The Tunnel Technique Treats Gum Recession
Whether it is due to age, genetics, overly aggressive brushing, or periodontal disease, many people find that their gums begin to recede over time. This is more than just a cosmetic problem; gum recession can have severe consequences for your oral health! Dr. Dhillon is able to address this issue by using the Tunnel Technique in Ware, a minimally invasive procedure that can restore your gums and improve your smile’s appearance.
The Seriousness of Gum Recession
There are a number of reasons why gum recession is nothing to take lightly:
- Tooth roots do not have enamel, so they are more sensitive than the crowns of your teeth. Gum recession may expose the tooth roots and make it uncomfortable for you to consume hot and cold items.
- Bone loss often occurs along with gum recession. This could eventually cause your teeth to become loose or even to fall out altogether.
- Gum recession can affect the way your smile looks, making your teeth appear disproportionately long.
Treating Gum Recession
Often, the first step in treating gum recession in Ware is identifying its cause. If gum disease is the reason why your periodontal tissue is pulling away from your teeth, you may need to change your oral hygiene habits and undergo periodontal therapy at your dentist’s office. If crooked teeth are affecting your gum health, you may need braces or Invisalign.
Unfortunately, even if you’re able to stop the gum recession, you cannot reverse it without surgical intervention. That is where the Tunnel Surgical Technique comes in.
Minimally Invasive Gum Grafting
In the past, the standard gum grafting procedure required oral surgeons to remove a bit of tissue from the roof of a patient’s mouth (the palate) and then attach that tissue to the gums. This often necessitated a long recovery time, and it was possible to treat only a small portion of the mouth at a time.
Dr. Dhillon uses a more advanced technique that was developed by Dr. Edward P. Allen, a pioneer in periodontal treatment. This approach to surgery does not always require palatal incisions because it may use donor tissue. Also, preparing the site of the gum graft doesn’t involve any incisions on the surface of the gums; rather, Dr. Dhillon creates a “tunnel” underneath existing gum tissue in order to make room for the graft. No matter how many teeth receive a gum graft in one area of the mouth, only one suture is used to close the surgical site.
Recovering completely from this type of surgery typically takes about eight weeks, though Dr. Dhillon will remove the suture after about two weeks.
Would like to learn if the Tunnel Technique can help heal your gums? Contact us today to schedule your consultation.