Soft Tissue (Gum) Grafting & Bone Grafting
The soft tissue of your gums should fit smoothly and snugly against your teeth, anchoring them in place. However, sometimes gums will begin to recede or pull away from teeth creating pockets and exposing more of the tooth.
In severe cases, the tooth's root will be exposed, causing sensitivity and risk of decay or tooth loss. Fortunately, several techniques are used to encourage new gum growth and reattachment. The leading treatment in our office is soft tissue grafting.
Reasons for Receding Gums
There are several reasons why you might experience gum recession:
- Gum disease or periodontal infection
- Naturally thin gum tissue
- Position of teeth
- Physical trauma
Facts about Gum Disease
Periodontal infection, or gum disease, is the most common cause of a receding gum line. It occurs when bacterial plaque and tartar (calculus) infect the gum and tooth root.
In minor cases, you will experience inflammation, swelling, and maybe some slight bleeding. As the infection progresses, however, the symptoms will worsen.
Gums begin to pull away from the teeth and roots, bone loss in the jaw can occur, and teeth can begin to loosen or fall out. This is why treatment is imperative, and soft tissue grafting may be a part of the solution.
Soft Tissue Grafting Procedure
First, we must remove all bacteria and infected tissue in one of two ways: Periolase® laser surgery or conventional gum surgery.
If gum disease is severe enough, we must remove and perform soft tissue grafting. In other cases, soft tissue grafting is used to enhance a smile or repair damage caused by trauma.
Our periodontist uses three types of soft tissue grafting to treat exposed roots, help gums remain healthy, and keep your teeth where they belong.
Free Gingival Graft
The first is free gingival grafts, where tissue is removed from the roof of the mouth. This graft is then sutured to the area being treated. This method is commonly used for people who have naturally thin gums.
Connective Tissue Graft
For this type of gum surgery, some tissue is taken from the roof of the mouth in the shape of a trap door. Then the graft is removed from under the trap door. The flap is replaced, and the graft tissue is used to surround an exposed tooth root.
Pedicle Graft
The third and final type of soft tissue grafting is pedicle grafting which uses tissue from the gum of a neighboring tooth. This type of grafting heals more quickly and is the method of choice when circumstances allow it.
Benefits of Soft Tissue Grafting
- Prevents the continued recession of soft tissue
- Reduces sensitivity and prevents tooth loss
- Improves your smile's appearance
- Covers exposed tooth roots
Hard Tissue (Bone) Grafting
If you have experienced tooth loss, it's likely you have also experienced bone loss in that area of the jaw. At CDIC, we can use hard tissue (bone) grafting to maintain or restore the bone's height and width and promote the growth of new bone. Ideally, bone grafting is performed immediately following tooth loss or extraction to prevent the bone from atrophying.
Bone Grafting for Dental Implants
We also commonly use bone grafting for patients who want dental implants but have experienced too much bone loss for successful implant placement. The quality and quantity of the jawbone in which the implant is to be placed are vital to successful implant placement. In this case, we perform the grafting procedure, and when the bone heals after several months, we can place an implant.
Sinus Lift
For example, the upper back jaw has long been considered the most difficult area to place an implant because of insufficient bone quantity and close proximity to the sinus. The dentist may use sinus augmentation to help correct this problem and, in turn, achieve well-developed bone for implants.
Ridge Augmentation
Jawbone deformities can also leave you with inadequate jawbone to support an implant. A jaw's alveolar ridge is the bone that surrounds tooth roots. Tooth loss leaves an empty socket in the ridge bone.
Without the tooth stimulating bone regeneration, the socket's height and width continue to deteriorate over time. Ridge augmentation involves placing a bone substitute or graft at the ridge to minimize and prevent further deterioration.
Once we have modified the ridge, we can then successfully place the dental implant.
Can You Benefit from Soft Tissue or Bone Grafting?
Take a good look at your gums. Do they look healthy, or are they beginning to recede? Are they inflamed, bleeding, or pulling away from your teeth?
Would you like to get a dental implant but have been told you don't have enough bone for a successful procedure?
Or are your gums simply uneven, making your smile a bit lackluster? If so, it may be time to contact our periodontist in Orange County to learn more about our grafting procedures.
We have four convenient dental offices in Orange County to serve you. You can reach our Huntington Beach office (714) 968-2527, our Brea office (714) 257-0330, or our Placentia office (714) 577-9070. If you are located in the Cypress area, please call us at Cypress Smiles Dentistry (714) 261-2211.
