help reduce sensitivity that is caused by exposed roots.
The ability to obtain root coverage is unique to each individual patient’s situation. The most critical factors in obtaining root coverage are the pre-existing bone levels and the position of teeth in the jaw bone. Bone loss and malposed teeth can decrease the amount of root coverage obtained. Root coverage may not be possible in cases of severe bone loss. It is still vital to complete the gum grafting procedure to thicken the gum to prevent more soft tissue and bone loss.
What is Recovery Like?
Gum grafting recovery can take a couple of weeks and may involve some discomfort (managed routinely with pain meds), but the result is worth it! Most patients find that the donor site heals relatively quickly without any issues. Any stitches placed will either dissolve or be removed 10 to 14 days after your procedure. The grafted area may feel sensitive while healing, sometimes lasting a few weeks after the procedure. Afterward, your gums will be thicker, preventing additional bone and soft tissue loss. When bone levels are normal, we typically see great root coverage, which improves the appearance of your smile and can result in a full gum line. When there is bone loss, we may be able to get some root coverage but don’t expect as much root coverage as those areas without bone loss. This is due to the lack of blood supply due to the diminished height of bone.
During recovery, follow all of the post-operative instructions provided and eat soft foods to allow enough time for proper healing. Anyone experiencing prolonged pain in the grafted area (greater than a few weeks) should consult our team right away, as this is not typically observed with routine healing – we want to ensure you have a comfortable recovery and achieve great results!
Root Coverage and Gum grafting in Parker and Glendale, CO
At Mountainview Periodontics & Dental Implants and Periodontics of Cherry Creek, we understand how important it is for our patients to feel confident in their smiles. That’s why we offer gum grafting techniques tailored specifically to your needs and your unique situation.
Just give us a call! Schedule a consultation with Dr. Maryanne Butler or Dr. Amy Riffel today. We look forward to helping you achieve healthy teeth and gums that can make you smile and protect your teeth for a lifetime.
