Gum recession doesn’t just affect how your smile looks. It also affects your smile’s overall health. It makes you more likely to suffer from decay and other dental problems. If it isn’t treated, it can cause you to lose teeth and bone. A gum graft is the most common treatment for receding gums. But we offer a hassle-free alternative called the Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique.
If your gums are receding and you want to know more about your treatment options, call us today at 978-278-1760 to schedule a consultation in our Peabody, MA office.
In the meantime, let’s compare the two processes. For a gum graft, your dentist typically removes tissue from the roof of your mouth. Then it’s stitched it to your gums to cover the recession. For a Chao procedure, your dentist makes an extremely small opening (a “pinhole”} in your gums. They then gently loosen the tissue and move it back into its proper place, using special instruments. Lastly, they secure the tissue in place with collagen fibers.
With our descriptions of the two techniques, you can likely guess some of the advantages of pinhole gum treatment:
- Faster Than a Graft – You may see the Chao procedure called a “lunchtime gum lift.” That’s because it can usually be completed during a typical lunch hour. A gum graft will usually take longer, unless only a very small area is being treated.
- Comfortable – Since no incisions are needed for a Chao gum treatment, you won’t experience any discomfort. We can numb your gums with local anesthesia, of course, to ensure you won’t feel a thing.
- Uncomplicated Recovery – Most patients experience some swelling, bleeding, and/or bruising after a gum graft. While gums heal, you need to only eat soft, bland foods. You also must be careful brushing and flossing for at least a week. In contrast, you can resume your normal diet and oral hygiene routines after just a day or two following a pinhole procedure. Since there are no incisions, your overall healing will be quicker.
- Natural Looking Gums –The tissue used for a grafting procedure may not be an exact color match for your gums. And the grafted area will appear white during the healing process. Since the Chao treatment involves repositioning your existing gum tissue rather than adding new tissue, the results will look completely natural.
Need to repair gum recession? Contemporary Dentistry & Implantology at 978-278-1760. If your gum issues are due to gum disease, we’ll eliminate it with a deep-cleaning treatment. Call us ASAP if you notice signs of disease like tender or bleeding gums.