Natural Smiles • May 18, 2017
If we had one wish, it might be that none of our patients would ever get gum disease.
Not only is gum disease the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States. It also can lead to problems like gum recession, which is not a good look for your smile.
Since no genies have visited our dentist office in Louisville, KY, we have the next best option for dealing with receding gums. We have Dr. Kiran Gill, who is certified in the Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique.
We’ll explain what that is in a moment (and why you might prefer it to other methods of treating gum recession). For now, just know that it’s a way to get your smile looking the way it should once again.
To learn more, contact Natural Smiles by calling 502-287-1645 or contacting us online.
Causes Of Gum Recession
We mentioned one of the issues in our introduction. Gum disease or periodontal disease is the result of an infection of your gum tissue.
In the early stages, gum disease causes gum tissue to become red, swollen, or both and is the reason your gums may bleed when you brush or floss your teeth. In the latter stages, your gums can start to pull away or recede from your teeth exposing the roots.
Aggressive tooth brushing can be a problem as well.
You should brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day, according to the American Dental Association. You also should use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Brushing too hard or brushing with a hard-bristled toothbrush can damage your gum tissue.
Likewise, you should floss daily, but flossing too hard can do more harm than good.
Injuries can contribute to gum recession. Grinding your teeth together (sometimes called bruxism) or the positions of your teeth can affect your gums, too.
And fair or not, gum recession is more common in some families than others. Genetics can be a factor.
The main thing to remember is that Natural Smiles can help regardless of the reason for your receding gums.
The Old Fix: Gum Grafts
Fixing receding gums used to mean getting a gum graft. This amounts to a gum tissue transplant in your mouth.
No matter how that makes you feel, it has proven to be an effective way to restore gums to a more natural-looking position. The transplanted tissue could be removed from another part of your mouth or taken from a tissue donor.
This procedure involves cutting open your gums, placing the donor tissue where it should be, and stitching your gums closed during your recovery. As you heal, your old tissue and the donor tissue would grow together.
You also would need to return to the dentist to have the stitches removed.
Today, we believe we have a better way of dealing with this issue.
The New Way: The Chao Pinhole Technique
The Chao Pinhole surgical technique is a simpler way of achieving the same result. Instead of cutting your gums open, Dr. Gill only needs to make a pinhole.
Using special tools, she can reposition your remaining gum tissue to reform your gumline. This will improve the appearance of your smile, and allow your gums to provide protection for the roots of your teeth once again.
This is a less invasive procedure than a gum graft. As a result, patients also heal faster and experience less discomfort during their recovery than they would with a gum graft.
And since no stitches are involved, your smile will start looking like it should when you leave our office. Plus, you won’t need to have the stitches removed later.
Committed To Better Dental Care
Dr. Gill didn’t have to become certified to perform the Chao Pinhole procedure, but she did. She wants to offer our patients in and around Louisville, KY, the best services that are available in modern dentistry.
As part of that commitment, Dr. Gill has sometimes completed more than three times the continuing education required by the American Dental Association.
She is a graduate of South Florida’s Nova Southeastern University, and she also trained at Spear Education in Scottsdale, AZ, where she learned advanced cosmetic dental techniques.
Smile Design is an integral part of our practice, and the health and the appearance of your gums play a big role in your smile as well.
To find out if the Chao Pinhole technique could help you, schedule a consultation at our dentist office in Louisville, KY. You can contact us online or call 502-287-1645.