A gingival graft is performed to restore a sufficient amount of gum attached to the bone, in front of teeth with a bare root. This phenomenon is a gingival recession. This can be caused by several factors, including too vigorous brushing, loss of bone caused by gum disease, heredity, naturally very thin gums, clenching of teeth, grinding of teeth or even traction of one of the brakes of the lips, tongue or cheeks.
Two types of transplants are offered at our clinic:
- The root covering graft (also called connective tissue graft) is placed on the root of the tooth and is intended to cover the bare root. It also increases the attached gingiva and stops the progress of the loosening of the gums. A transplant is a thin layer of gum usually taken at the patient’s palate.
- Allogeneic transplantation (AlloDerm® Regenerative Tissue Matrix) is a state-of-the-art technique. It does not require any tissue removal from the palate since it comes from a human donor. This technique is very safe and approved by Health Canada.
Here are the risks of not performing a gum transplant:
- Progression of gum loss, loosening.
- Progression of bone loss that supports the tooth.
- Wear of the root of the tooth.
- Appearance of dentinal sensitivity in contact with hot, cold, sugary foods, acidic foods, chewing.
- Dental mobility.
- Loss of the tooth.
