Periodontitis is a gum disease that many of the people in America have. It can cause gum inflammation, bleeding gums, gum recession, and in severe cases, tooth loss. There are different ways to treat the damage caused by periodontitis. One of them is to have a gum graft.
Gum Grafts
With a gum graft, the periodontist will take some tissue from other places in your mouth-- usually off the palate. The hard palate of your mouth is the exact same kind of material as your gums. The doctor won't take a lot of material off the roof of your mouth, and it shouldn't hurt, although it will probably be tender for a day or two.
Once the periodontist has the gum graft, they will then take those grafts and put them in the pockets formed by the gum disease. The grafts will fill those pockets and cover up any of exposed root. The grafted material will grow into the rest of the gum, and it will eventually be impossible to tell where the graft was done.
Benefits of Gum Grafts
The biggest benefit of a gum graft is that it will cover up the exposed roof of your tooth, keeping your it from weakening, rotting, or falling out. Gum grafts also have a cosmetic benefit. You may not like the way that your smile looks with the roots exposed or with gums that have receded. You may also feel more comfortable with the graft since exposed tooth roots can be sensitive to heat and cold.
Drawbacks of Gum Grafts
One drawback to gum grafts is that they may not take. Since the tissue being grafted is your own tissue, there is usually no problem in them taking. If the graft fails, your periodontist may have to go and take them out. They may also retry the graft. However, to do the graft, they may have to also trim more material off your gum to get to some healthier gum tissue. The healthier the tissue is, the more likely it is to accept the graft.
Dealing with periodontitis and trying to treat the damage can take some time. There are a lot of things that you will need to do, including the possibility of having to take antibiotics to combat any infections. Gum grafts are just one of the things that you can do to help treat the problem. For more information, contact a professional like those at Cumberland Periodontal Associate.
Share16 June 2015
My son was outside playing with some friends when he accidentally fell down and hit his mouth on the sidewalk. The fall knocked out his front tooth, so I immediately placed the tooth in a small jar and added some milk. I rushed my son to the dental clinic and the dentist immediately took us into the examination room. The dentist placed the tooth back into the socket and saved it. My name is Beverly Tillman and thanks to the quick work of the dentist, my son didn't lose his tooth. Since this was a scary time for me and my son, I wanted to write this blog as a source of information for other parents who are facing a dental emergency. First of all, don't panic and get to your dentist as soon as possible. I hope this blog will help to answer your questions about dental emergencies.