Maintaining good oral health isn’t limited to aligning crooked teeth, restoring the white color of your teeth, and fighting cavities. One of the most overlooked parts of oral care is gum health, its condition and appearance, and the risk of infection and inflammation. At Northern Horizon Dental Innisfil, we provide gum grafting near you. Read on to learn more about how these procedures promote and protect excellent gum health.
What is a Gum Graft?
Gum grafting is a dental procedure performed by a dentist in Innisfil and is the recommended course of treatment for gum recession. Gum grafts help reverse the adverse effects of receding gums and restore gum health to maintain a protective seal around the teeth.
Gum grafting involves using a piece of tissue from the palate of the mouth or nearby healthy gum tissue to replace receded gum tissue. It is a quick, two-part procedure that requires using healthy existing tissue and using it to correct oral health issues.
Kinds of Gum Grafts
There are many forms of gum grafting in Innisfil, and each is designed to address specific concerns with your gum health. The type of gum graft recommended will be based on the extent of gum recession and where it is located.
Here are the most common types of gum grafts:
#1 Connective Tissue Graft
This form of gum graft uses a method where the dentist opens a small slap in the roof of your mouth. They then use this flap to find and remove a piece of connective tissue underneath and place it over the spot where your gums have receded. This is the most common of all gum grafting procedures.
#2 Free Gingival Graft
This also involves a dentist near you removing a small piece of tissue from the palate of your mouth. However, this technique uses the top layer of the palate and grafts it to the required area, protecting the tooth and preventing further recession.
#3 Pedicle Graft
A pedicle graft involves using tissue harvested closer to the site of recession using a flap-like incision. The flap covers the receding gum tissue, using tissue that’s already near the problem area, instead of from another part of the mouth, like the palate.
What to Expect During Your Gum Grafting Procedure
Before your procedure, you won’t need to do much preparation. Simply have a consultation with your dentist to understand how severe your receding gums are and find out the best grafting technique for your needs.
Upon arrival for your procedure, you will be brought to the procedure room, where a local anesthetic will be administered to ensure that you don’t feel any pain. The procedure itself won’t take long because your dental health professional will have already identified the donor tissue for harvesting and mapped out the grafting area. Once the procedure is complete, you will be asked to rinse your mouth with an antimicrobial mouthwash.
Recovering From a Gum Graft
Like any other dental procedure, the long-term success of a gum graft is determined by an effective recovery period. It is important to follow the post-op instructions provided by your dentist to avoid complications.
If you would like to learn more about gum grafting, please do not hesitate to contact our dedicated team of dental professionals at Northern Horizon Dental Innisfil. We are happy to address any questions or concerns you may have.