Too many assume that gum grafts and other periodontal treatments will be unbearably painful and thus avoid dealing with the problem until it gets much worse. But there is a non-invasive way to solve a low gum line – and with minimal pain.
PST Grafts – Non-invasive Gum Line Surgery
The pinhole surgical graft technique, or PST grafts, are the fastest, most convenient, and leas painful way to correct a receding gum line. Don’t wait until tooth loss is imminent to get your gum line raised back into the proper position – the longer you wait, the greater the risk of bone loss or excessive periodontal tissue loss, which will complicate any gum restoration procedure.
PST “grafts,” are not really grafts at all in the normal sense. The operation involves simply relocating your existing gums by pulling them back up to their original height to cover and protect your tooth roots. But how is this done in a minimally invasive way?
First, a small “pinhole” sized incision is made just above each upper-jaw tooth and just below each lower-jaw tooth. If not all of your gums have receded, then you won’t need a pinhole by each tooth, however. A tool is inserted through this tiny incision and used to loosen the gums so they detach from the teeth in the relevant areas. Then, the gums are stretched up to the ideal location.
Collagen strips are used to hold the gums in their new (original) position and to assist in gum regeneration and firm reattachment to the tooth roots. No cutting of the gums with a scalpel, forming of gum flaps, or periodontal sutures are needed to perform the PST graft operation or to make its effects last.
Benefits Of PST Grafts
Aside from minimizing pain, bleeding, and swelling associated with gum surgery, the pinhole technique saves you time since it can be completed in a single dental sitting. That makes it more convenient and may also save you money.
Healing time is faster with PST grafts as well. Your gums will still be sensitive and need to be treated gingerly until they fully heal, but the process will be both shorter and less difficult overall than with soft tissue grafts or gum flap surgery.
With PST grafts, you may need to use some collagen strips, but you won’t need to use gum graft material from your palate or from another source. You don’t even need to fold or “flap” your gums. You simply use your natural, existing gum tissue and reposition it. That is certainly preferable and a big advantage.
Also, your smile will look “normal” immediately following the PST procedure, even before your mouth has actually healed. With traditional gum surgeries, your gums are unsightly during much of the healing time, and you may even have to wear a gum protector for the first week or more.
PST grafts are easily the optimal choice for gumline correction. To learn more and find out if your oral health will allow this type of procedure, schedule an appointment with Dr. Raymond A. Kenzik in Ormond Beach, Florida, today!