When you have periodontal disease and it causes your gums to recede, this could alter the appearance of your smile and leave you vulnerable to poor oral health. But we can help correct recession with a conservative alternative to gum grafts, one that is assisted with dental lasers! In today’s blog, your Encinitas/San Diego, CA, periodontist talks about the Pinhole Surgical Technique.
Periodontal Disease and Gum Recession
When you develop periodontal disease, this is an issue that will grow in severity with time. As it reaches the more advanced stage, known as periodontitis, your gums could begin to recede, pulling back from the teeth. This could alter the appearance of your smile, as your teeth appear longer than usual. At the same time, the exposed positions of the roots not protected by enamel, which can cause tooth sensitivity and even higher risks of tooth decay and infection. You could also be more susceptible to attachment loss, which leads to tooth loss. When you notice receding tissues, talk to our team about our gum grafting alternative, the Pinhole Surgical Technique.
Treatment with Dental Lasers
Our team offers soft tissue lasers as part of our periodontal treatments. Using systems like Fotona, LANAP, and REPAIR with WaterLase. These are specially calibrated to handle periodontal issues, and offer relief with comfort and precision. Our team can use them to remove diseased portions of your tissues, and to also destroy harmful pockets of bacteria in your smile, so we can more easily manage the issue and avoid tooth loss. This can also be used to aid in your gum grafting procedure, so we can reshape your smile!
The Pinhole Surgical Technique
With the traditional gum graft, we would take soft tissues from other portions of your mouth’s interior, and then apply them over the exposed portions of roots to reshape the gum line. This is an effective method, but one that is more involved and requires a longer healing period than the Pinhole Surgical technique. With this option, we make a miniscule pinhole in the gums and then add a special collagen material to them. Our team then manipulates the tissues until they cover the areas and provide a more attractive smile, and protect the exposed roots and attachment tissues from being damaged. You can smile with confidence again! The process only takes one visit, and you can usually return to your normal routine after a day or two of rest.
If you have any questions about laser-assisted gum grafting using the Pinhole Surgical Technique, then reach out to our team today.
Schedule Your Appointment for Gum Grafting
Our team would like to help address your recession and reshape your smile. To learn more about the Pinhole Surgical Technique process, call Dr. Ann Kania in Encinitas, CA, today at 760-642-0711.