If you have receding gums that appear to be getting worse, you may be able to restore your gums with soft tissue grafting. At Downey Dental Arts in Southern California, we specialize in periodontal treatments that can restore your gums and bring new life to your smile.
Soft tissue grafting, also called gum grafting or gum graft surgery, is a periodontal dental treatment designed to repair the damage of receding gums.
Soft tissue gum grafting is used to restore gums that have been damaged due to periodontal (gum) disease. Gum grafting can help prevent additional gum recession as well as bone and tooth loss. It is often necessary due to issues such as:
Soft tissue gum grafting has many benefits, including:
Soft tissue grafting is a process that happens under local anesthesia. All types of soft tissue grafting involve taking some tissue from one part of the mouth (or using donor tissue) to cover receding gums where the root of the tooth is exposed. The three types of soft tissue gum grafts are free gingival grafts, connective tissue grafts, and pedicle grafts.
With a free gingival graft procedure, a small piece of tissue is taken from the roof of the mouth. This soft tissue is then secured to the area where the gums have receded. Sometimes donor soft tissue is used if a lot of gum needs to be placed. People with very thin gum tissue often benefit from the free gingival graft procedure.
A connective tissue graft utilizes tissue from the roof of the mouth, but this tissue is the sub-epithelial connective tissue layer. A flap in the roof of the mouth is created, and then we remove the tissue to graft it on the receded area. The flap will then be reconnected. This is a very common procedure when the roots of a tooth are exposed.
A pedicle graft, also called a lateral graft, utilizes the gum tissue next to the recessed gum area. A flap of this tissue is incised and then used to cover the recessed area. This type of graft has a high success rate because the blood supply to the grafted tissue is kept intact. We can only use this graft if the adjacent tissue is very healthy.
First, we will schedule a consultation where the dentist will determine if a gum graft surgery is necessary. The type of soft tissue gum graft will depend on the health of your gums and the extent of the gum recession. During the soft tissue gum graft, you will be kept comfortable with a local anesthetic.
After the procedure, you may experience a little pain, some swelling, and maybe some bruising. You can use over-the-counter pain medication, or the dentist will prescribe medication if necessary. We will also conduct follow-ups to check on progress and remove any stitches. It can take up to 6 months for a new gum graft to fully integrate.
The average cost for a soft tissue gum graft is between $2,800 and $3,200, but it may be more or less depending on your specific circumstances and the type of gum graft surgery done. At Downey Dental Arts, we make sure our patients can afford necessary treatments by offering financing plans that break down costs into convenient monthly payments. Dental insurance may also defray some costs.
Have Receding Gums in Downey?
If you have gums that have receded significantly, soft tissue gum grafting might help. Contact us today by calling (562) 445-3363 to schedule your appointment at Downey Dental Arts.
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