Options for Fixing Gum Recession
In a recent article, we discussed how you can prevent gum recession. When gum recession is already significant, professional treatment is necessary to restore gum health. Depending on your situation, and the presence of gingivitis or periodontitis, treatment options may include any of the following procedures at Lakeside Dental in Folsom.
Deep Cleaning
A root planing and scaling removes plaque and tartar buildup below the gumline. This eliminates the hardened tartar that is a common sign of gum disease. Since tartar irritates the gum tissues, cleaning it away lets the gums tighten around the tooth and ideally return to normal.
Laser Gum Surgery
If gum tissue is so decayed or damaged that it cannot heal properly, it needs to be removed to promote regrowth of the healthy tissue that remains. This reduces the size of gum pockets surrounding the teeth, lessening the likelihood of more gum recession and gum disease. Using a laser to cut away diseased tissue is clean, efficient, and painless, and causes little to no bleeding. The recovery period after laser gum surgery is very short. Most patients feel fine later that day.
Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST)
The name may sound extreme, but this minimally invasive procedure gently repositions existing gum tissue to cover exposed roots, stretching the gums to cure gum recession. PST takes advantage of the natural elasticity of gum tissues and is accomplished relatively quickly. In some cases, a few sutures may be needed to hold the stretched gum tissue in place. You also need to treat your mouth gingerly during the recovery period. If you are a candidate for this form of treatment, the advantage is that it requires no cutting of gum tissue from other parts of your mouth.
Gum Grafting
When gum recession is severe, a gum graft is the best treatment. This procedure takes healthy tissue from another area of the mouth to replace the missing gum tissue. This treatment is especially helpful where roots are exposed.
Regenerative Gum Treatments
New technologies, including 3D bioprinting, offer hopeful regenerative treatments that encourage the patient’s own gum tissues to regrow. This offers considerable advantages when gum recession is severe. As mentioned previously, the success of this treatment and others is usually based on giving up habits that contribute to gum recession. This could include wearing lip and tongue piercings, smoking, tobacco use, and obsessive tooth brushing.
If you have gum recession, work closely with our experienced dentists to determine the best treatment option for your situation.
Early Care Makes a Big Difference
Due to aging and normal wear, gum recession affects almost everyone to some degree. Nevertheless, good oral care slows down gum recession significantly! At Lakeside Dental, we monitor gum health closely and help patients address recession before it leads to bigger problems. If you notice any root sensitivity, longer-looking teeth, or concerning changes along your gumline, call us or go online to schedule an appointment. Your gums are worth it!
