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Gum Tissue Grafting

The Problem

All teeth need a certain amount of gum tissue to act as a seal or barrier around the neck of each tooth to prevent plaque from getting below the gum line and causing gum disease.  Inadequate gum tissue usually presents as gum recession.  Once recession begins it is usually progressive and leads to gum disease, poor cosmetics and eventual tooth loss.

Causes of Gum Recession and Inadequate Widths of Gum Tissue

The primary cause of gum recession or inadequate width of gum tissue is toothbrush trauma.  Aggressive tooth brushing, especially with medium or hard toothbrushes, will lead to recession and notching of the root surface.  Other causes include teeth positioned in a forward area of the gum due to tooth crowding in the mouth, high lip or cheek attachments on the gum tissue, and recession may occur during orthodontic tooth movement.  Some people are predisposed to recession due to thin gum and bone tissue.

Reason for Treatment and Benefits

Without a proper width of gum tissue recession will continue and infection, poor cosmetics and tooth loss can occur.  The purpose of gingival augmentation is to create an adequate amount of attached gum tissue to reestablish health and prevent further gum recession.  Other purposes of this procedure are to cover exposed root surfaces, enhance the appearance of the teeth and gum line, and prevent or treat root sensitivity or root decay.  Establishing adequate gum attachment to prevent further recession is very predictable with a long term result, but root coverage is somewhat unpredictable.

Procedure

A local anesthetic is used to prevent feeling during treatment.  The procedure involves the transplanting of a thin strip of gum from the roof of the mouth or from adjacent teeth.  The transplanted strip of gum is placed at the base of the remaining gum, or to partially cover the tooth root surface exposed by the recession.  A periodontal bandage or dressing may be placed.

In some cases, tissue can be used from human donors.  Registered organ donors provide skin that is processed to be used for skin and gum augmentation.  Samples are tested for and shown to be free of fast-growing bacterial and fungal pathogens.  Donors are tested for antigens for hepatitis B, and antibodies for hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS viruses. Typing and matching are not needed for use and there are no known incidences of disease transfer or tissue rejection with donor tissue. Click here to read more about human donor tissue.

Before Gum Graft		After Gum Graft

Before Gum Graft		After Gum Graft

Before Gum Graft		After Gum Graft

Before Gum Graft		After Gum Graft

Before Gum Graft		After Gum Graft