Land O' Lakes Gum Grafts
Enhance Your Smile, Improve Your Health
Gum grafts from Land O' Lakes Dental Care can correct receding gums and prevent problems caused by exposed roots, including extreme sensitivity and an increased risk of tooth decay.
What Is a Gum Graft?
Gum grafts—also known as connective tissue grafts—are a common periodontics treatment performed at our Land O' Lakes office by our expert doctors.
The procedure involves removing tissue from your palate or a donor source and placing it over the exposed tooth roots to cover and protect them. This helps reduce sensitivity and prevent further damage to the teeth.
What Causes Gum Recession?
Your gums might recede for several reasons:
- Gum disease
- Aging
- Brushing too vigorously
- Trauma or injury
Unfortunately, if your gums recede too far, it can cause more serious problems. For example, when the roots of your teeth are exposed, you may experience severe sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks and be susceptible to an increased risk of tooth decay.
Additionally, receding gums can negatively affect the appearance of your smile, leading to increased self-consciousness and lower self-esteem.
Gum Grafting Procedure In Land O' Lakes
The first step in the gum grafting procedure typically involves a deep cleaning to eliminate tartar buildup on your teeth. Your doctor may recommend a cleaning before moving forward with your grafting procedure.
Your gum grafting procedure will generally be performed under local anesthesia, but the extent of the grafting will determine the required level of anesthesia.
You’ll have three different types of grafting procedures to choose from:
- Free gingival grafts: These grafts involve removing tissue from the roof of the mouth and transplanting it to another location
- Connective tissue grafts: This type of gum graft involves removing connective tissue from a small flap in your mouth and attaching it to a different location
- Pedicle grafts: These grafts require cutting a flap of tissue and repositioning it to cover an exposed tooth root
We recognize that each patient is unique. Based on your treatment needs, dental history, and severity of your gum recession, your Smile Island doctor will provide a personalized recommendation for the type of gum grafting surgery or connective tissue graft that will address your concerns and meet your goals.
Benefits of Gum Grafting
If you have receding gums, connective tissue grafts can provide multiple benefits, including improved oral health, reduced sensitivity, and an enhanced smile appearance.
Patients who undergo this procedure often feel more confident and comfortable with their teeth after treatment. Gum grafts offer the following advantages:
Relieve Sensitivity & Discomfort
A gum graft can significantly reduce or even eliminate sensitivity and discomfort caused by receding gums. The grafting process involves transplanting healthy tissue to the affected area, which covers and protects the exposed tooth roots, reducing sensitivity and discomfort.
Prevents Gum Disease
Gum grafts can also help prevent the progression of gum disease, a common and serious dental condition that can lead to tooth loss and other complications.
Gum disease is caused by bacteria that grow on the teeth and gums and can lead to inflammation, infection, and, eventually, the destruction of gum tissue and bone. By addressing gum recession with grafting, the progression of gum disease can be halted, leading to improved overall oral health.
Improve Strength & Stability
Gum grafting can also improve the strength and stability of your gums. This can reduce the likelihood of future gum recession and improve the chances of retaining your natural teeth.
Soft tissue grafting is a safe and effective procedure that can provide numerous benefits—such as improved dental health and a more confident smile—for individuals with receding gums.
Land O' Lakes Gum Grafting: What to Expect
During your procedure, your doctor will take tissue from your palate or an alternative donor source and graft it onto the affected sites. The goal is to restore your gums to their original, healthy condition.
Because gum grafting is an oral surgery procedure, recovery may be more involved.
Recovery
The recovery process typically begins with a period of healing for the donor site. During this time, your doctor will instruct you to avoid certain activities—such as brushing or flossing—that may irritate the grafted tissue.
You should also keep the area clean and dry and use an antibiotic mouthwash or other medication to promote healing.
Once the donor site has healed, you’ll begin the recovery process for the grafted site. This may involve taking medication to reduce swelling, pain, and inflammation, eating a soft diet, and avoiding certain activities, such as vigorous exercise.
Your doctor may also instruct you to use a special mouthwash or rinse to keep the area clean.
Recovery time from a gum tissue graft varies by patient. Generally, recovery will last a few weeks. During this time, your gums should become healthier, and the grafted tissue should take hold.
Depending on the extent of the grafting, you may also need to return to our Land O' Lakes office for follow-up appointments to ensure the best possible outcome.