Gums and periodontal tissues are highly-resilient, but can become compromised when gum disease advances through them. Early periodontal treatment can help you avoid much of the damage, but for patients with severe cases, gum grafting may be necessary to reestablish an adequate amount of healthy gum tissue. The procedure can help prevent the spread of gum disease, as well as restore the resilient layer of tissue that protects the roots of your teeth.
Severe cases of periodontal disease often require several stages of periodontal treatment, especially if the disease has caused irreversible damage to your gums. Dr. Vahadi may have to trim away infected tissue to stop the disease from spreading, and then graft non-diseased tissue into place to reestablish good periodontal health.
The type of graft you receive will depend on several factors, including the amount of tissue that must be grafted. Connective tissue grafts are samples taken from underneath a flap of tissue in the roof of the mouth. The flap is created to access the tissue, and then closed after the tissue has been removed. A free-gingival graft takes tissue directly from the roof of the mouth, without creating a flap first. A pedicle graft, which is recommended for patients with a fair amount of healthy gum tissue, describes raising a flap from the receding gum tissue to lift it back into place and allow it to heal.