With the assistance of lasers and an alternative to traditional gum grafts, we can correct receding gums. With the Pinhole Surgical Technique, we can provide a more conservative alternative to the old school method. In today’s blog, your Encinitas/San Diego, CA, periodontist talks about pinhole gum grafts and laser dentistry.

The Causes of Receding Gums

How does periodontal disease cause your gums to recede? As the disease reaches a more advanced state, the tissues could pull back from the teeth. As they do, this exposes portions of the roots not protected by tooth enamel. Your teeth not only look long, but are more vulnerable to tooth decay and infection. This alters the appearance and health of your smile. In addition to treating and managing periodontal disease with laser dentistry, we can also offer a pinhole gum graft to correct the appearance of your smile and improve overall oral health.

The Pinhole Surgical Technique

Unlike the traditional gum graft, which involves taking tissue from other parts of your mouth’s interior to cover the exposed portions of the teeth, we only need to make a very small hole in the tissue. We then add a special collagen material to the gums and begin to manipulate the tissues so that they cover the exposed portions of the roots. As we do, we take time to ensure proper symmetry in the smile, so the results look good in addition to protecting your oral health. At the same time, the treatment to manage the issue can control or prevent periodontitis, so you avoid the risk of adult tooth loss.

Helping with Dental Lasers

If we need to make adjustments to your gums or underlying tissues and bone structure, we could do so with dental lasers. This technology allows us to alter these soft tissues with precision and accuracy, targeting compromised areas and preventing damage to healthy structures at once. Laser treatment takes one sitting, and the area heals quickly, so you may return to your normal routine in as little as 24 to 48 hours. The technology also destroys harmful bacteria to help better manage periodontal disease and safeguard your smile’s health, appearance, and stability.

If you have any questions about how we conduct a conservative gum graft with the Pinhole Surgical Technique, or if you would like to schedule a visit to address your recession, then contact our team today to get started.

Schedule Your Appointment for Conservative Gum Grafts

Our team is ready to take on your recession and reshape your smile, and in only one visit too. To learn more about how our team treats receding tissues with the pinhole technique, call Dr. Ann Kania in Encinitas, CA, today at 760-642-0711.