What Causes Gum Line Recession?
Keeping healthy gums and a normal gum line is crucial to oral health. When gums start shrinking down on your teeth, this exposes you to a host of oral health risks, including tooth loss.
Gum recession is sometimes, but not always, associated with gum disease. Your gums must be relatively healthy before you can get PST grafts, otherwise, you would need periodontal treatment first.
Lack of good oral and dental hygiene at home may cause gums to become unhealthy, which may make them recede. Conversely, brushing too hard on the gums or with a hard instead of soft-bristled brush may cause gum line recession.
Genetic predisposition, hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause, gum irritation due to lip/tongue piercing, chronic teeth grinding/clenching, smoking tobacco products, or having crooked or misaligned teeth may also raise your risk of gum line recession.
How Do PST Grafts Reverse Gum Recession?
If you are wondering if it’s time for PST grafts to reverse your receding gum line, you should start by better understanding how this procedure works and what it can accomplish.
In the pinhole surgical technique, incisions no bigger than a pinhole are made above or below each tooth on the gums. A dental tool is inserted through the hole and used to detach gum tissue from tooth roots and raise it into its proper (and original) position. Collagen strips (not stitches) are then used to hold the gums in their new location until new gum tissue grows and the gums fully heal.
There is no scalpel used in this very non-invasive dental procedure. It can be performed by a qualified periodontist in only one or two visits, and healing time is rapid compared to gum grafts and other gum recession correction methods. Your gums will be tender for six weeks or so (versus 3 to 6 months), but PST grafts do not impact your lifestyle or the looks of your smile like the alternatives do.
Overall, PST graft procedures cost little if any more than gum grafts and other alternatives. And dental insurance will normally cover this procedure.
Are PST Grafts Right For Me?
Not everyone is a good candidate for PST grafts, but most people with receded gum lines are. You may need to, first of all, undergo periodontal treatment if your gums are too badly infected by gum disease, for example.
Also, some people only need the gums around one tooth or a few teeth to be raised rather than all the gum tissue on one or both jaws. You can get targeted PST graft treatment, which costs less than its comprehensive equivalent.
If you are interested in correcting a receding gum line and in the latest method for doing that – the pinhole surgical technique, do not hesitate to contact your local periodontist for advice. In Central Florida, feel free to contact Ormond Beach Periodontics & Implant Dentistry today for a free initial consultation over the phone!