Gum Recession Treatment
Gingival recession, or "long tooth syndrome" can be the result of many different processes. There are several reasons that you may have recession. In most cases, it can be corrected through a procedure known a "tunneling", which is a microsurgical technique designed to reduce patient discomfort by not using tissue transplanted tissue from the roof of your mouth.
Most Common Reasons for Recession
Teeth that are crooked and not inline with the gum tissue correctly.
Recession on lower teeth due to past orthodontic treatment.
Using a hard toothbrush in the past and overly aggressive oral hygiene practices.
This may cause "notching" in the teeth, as well as gingival recession as seen in both pictures above.
Why is it important to treat recession?
Aside from being an esthetic issue that can affect your smile, ultimately recession means that the bone on that tooth has also receded. While the soft tissue associated with recession can be treated, it is very difficult to replace "bony" support to a tooth. Treating recession helps to guard against future recession and ultimately further bone loss.
What are my options to treat recession?
There are several ways to prevent recession from progressing, as well as to reverse the process and correct recession that has occurred. The traditional methods typically involved harvesting the thick and tough tissue from the roof of the mouth and transplanting that in the treatment areas. This method, while sometimes necessary, results in poor tissue match, often resulting in a "tire patch" appearance. Although functionally excellent, it may not be recommended in the "esthetic zone" where the front teeth are displayed when smiling.
Before
After (poor tissue match)
A second method involves harvesting the tissue underneath the roof of the mouth and transplanting it underneath the gum tissue in the area of recession. This method of correction often results in an excellent esthetic result, however, still leaves patients with stitches on the roof of the mouth.
Before
After
The modern approach to correction of gum recession is a microsurgical technique, utilizing the most recent advances in medicine and dentistry. This technique, known as "tunneling" is performed using high-powered magnification, extra fine sutures which are nearly invisible and high concentrations of your own growth factors to achieve amazing results without the need to harvest your tissue from the roof of the mouth.
Before
After
To find out if you are a
candidate for Gum Recession Treatment
