Gum grafting
Concerned about receding gums? Learn about gum grafting and discuss your treatment options with Dr. Jill Levine.
Request a Gum Grafting Consultation
One of the most common concerns from patients is receding gums. Clinically referred to as gingival recession, receding gums is the process by which the gum tissue surrounding a tooth tends to recede – or diminish over time. A tooth that has receding gums surrounding it may start to appear longer, or darker on the bottom portion of the tooth. In fact the tooth hasn’t become longer – it just looks longer to the eye because there is less gingival tissue. Similarly, the tooth hasn’t changed color at all, but with the recession, you are now seeing the naturally darker part of the root’s surface.
There are multiple causes of gingival recession:
- Loss of bone around the tooth from periodontal disease
- Rough tooth brushing or brushing with a hard tooth brush
- Genetics
- A frenum that impinges and pulls on the gum tissue causing tissue loss.
- Orthodontics
Problems that can occur from receding gums include:
- Sensitivity of the exposed root surface
- Increased chance of decay on the root surface
- Esthetic problems as the length of the teeth may appear to change
The two most reliable treatments for receding gums are:
- Free gingival grafts: Also known as an “epithelial graft”. In this procedure a small piece of gum tissue is removed from the roof of the mouth, and is used to cover the exposed root surface on the tooth with the recession. We often use these types of grafts in severe cases to help improve the thickness of gum tissue where the tissue may be very thin or non existent.
- Connective tissue grafts: In this type of graft, a piece of tissue is taken from below the surface of the roof of the mouth and placed at the graft site where it is needed. This type of graft is used to cover exposed root surfaces, or sometimes to help build-up the tissue around dental implants. It is the most predictable type of graft that is used to treat recession and root exposure