Receding gums due to gum disease or other conditions can make you uncomfortable with your smile. They expose the tooth roots, which have a different color and texture, making your smile look unhealthy. Receding gums can also be painful-exposed roots are more sensitive to hot and cold liquids. And the roots are more vulnerable to decay. Left untreated, receding gums can lead to tooth loss. A gum graft is a proven, successful way to cover your exposed roots to give you a more attractive, healthier smile.
Beverly Hills Dentist Dr. Nicolas A. Ravon is a periodontist specializing in gum grafts to help recover your smile from the damage caused by receding gums. He has years of experience with even the most complex gum graft procedures. He has helped hundreds of patients restore their smiles with the help of gum graft surgeries as a skilled gum graft surgeon.
If you are considering a gum graft to protect your smile, please call (310) 275-5325 or contact our office, Nicolas A. Ravon, DDS, MSD in Beverly Hills to schedule a consultation with a periodontist.
Gum Grafting Benefits
Gum grafting can reverse the effects of gum recession and restore gums to their previous healthy state. As a result, you may enjoy:
- More attractive smile
- Less tooth sensitivity
- Less risk of root decay
- Lower risk of tooth loss
- Less risk of bone loss
For most people, these benefits are long-lasting, and with proper oral hygiene, they can be permanent. A gum grafting procedure can give you benefits for a lifetime.
Gum grafting also can cover severe receding gums that cannot be treated with non-grafting procedures.
Beverly Hills Gum Grafting Options
During your gum grafting consultation, we will talk to you about your options for gum rejuvenation to a healthy, attractive state. In general, there are three common gum grafting techniques that we will choose from to restore your gums:
- Pedicle graft
- Connective tissue graft
- Free gingival graft
In a pedicle graft, we are just repositioning local gum tissue. In a pedicle graft, we are just moving tissue around in the local area, so there’s no need for a donor site.
In a connective tissue graft, we take a graft from a donor site—usually on the top of your mouth. But we take the tissue from underneath the surface. This allows you to have a minimal disturbance of the tissue at the donor site-your skin is all still there.
In a free gingival graft, we take a complete graft from the donor site, including the skin.
In all cases, once the tissue has been taken from the donor site, it is repositioned at the graft site and secured in place, so that it can heal in place and give your gums the healthy, attractive appearance you desire.
Gum Graft Recovery
Gum graft doesn’t require you to take any time off work, except for a partial day for the procedure. You can return to work the next day. The graft site tends to have little discomfort, but sometimes the donor site can be a little painful. Over-the-counter medications are usually adequate to control discomfort.
You will have to avoid brushing and flossing the graft site for a couple of weeks, and eating a soft food diet is required to ensure that the gums heal properly. Within a few weeks, though, you should be able to return to a normal diet.
If you would like to learn whether gum grafting in Beverly Hills is right for you, please call (310) 275-5325 or contact us today to schedule an appointment.