It is important that your dentist assesses your mouth properly before fitting your new dental implants. Tests must be conducted to ensure that the area to be implanted is completely suitable. If the area is not completely ready for dental implants there are some complementary procedures which can be conducted to make the area more suitable for implantation. Gum grafting is one such procedure. This article will aim to give you some further info about the benefits of gum grafting.
What is gum grafting?
Gum grafting is a procedure to restore the gum around the teeth. This procedure is more commonly done to improve the look of a patient’s smile however it is becoming increasingly utilized during the dental implant procedure to improve the implant healing success rate.
Why is gum grafting necessary?
There are two different types of gum tissue around teeth attached gingiva and alveolar mucosa. Attached gingiva is thick and tough. Usually, it protects the base of the tooth and is found in the lower part of the mouth. Alveolar mucosa is more flexible and moveable and as such is a poor tooth base protector. For a dental implant procedure to be successful we need the base of the tooth to be fully covered and protected. Unfortunately, due to periodontal disease and often excessive brushing, this is not always the case.
What are the benefits of the gum grafting procedure?
During the procedure, the area of the exposed tooth root is covered with grafted skin usually taken from the roof of the mouth. Gum grafts can help to improve the healing of tooth implants in the short term by providing better coverage of tooth roots. This, in turn, leads to a greater chance of implant success. In the long term, gum graft procedures can provide increased protection against tooth decay, better overall oral health and reduced bone loss from teeth.
The gum grafting procedure is just one of the many complimentary procedures which are utilized during the dental implant procedure. For information on other surgeries see our step by step guide to the dental implant procedure.