The Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique: Nonsurgical Receding Gums Treatment
Are receding gums affecting the appearance of your smile? White Pine Dental Care can restore your receding gumline without the need for a painful tissue graft. The Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique is a new treatment for receding gums offered by Dr. Daniel West in Murray, UT, provides scalpel-free gum treatment with very little downtime.
If periodontal disease has visibly altered your gum line, pinhole gum surgery can improve both health and aesthetics. Dr. West is a certified cosmetic dentist in this breakthrough surgical technique, and during a free consultation, can help determine if the Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique is right for you.
The first step is to schedule an appointment.
About Receding Gums
Why get surgery for receding gums? Healthy gums provide protection and support for teeth. When they recede, or pull away, they leave tooth roots exposed. This can cause sensitivity and pain, and leaves teeth more vulnerable to decay and bone loss. Gum recession affects patients of all ages. It is a common side effect of periodontal disease, and other risk factors include genetics and smoking. Overly aggressive brushing techniques can also contribute to receding gums.
From a cosmetic dentistry standpoint, gum recession can cause an uneven gum line. Patients may be bothered by a new lack of symmetry and proportion in their smile, or complain the condition makes them look older than they feel.
The Chao Pinhole Procedure
Invented by John Chao, DDS, pinhole gum rejuvenation provides a welcome alternative to traditional tissue grafting surgery. Tissue grafting is often a painful procedure for patients, requiring the removal of tissue from an area such as the roof of the mouth. The tissue is then sutured onto the gums. Lucky for you, there are gum graft surgery alternatives.
Sometimes called “the lunchtime gum lift,” the Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique usually takes less than an hour to complete. Because there is no traditional incision, there are no stitches required, and pain and bleeding are minimal. Many patients return to work the following day, with complete healing expected within a week.
The technique must be performed by a qualified, specially-trained cosmetic dentist and requires the use of several unique tools and instruments. To begin, Dr. West administers a numbing anesthesia, then places one or more tiny “pinhole” points in the gum tissue high above the tooth. The gum tissue is then gently loosened and repositioned to cover the exposed tooth roots.
Dr. West is certified in this breakthrough surgical technique, and during a consultation, he can help determine if it is right for you.
To complete the pinhole procedure, collagen strips are inserted between the teeth and gums to hold the tissue in correct position for healing. The treated gums will provide improved protection and support to the teeth while providing an improved aesthetic. You can expect to see results immediately.
Because of the relative ease of the Pinhole Surgical Technique®, you can have several teeth treated in one procedure. This increased efficiency is cost-effective for patients who would require several tissue grafting procedures to achieve the same results.
It is important to treat the cause of gum disease before pursuing treatment for gum recession. Left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. White Pine Dental Care provides comprehensive periodontal treatment in addition to pinhole gum rejuvenation.
Contact White Pine Dental
White Pine Dental Care offers the latest techniques to provide patients with state-of-the-art, comprehensive family dentistry services. To find out if pinhole gum surgery is right for you, please contact us online or call (801) 266-3000 today to schedule an appointment.
