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When Graft Surgery Is Needed For Dental Work

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Thanks to modern surgical procedures, it is possible to preserve parts of the mouth that need additional strength. You may need a graft procedure done for one of these two dental conditions, which will help make your body stronger and have a healthy mouth.

Gum Graft for Receding Gums

The tissue on your gums is supposed to hug the area along the bottom part of the teeth, and it provides a protective cover for the sensitive roots on your teeth. Problems due to excessive brushing, poor oral care, and even genetics can cause the gumline to recede and expose the bottom part of your teeth. It puts the roots at a higher risk of becoming damaged, and can make your teeth look larger than normal.

Unfortunately, you cannot reverse the problem with receding gums naturally, but it can be done using gum grafts. They not only provide protection to the teeth, but make them look much better to others when you talk or smile.

The gum graft procedure involves taking tissue from another place inside your mouth, typically from a place that has an excessive amount of it like the roof. Both areas are numbed using local anesthesia prior to performing the procedure, with the soft tissue being removed and stitched onto the area that needs it along your gums. The stitches eventually dissolve, and both pieces of tissue will eventually grow together as a solid piece along the gums.

Bone Graft For Missing or Weak Jawbone

The deterioration of the jawbone can happen due to trauma, an infection or a systemic illness. If the jawbone is weak, it can threaten your oral health by making the jaw less stable for the teeth you have in that area. Weak jawbones are also incapable of having dental implants inserted into them, since the titanium root needs to fuse to the jawbone for stability.

Using the bone graft surgical procedure, you can restore strength to the jawbone. Much like the gum graft, your dentist uses healthy bone to strengthen your jawbone. If possible, they take it from another area of your mouth like a healthy part of the jaw, but it can also come from the hip. A dentist will implant the new bone into the area of the jawbone that is weak, and remove damaged bone if necessary. It helps the area heal and allows the two pieces to bond together.

For more info on graft procedures, speak with an experienced dentist, like Periodontal Specialists.


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