Looking for a Non-invasive Way to Get Gum Surgery?
When you have receding gums because of gum disease, a new non-invasive technique called pinhole surgery can give you beautiful gums again. The procedure is fast and requires very little downtime. You also will not need to worry about stitches and it is not considered to be painful.
What is Pinhole Surgery?
Pinhole surgery is a rather new way to provide receding gums treatment. Invented by John Chao, DDS, MAGD several years ago, it is becoming the increasingly popular way to treat gum recession.
Periodontal disease causes recession of the gums, as well as erosion of the jawbone. Treating the disease often still leaves the gums unattractive. Up until recently, the most common way to treat the gums so that their natural and healthy appearance is regained is through gum graft surgery – with or without a laser. This older type of surgery requires the use of stitches and is rather painful.
The new pinhole surgery technique is revolutionary in that no stitches are required, and it is much less painful. It is also scalpel-free. After making a small hole in your gums above the teeth, special tools are inserted into the hole that enables the surgeon to gently lift the gums off the teeth and slide them down – covering the exposed roots and restoring the natural gum line.
Although no stitches are used, oral surgeons will likely place collagen strips under the gums to provide support and keep them in their new position. Some surgeons will also place platelet-rich fibrin membranes under the gums, but this is at their discretion.
An additional advantage of pinhole surgery for gum recession is that it is fast. Dental surgeons can correct the gums over many teeth at one time – often in less than an hour. Patients get to see immediate results.
There also is very little post-operative pain. It is also long-lasting. Patients can expect there to be little or no downtime, and they are able to eat a normal dinner the same evening.
Who Can Go for Pinhole Surgery?
Most anyone is a good candidate for pinhole surgery. You need to be in rather good health and have moderate to severe gum recession.
Patients that have rampant gum disease will need to have it treated prior to the pinhole surgery. This helps to ensure that the surgery’s effects will be longer lasting. It also ensures that your gum disease is still not causing further damage to your gums and jawbone.
Pinhole Surgery Aftercare
Once the surgery has been completed, there is little aftercare needed. The patient will need to return to the surgeon’s office for a checkup after a couple of days to ensure that there are no problems.
The success of the surgery will partly depend on the patient following the advice of the surgeon after the surgery. This includes not brushing aggressively once given clearance to brush. Patients who grind their teeth (bruxism) may need to wear a dental appliance to prevent damage to the gums.
Advantages and Complications of Pinhole Surgery
The pinhole surgery technique puts gum treatment on a whole new level. It is much faster than traditional gum surgery, and it is usually completed in an hour or less. Once completed, you can also leave the office right away, because there is no need for a period of recovery.
Patients also do not need to put up with a lot of pain in the roof of their mouth, which is usually where the material for the new gums is taken from in a gum transplant. You also do not need to be concerned about a special diet during recovery time. Pinhole surgery is considered non-invasive, and patients can see the results immediately.
With normal gum grafting procedures, which uses cutting and stitches, patients can expect healing to take between 14 to 21 days. The pinhole surgery method enables patients to go back to work immediately. In addition, gum grafting may require multiple surgeries, especially when there is more extensive damage. It can take up to a year to complete one person when several surgeries are needed.
Although there are a few possible complications with pinhole surgery, they are much fewer than might be experienced with traditional gum grafting. Since there is no cutting, there is a much smaller risk of infection, even though a few tiny holes will be made. These holes heal quickly, which reduces the risk of infection considerably.
Cost of Pinhole Surgery
The pinhole gum surgery cost is similar to regular gum graft surgery. The advantage in cost is that you do not need to return for multiple treatments, and it is often completed in one appointment.
If you live in and around Farmers Branch TX area and need receding gums surgery, you can contact Champion Dental Clinic specialists for pinhole surgery. We perform pinhole gum surgery and regularly treats patients for periodontal disease. For more information about our dental services and offers, or to set up an appointment, call us at 214-747-0763
