Gum Tissue Regeneration
Sun City West, AZ
When your gums are healthy, the tissue fits snugly against the necks of your teeth, providing a protective seal and support for your teeth. However, when gum disease strikes, the tissue becomes irritated and swells. The tissue begins to pull away from your teeth, allowing bacteria to fall below the gum line. As gum disease progresses, your tissue continues to pull away from your teeth, and it begins to die off, leading to gum recession. Gum recession increases your risk for cavities, can lead to painful tooth sensitivity, and can have a serious impact on your smile. At Solutions Dental Implants, we can restore a healthy, beautiful gum line with gum tissue regeneration. Gums must be healthy for dental implants to be placed.
Other Causes of Gum Recession
While gum disease is often one of the biggest causes of gum recession, there are several other causes as well. Other causes of gum recession include| • |
Aggressive toothbrushing.
|
| • |
Misaligned teeth.
|
| • |
Bruxism.
|
| • |
Smoking, or using other tobacco products.
|
| • |
Hormonal changes.
|
| • |
Genetics.
|
| • |
Age. |
Soft Tissue Grafting
Soft tissue grafting is one of the most well-known solutions for helping to restore and regenerate gum tissue. Also called a gum graft, this solution involves a surgical procedure during which tissue is harvested from the roof of your mouth and sutured over the areas of your teeth affected by gum recession. As you heal, the tissues fuse together and restore a snug, healthy gum line along your teeth.
Pinhole Gum Surgery
Pinhole gum surgery involves a minimally invasive alternative to a traditional soft tissue graft. With this procedure, a small hole about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen is made in your existing gum tissue. Tiny, specialized tools are used to loosen the gums from your teeth and rearrange the tissue to a healthier gum line. Once the tissue has been rearranged, small strips of collagen are placed under the tissue through the hole in your gums. These strips are used to stabilize the gums and encourage tissue regeneration.
Platelet Rich Plasma
Platelet-rich plasma, often called PRP, is often used following surgical procedures to encourage healing and stimulate new tissue and cell growth. PRP uses your blood to achieve these goals. A small sample of your blood is spun through a centrifuge to separate out the plasma from red blood cells. The plasma is removed and spun again to concentrate platelet. Platelets contain the growth factors that are responsible for tissue growth and healing. The PRP is applied over surgical sites when the procedure is complete.
PRP is commonly used in a treatment called guided tissue regeneration. With this treatment, a membrane of collagen is soaked in the concentrated platelets and then sutured over receding tooth roots. Guided tissue regeneration may also be used to separate the gums from the bone when both are healing from gum disease treatment. The membranes stimulate growth for both gums and bone while preventing the tissue from filling in the space where the bone is regenerating.
Preventing Gum Recession
There are steps you can take to prevent gum recession from occurring in the first place, or from occurring again after your treatment. Taking care of your mouth is essential. It is important that you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. When you brush, take care not to brush too hard. You should also have your teeth professionally cleaned and examined every six months.
Treating gum recession not only restores the appearance of your smile, but it also helps to restore your oral health. For more information, and to schedule your consultation, call Solutions Dental Implants at (623) 556-5442 today and our professional staff will kindly help you. |
