Treatment for Gum Recession in Gladstone, MO

The Implications of Gum Recession

Gum recession is a serious problem because it exposes your tooth root, allowing decay to quickly damage your teeth. The health of your teeth and your gums are intricately intertwined. If your gums suffer from disease or poor health, your teeth will suffer as well. The health of both teeth and gums are essential to a healthy mouth and long lasting teeth.

Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST)

The Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique, otherwise known as “PST”, is a minor surgical procedure that was first developed by Dr. John Chao and is not as invasive as traditional treatments such as gum grafting. The main difference between the two methods is that PST does not require the use of scalpels or suturing (stitches).

The tools utilized by this method are completely different and were designed for comfort and short healing times, unlike gum grafting. During gum grafting procedures, healthy gum tissue from other areas of the mouth would be cut away and separated from its natural position and sutured into position directly over the recessed area. While gum grafting is known to be effective, it requires lengthy healing times and causes patients much pain and discomfort. The good news is that similar results can be achieved now with Pinhole Surgical Technique.

How Does the Technique Work?

This pinhole style surgical treatment is named after how it is performed. First, your teeth are cleaned and prepared for the treatment. Like many dental treatments, a local anesthetic is applied to numb the area. A needle is utilized to make a tiny hole in the gum area that has recessed. Special tools are then used to manipulate this area, repositioning and stretching the gum tissue to cover exposed areas. After creating an ideal gum line that adequately covers the root area, another small instrument is used to insert collagen strips into the area and under the gums to stabilize the area and ensure proper healing.

With PST, you don’t need to go through the invasive process of grafting. We use your existing tissue to correct gum recession.

Patients usually notice an immediate improvement with very mild discomfort that may include some swelling, minor pain, and bleeding. However, after the procedure, patients always report a quick recovery. They also notice cosmetic results and improvements right away since the gum recession is no longer visible and has been repaired instantly with tissue from the natural gum line.

At Happy Rock Dental, we are proud to offer this breakthrough treatment. While many dentists are still only performing gum grafts, our advanced dentists provide this state-of-the-art procedure to help you regain optimum oral health and wellness.

Our dentists can provide complete treatment for your gum recession in one visit or you can elect to have small sections corrected at a time. When administering this treatment, we apply a local anesthetic and the visit takes about 1-2 hours. Over the counter pain medications like Tylenol can be taken post-treatment.

Where do I Start?

To learn if you are the right candidate for the Pinhole Surgical Technique, you will need to set up a consultation appointment with us so we can study your gum recession and determine your exact needs and begin formulating a treatment plan specifically for you.

Eradicating and treating gum recession is paramount to your future oral health. Don’t let gum recession cause root decay in your teeth. Seek early treatment so you can be sure to have a healthy mouth for years to come.

For more information on this advanced treatment, call our team today to book your initial consultation for PST services. If you are interested in learning about other dental treatment we offer, check out our pages on Clear Correct and other orthodontic treatment and porcelain dental veneers. We offer any dental treatment you need to keep a healthy, beautiful smile- visit us today to become a part of our dental family!