A soft tissue graft may be recommended by your dentist to repair gum recession. Your Gardena dentist removes soft tissue from one part of the mouth (typically the palate) and grafts it to another area. Soft tissue grafting can protect the root surfaces of the teeth, prevent dental decay, and reduce tooth sensitivity.
Your gums can start to recede if you:
When your gums recede, they expose the roots of the teeth. The roots are not covered with enamel, making them more susceptible to dental decay. Patients with gum recession also tend to experience tooth sensitivity because they don’t have that protective layer of enamel.
Grafting soft tissue onto areas with recession reduces sensitivity and reduces your risk of dental decay, as well as nerve irritation and damage.
Your Gardena dentist will numb the gum tissue. Then, they’ll remove a flap of soft tissue from your palate. They’ll stitch the flap of tissue to the gingiva around the tooth with recession. Your dentist might need to place stitches on the roof of your mouth, too.
Your Gardena dentist will numb your gum tissue during this procedure to ensure your comfort. If you feel anxious, talk to your dentist about sedation options. Please note if you receive any sedation, you need someone to drive you home.
After your procedure, you might experience some discomfort at the surgical site, as well as where your dentist removed gingival tissue (the palate). Most people describe the discomfort as similar to getting a bad pizza burn.
Soft tissue heals quickly, so any discomfort should dissipate within a few days. Over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medications can help.
It takes one to two weeks to heal from this procedure, though many patients can return to work the day after surgery.
It is important that you eat soft, cooling foods, not only for your comfort but also to ensure proper healing. Some options include:
After your surgery, your Gardena dentist will give you post-operative instructions about:
You might also receive a prescription for antibiotics to help reduce your risk of infection.
Soft tissue grafting can cost between $600 and $1200 per tooth. The cost depends on the severity of your tissue loss and the location of the graft.
Many insurance companies pay a portion of soft tissue grafting – some cover 50%, while others cover a higher percentage. What they pay depends on your plan, as well as your annual maximum.
Our team is happy to discuss payment options, provide you with information about third-party financing, and work with your insurance company to utilize your benefits fully.
Patients with gum disease and the resulting gum recession often need soft tissue grafting in Gardena. However, we will treat the gum disease first to make sure their tissue is healthy enough for grafting.
Patients who smoke are typically not good candidates as smoking and the chemicals in cigarettes (and chewing tobacco) reduce the success rate of soft tissue grafts. That doesn’t mean, though, that you’ll never be a good candidate. If you can commit to smoking cessation, you might very well become a candidate for soft tissue grafting in Gardena.
If you’d like to know if you’re a good candidate for this procedure, talk to your Gardena dentist. They’ll determine whether this is the correct procedure for your needs and explain how to ensure successful treatment.
Find Out If Soft Tissue Grafting in Gardena Is Right for You
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