Gum grafting rebuilds gum tissue lost to recession by covering exposed tooth roots with grafted tissue. It protects roots from decay and sensitivity, stops recession from progressing, and restores a natural gum line. At SEDA Dental, grafting is performed by our periodontists, the specialists trained in gum surgery.
Signs of recession: teeth that look longer than they used to, yellowish root surfaces showing at the gum line, sharp sensitivity to cold, or notches you can feel where the tooth meets the gum. Aggressive brushing, grinding, and gum disease are the usual causes.
If active gum disease is present, we treat it first with scaling and root planing. Grafting then rebuilds what was lost, one problem at a time, in the right order.
When grafting is medically indicated, many PPO dental plans contribute, and we verify your benefits before scheduling. CareCredit monthly payments and the SEDA Smile Membership Plan keep treatment accessible without coverage.
For the first two weeks: soft, cool foods, no brushing at the graft site (a prescription rinse keeps it clean), and no pulling your lip to peek at it, the most-broken rule in periodontics.
Tenderness fades within days, and the graft strengthens week by week. We monitor at follow-ups until it is fully integrated, then normal brushing resumes, gently, with the soft-bristle habit that protects your investment.
The procedure itself is fully numbed. Recovery brings tenderness for several days, most noticeable when tissue is taken from the palate, and manageable with medication and soft foods.
Either your own palate or processed donor tissue. Each has advantages, and we recommend based on your case, not a default.
The site is comfortable within one to two weeks, and the graft fully matures and blends over a couple of months.
Yes. Mature grafts blend in color and contour so well that most patients cannot point to where the graft is a year later.
Grafted tissue is durable, but the habits that caused recession can still attack elsewhere. We correct brushing technique and manage grinding so the result lasts.
Sometimes because you brush a lot, hard brushing wears gums away. Thin gum tissue, grinding, and gum disease do the rest. Diagnosis tells us which one is yours.
