Gum disease can cause the gum line around your teeth to recede. Over time, your gums may recede enough to expose the roots of your teeth. This also exposes nerves, which can cause discomfort. Cold and hot foods and drinks, and even breathing cold air can be uncomfortable if your roots and nerves become exposed. Exposed roots can also elongate the tooth, giving you an older, less cosmetically appealing appearance. Additionally, some people have naturally thin gum tissue, which increases the chances for gum breakdown over time. Gum grafting procedure works to rebuild gum tissue around your teeth and make necessary activities like eating and drinking more comfortable.
This treatment involves removing a small section of tissue from inside your mouth, or the roof of your mouth, and layering it over the damaged areas of gum. There are several types of gum grafts.
The connective tissue graft is used when there is a large area of root exposure. The tissue is removed from the roof of the mouth and sutured onto the grafting site. The roof of the mouth offers a larger area from which to take donor tissue, especially important if larger areas require grafting.
If you have thin gum tissue, a gingival graft may be performed. There doesn’t need to be root or nerve exposure before your dentist can perform a gingival graft. A small piece of tissue is taken from the roof of your mouth and sutured to the thinning area of your gums. This can be performed to several thinning sites if needed. Over time, your gums will thicken and reduce the chance for exposed roots in the future.
This graft is used if your gums have receded, but are otherwise healthy. A flap of tissue is cut, but left attached at one end, and is then moved sideways to cover exposed roots. This is an ideal graft, as the blood vessels remain in place.
It can take anywhere from one to two weeks for your gum graft to properly heal. For the first two weeks after your procedure it’s recommended to avoid eating hard or hot foods that could aggravate the graft. Soft and cool foods, such as eggs, yogurt, cooked vegetables, and ice cream are recommended. You’ll also need to avoid brushing or flossing the area until it has healed. Using a mouthwash will help prevent any infections or plaque buildup that could cause issues with the graft. We may also recommend pain medication and request that you avoid exercise until you’ve healed. Gum grafts are the most effective way to reduce further recession and bone loss, and protect the tooth roots from decay. Dr. Kostirko and his team at BloorWestSmiles Dental can explain and answer any other questions or concerns that you may have. Give us a call to schedule your next appointment.
When a tooth is lost, the bone around it shrinks – which is a natural physiological response from our body. Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants. With over 30 years of clinical, hands-on experience in advanced fields of modern dentistry, Dr. Kostirko is able to offer his patients bone grafting solutions to help him place implants of proper length and width. Which also allows him to restore the functionality of their teeth and their appearance.
If your jaw bone is too thin or soft to keep a dental implant in place, there is an extremely good chance the implant will fail. In a bone graft procedure, a section of bone from another area of your body is taken , or as is a common procedure now, a special bone grafting material is used, and grafted onto your jaw bone. The recovery time is usually several months while the graft creates enough new, strong bone to ensure the implant will be stable and secure. It is possible to perform the bone graft and implant surgery at the same time. A successful bone graft will allow your jaw bone to be strong enough to support your dental implant.
If you’ve had one tooth or several teeth missing for a long time, there’s a chance that the bone below where those teeth would have been have now become broken down. A breakdown in bony structure can also be caused by:
In addition, when teeth are extracted, the surrounding bone and gums can shrink and recede very quickly after the extraction resulting in defects and collapse of your lips and cheeks. These jaw defects can create major problems in performing future restorative dentistry whether your treatment involves dental implants, bridges or dentures. Jaw deformities from tooth removal can be prevented and repaired by a procedure called socket preservation. Socket preservation can greatly improve your smile’s appearance and increase your chances for successful dental implants for years to come. Depending on his patient’s unique situation, Dr. Kostirko has been using various techniques to preserve bone and minimize bone loss after an extraction. In one common method, the tooth is removed and the socket is filled with bone or bone substitute. It is then covered with gum, artificial membrane, or tissue-stimulating proteins to encourage the body’s natural ability to repair the socket. With this method, the socket heals eliminating shrinkage and collapse of surrounding gum and facial tissues. The newly formed bone in the socket also provides a foundation for an implant to replace the tooth.
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