Gum Graft

Description

When the gums recede, the tooth roots are left exposed, making them more susceptible to infection and decay. The dentists at Link Dental in Denver can replenish lost gum tissue with a soft tissue graft. We also take care to create a youthful, aesthetically pleasing frame for your teeth during the procedure.

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1 00:00:06.743 --> 00:00:10.556 Soft tissue surgery, again, has to do with this idea 2 00:00:10.557 --> 00:00:13.999 that occasionally, we have gums that recede, 3 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:18.586 meaning the soft tissues run away from the crowns of the teeth. 4 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:21.371 You start to have exposure of the root structure. 5 00:00:22.386 --> 00:00:24.500 Roots don't have any enamel on them, 6 00:00:24.501 --> 00:00:27.071 so they're very prone to decay. 7 00:00:28.971 --> 00:00:31.514 Once you lose a certain amount of the soft tissue, 8 00:00:31.515 --> 00:00:35.086 those teeth become much more susceptible to infections. 9 00:00:35.157 --> 00:00:40.443 There are a lot of different soft tissue surgeries available to restore 10 00:00:40.444 --> 00:00:42.628 essentially the coverage of the roots, 11 00:00:42.629 --> 00:00:45.956 and also to restore the esthetics of the mouth. 12 00:00:45.957 --> 00:00:48.171 Because if you think of the teeth as the picture, 13 00:00:48.543 --> 00:00:50.129 the soft tissues are the frame. 14 00:00:50.729 --> 00:00:52.213 You may have seen people 15 00:00:52.214 --> 00:00:54.971 where they have one tooth that's much longer than another. 16 00:00:54.972 --> 00:00:57.229 Well, that's just because they've had recession. 17 00:00:57.230 --> 00:01:01.500 But generally, there's two types of soft tissue surgery: 18 00:01:01.501 --> 00:01:04.157 those that harvest tissue from your palate 19 00:01:04.386 --> 00:01:06.143 and those that harvest tissue 20 00:01:06.144 --> 00:01:09.857 either from a human cadaver or an animal cadaver. 21 00:01:10.457 --> 00:01:13.657 The length of a surgery for soft tissue, 22 00:01:13.658 --> 00:01:20.886 of course, depends upon how big of a site that you have to address. 23 00:01:20.943 --> 00:01:25.629 For a one or two-tooth-type of area might be an hour and a half. 24 00:01:26.130 --> 00:01:30.429 If it were a whole quadrant, it could be three and a half hours. 25 00:01:30.914 --> 00:01:34.257 It really just varies depending upon the needs of the patient. 26 00:01:34.357 --> 00:01:39.014 Anybody who has lost attached gingiva around their teeth 27 00:01:39.015 --> 00:01:44.028 to the point that it is either going to make them susceptible 28 00:01:44.029 --> 00:01:48.486 to root decay or susceptible to infections around their teeth, 29 00:01:48.487 --> 00:01:51.671 they are candidates for soft tissue grafting. 30 00:01:52.129 --> 00:01:53.971 That's a lot of people, by the way. 31 00:01:54.314 --> 00:02:00.000 In terms of soft tissue care and in terms of really good outcomes, 32 00:02:01.071 --> 00:02:02.943 I think the thing that really sets us apart, 33 00:02:02.944 --> 00:02:08.449 again, is this idea of helping patients make good decisions. 34 00:02:09.271 --> 00:02:13.114 We do a great job of educating our patients 35 00:02:13.115 --> 00:02:16.857 about what their options are and what the pros and cons are. 36 00:02:17.043 --> 00:02:20.014 The second thing is when it comes to execution, 37 00:02:20.543 --> 00:02:24.342 I schedule more than enough time to do whatever it is I need to do. 38 00:02:24.343 --> 00:02:25.800 I am never rushed. 39 00:02:26.214 --> 00:02:31.614 I will always have in mind, "What would I do if this were me?" 40 00:02:31.615 --> 00:02:35.457 Or as I call it, the WIIDM question, "What would I do if it were me?" 41 00:02:35.771 --> 00:02:38.486 If I can answer that question honestly, 42 00:02:38.657 --> 00:02:42.643 I can usually execute at a very high level, 43 00:02:43.857 --> 00:02:49.614 barring the patient doing something silly, like not following post-op instructions. 44 00:02:49.615 --> 00:02:51.942 We have great outcomes for soft tissue surgery 45 00:02:51.943 --> 00:02:54.529 and really for pretty much everything we do.

Link Dental Colorado

Welcome to Link Dental Colorado in Centennial, CO. Our team of dental professionals is led by Dr. Thomas Reed, Dr. Mark Link, and Dr. Jean Link. We are your link to comprehensive, compassionate, and family-friendly dentistry. Our affiliations include:

  • The American Dental Association (ADA)
  • The Colorado Dental Association (CDA)
  • The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD)
  • The American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE)
  • The Metropolitan Denver Dental Society (MDDS)
  • American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA)
  • American Society of Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry (ASIRD)
  • American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM)

To request a consultation at our Centennial office, please fill out our form or call us at (303) 773-8262.

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