My teeth were starting to deteriorate, and I was running out of options to repair them. The dentist gave me a choice. I could wait until the bone loss was so bad that I would have to have my teeth removed and get dentures, or I could have them removed now and get dental implants. I opted for the implants. If you’re thinking of getting dental implants, you probably have a lot of questions. I love mine, but they took some getting used to. In this blog, I’m sharing my experience and all the information that I picked up throughout my implant experience. You can find out what the procedure entails, how to prepare for your implants, and how to care for them once they’re in.
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Your gums are an important part of your mouth. They protect the roots of your teeth and help to keep your
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Gum tissue is soft tissue that tucks snugly up to the bottom of your teeth to provide a protective covering for the sensitive roots and nerves. Gum tissue can become misshapen during development or due to gum recession caused by either genetics or infection. Incorrect gum shapes can lead to an overly gummy smile or to the look of oversized teeth due to the low positioned gum line.
There are a few different treatments for gum tissue shape issues available from your dental office.
Gum Graft
A gum graft is necessary when you don't have enough gum tissue due to either a lack of development during the growth stages or due to gum recession. The low gum line can threaten to expose your tooth roots, which would cause a great deal of sensitivity.
The graft procedure uses tissue from the roof of your mouth or from donor sources. The graft material is stitched onto the existing gum material in the areas that need building up. After a brief healing period, the graft gums and existing gums will have healed together to form one solid piece of soft tissue.
Gingivectomy
An excess amount of gum tissue can be treated with a gingivectomy. Excess tissue can occur due to growth, which will cause a gummy smile from childhood, or due to infection causing the inflamed soft tissue to pull away from the bases of the teeth to form pockets. The pockets of the excess gums can trap bacteria and cause an infection cycle that will cause the soft tissue to become looser and looser.
The gingivectomy involves the dentist slicing off the excess gum material to better match up to the base of the teeth. In the case of the gum pockets, your dentist will start by cleaning out the infected material from within the pockets, cut the excess gum tissue away, and then stitch the remaining gums back up into place around the base of the teeth to heal.
Gingivoplasty
A gingivoplasty is a gentle reshaping of the gums to simply look better around the base of the teeth. Your dentist might use this procedure after the graft or the gingivectomy to better shape the gums around the teeth. Or the procedure can be used as a standalone if you only have mild gum shape issues that simply require a small amount of trimming.
If you aren't sure what treatment matches up with your gum problem, contact your dental office for a consultation.
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