Soft Tissue Grafting in Los Angeles

The soft tissues in your mouth are the gums whereas the hard tissues are the teeth and the bone. If your periodontist (a gum specialist) says that you may require a gum graft, do not worry, it is not as bad as it sounds. Soft tissue grafting is normally done to protect the gums from gum recession (gum tissue pulling away from the teeth) or to prevent gum disease from progressing. Sometimes this procedure is performed by a dentist in Los Angeles merely to enhance your smile’s aesthetics. Whatever the reason, we want to give you a picture of what this entails.

Why does gum recession need to be stopped?

Not only does it look bad, gum recession also causes teeth to be more sensitive to temperature change. If not treated, this can also lead to tooth loss in the long term. Gum grafting not only repairs damaged gums, it also prevents further damage.

What happens during the procedure?

There are three different types of grafts, and the type you need depends on your individual needs.

1). Connective tissue graft - The most common method is to treat the exposure of the tooth root. A skin flap is cut in the dental palate (roof of mouth) and soft tissue is taken from there and stitched to the gum tissue.

2). Pedicle grafts – Here the tissue to enhance gum tissue is taken from the surrounding gums.

3). Free gingival grafts- The same source of tissue is used as the connective tissue graft, but there is no cutting of a flap in the palate. Instead, tissue is taken directly from the palate. This method is followed in patients who have thin gum tissue.

Some dentists in Los Angeles prefer to take soft tissue from a tissue bank rather than using the patient’s own tissue. In other cases, tissue stimulating proteins may be used to enhance the gum tissue production of the patient.

To Learn More About Soft Tissue Grafting , Please Visit: Pacific Implant Group

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