What comes to mind when you see the term ‘gum graft’? The first thing that I thought of had to do with a pie chart for various brands of chewing gum which ranked them based on things such as taste, how long the flavour lasts and chew-ability. Upon closer inspection of the term it was obvious that I was completely wrong.
Gum grafting (also known as gingival grafting) refers to a dental procedure where viable tissue is grafted from the roof of the patient’s mouth and used to help conceal any teeth that have exposed roots. Some might ask, why would anyone do this? Aren’t tooth sensitive toothpastes enough to alleviate these particular dental issues? Although effective, specialized toothpastes are only able to provide temporary protection and relief. Undergoing the gum graft procedure at a professional and safe dental office like Holland Cross Dental Centre is a permanent fix to this problem.
Another question some may ask is, what causes gums to recede in the first place? In short, it could be a variety of things, but the main reasons include: genetics, bacterial gum disease and the consumption of tobacco products.
Some of the benefits of getting a gum graft are:
Improved mouth health: This is the most important reason one may choose to get this procedure done. Living with discomfort because of exposed tooth roots can make things such as eating and drinking very difficult. Once the new tissue is applied and fully healed you’ll be able to eat and drink without pain (hello ice cream!)
Confidence: Having recessed gums may not only provide pain during food consumption, but it may have an affect on your confidence levels as well. There are always reasons to smile in life and regardless of the state of your teeth and gums it is something you should be doing. However, it can be difficult for some to smile when they aren’t confident in the appearance of their gums. Gum grafting can help restore that confidence and improve your overall wellbeing.
Another benefit to undergoing the gum grafting procedure at Holland Cross Dental Centre is being able to have the option of using AlloDerm, which is an alternative to using your own mouth tissue for the procedure, but still provides the same effectiveness.
If you think gum grafting is the right option for you make sure to speak to your dental professional about it.
