Gum Graft Surgery in Los Angeles

There are several autogenous gum grafting procedures where tissue from the patient’s body is used as grafting material. These include the following:

Connective-tissue grafts

This standard grafting procedure is frequently used when gum recession causes cosmetic problems around your teeth. These tissue grafts often provide outstanding results for covering up the exposed roots and color matching the surrounding tissue. In addition, we can use CTG as a solution by itself or with our advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) therapy which helps enhance healing after a grafting procedure like this. Not only does the A-PRF treatment reduce recovery times, but it also decreases pain and swelling and improves the overall patient experience and outcome.

Often, periodontists will treat root exposure using this standard grafting procedure. When performing this procedure, the doctor will cut a flap of skin from the roof of your mouth, otherwise known as your palate, and remove subepithelial connective tissue from under the flap created from the initial incision. Next is taking that removed tissue, stitching it to the gum tissue around the exposed tooth root, and then stitching the flap back in place.

Free Gingival Grafts

The FGG grafting technique is used to increase the amount of keratinized tissue surrounding a tooth or a dental implant. It is also used for patients with genetically thin gums that may need extra tissue to expand the gums or those with receding gums where a free gingival graft can augment the tissue and help prevent further recession.

The free gingival graft (FGG) surgical procedure is comparable to the connective-tissue graft in removing tissue from the roof of the patient’s mouth, but rather than tissue being transferred from under the flap, a small amount of tissue is extracted directly from the roof of your mouth then joined to the gumline area being treated.

A Free gingival graft combined with our advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) therapy helps heal the donor site faster, like a natural Band-aid filled with the patient’s own growth factors, which offers less discomfit and pain and shortens recovery times.

There are limitations of free gingival graft procedure, such as the tissue extracted from the roof of the mouth is often lighter than the gums in the area being treated that may cause a slight cosmetic problem for some patients.

When the gum tissue surrounding the graft area is insufficient to provide its own source material, a Connective-tissue graft or a Free gingival graft is often used. However, the Pedicle grafting method, which we will explain next, can be used on patients with sufficient gum tissue near the area to be grafted.

Pedicle Grafts

The pedicle graft involves taking tissue from around the tooth that needs grafting instead of taking it from the roof of the patient’s mouth, like in the connective tissue graft or free gingival grafting methods. During this procedure, the flap (pedicle) is cut away so that one of its edges remains connected. The loosened flap is then pulled over the exposed root and sutured into place.

All three of the previously mentioned gum grafting procedures are autogenous grafting procedures that are advantageous because they use the patient’s tissue and reduce the risk of rejection. But there is another more advanced option called RejuvaGum Lift™.

RejuvaGum Lift™ an alternative to traditional autogenous gum grafting

Although gum grafting is very common and takes tissue from the roof of the mouth to cover the exposed root, our Board Certified Periodontists, Dr. Alexandre-Amir Aalam and Dr. Alina Krivitsky are the founding periodontists behind the RejuvaGum Lift™ where no tissue graft is taken from the roof of the mouth, eliminating an often painful process and reducing recovery time.

This revolutionary procedure uses Platelet Rich Fibrin to treat gum recession that is a less painful, less invasive solution to other gum grafting methods. PRF is a healing matrix created from a sample of a patient’s blood to develop platelet-rich fibrin membranes, a clot-like substance that helps regenerate lost gum tissue.

Using cutting-edge technology, we take several samples of the patient’s blood, and they are spun in a centrifuge to separate the platelets, white blood cells, and fibrin. We then apply them directly to a wound, and the proteins in the fibrin encourage faster healing by causing the wound to close more quickly and increase blood flow to the site. The extra boost of stem cells and growth factors assist in soft tissue regeneration around the exposed roots, and by utilizing the patient’s own immune system to heal, the risk of infection is almost none. The RejuvaGum Lift™ offers patients a gentle yet effective alternative to gum grafting, with less recovery time and enhanced healing.

To learn more about the RejuvaGum Lift™ treatment for gum recession, please visit https://www.implantperiocenter.com/rejuvagum-lift/

AlloDerm® Gum Graft

AlloDerm® is a soft tissue gum grafting material that is excellent for treating gum recession through gum grafting. It is a great alternative to using a patient’s gum tissue because it does not require additional surgery.

Our periodontists will place small incisions in the gums while being built up with AlloDerm® to form a tiny pocket where the regenerative tissue will be placed. Sutures will be used to sustain the graft and prevent the tissue from shifting to allow for proper healing.

AlloDerm® avoids the need for a second surgical wound on the palate to harvest tissue and makes it possible to treat the entire mouth in just a few appointments. In addition, it can be customized to fit each patient’s particular needs.