Gum Grafting
Gum tissue can recede from teeth because of gum disease, brushing too hard, or hereditary proclivity for gum recession. Strong gum tissue keeps teeth solidly anchored and looks attractive. To subsidize recessed gum tissue, a gum graft may be required. Existing gum tissue will integrate with the graft placed over exposed teeth roots. The new gum tissue will offer better support for teeth.
On the other end of the spectrum, patients with overgrown gum tissue may require gum reduction. Removing excess gum tissue can improve a person’s appearance by uncovering tooth structure, which makes teeth appear longer and larger. In some cases, gum reduction is required prior to crown placement. This procedure is called crown lengthening.
Types of gum grafts that Dr. Nguyen can perform include:
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Gingival graft:
A thin piece of tissue is taken from the roof of the mouth, or gently moved over from adjacent areas, to provide a stable band of attached gingiva around the tooth. -
Connective tissue graft:
In this procedure, tissue is taken from the undersurface of the palatal tissue (roof of the mouth) via tiny incisions, and is used to not only restore missing thick keratinized gum tissue, but also used to cover exposed roots of the teeth. -
Alloderm soft tissue graft:
Using AlloDerm as donor tissue for gingival grafting, Dr. Nguyen is able to avoid using tissue from the patient to complete the procedure. He or she no longer experiences any of the discomfort and limitations connected with surgically harvesting their own tissue for treatment.
