5 Benefits of Pinhole Surgery

At Advanced Dental in Aliso Viejo, California, Dr. Chitra Tiruveedula offers many safe and effective procedures to improve your dental health and beautify your smile. Pinhole gum surgery is a procedure used to treat receding gums. Receding gums often occur with excessive brushing or if there are signs of advanced gum disease. While no one likes the term surgery, below are ways in which this procedure will dramatically improve your oral health and won’t cause an excessive amount of discomfort.

1. Minimally invasive—During a pinhole gum surgery procedure, your dentist will make tiny incisions in the gum tissue. This allows the gum tissue to be gently shifted so that any exposed tooth roots can be covered. The incisions are the size of small pinholes and are considered to be minimally invasive. The number of pinhole incisions used will depend on how much root is exposed. Using more tiny holes will allow more movement of the gum tissue than if a larger incision is used.
2. No tissue grafting is needed – With pinhole gum surgery, your dentist gently shifts the existing tissues. In more complex procedures, tissue grafts may be required. A tissue graft involves removing tissue from one area of the mouth and grafting, or attaching it, to existing tissues in the area where the recession has occurred. Not only is this more painful, it will also take much longer to heal. There is also a much higher risk of infection when tissue grafts are used.
3. No stitches – Pinhole gum surgery does not require any stitches. Pinhole incisions are very tiny and will heal quickly on their own. Pinhole incisions are also very shallow compared to other types of incisions associated with tissue grafting. The soft tissues in the mouth heal very quickly and will begin to close soon after your procedure is finished. Since there are no stitches, you will not have to worry about irritating them when you brush and floss your teeth.
4. Helps maintain good oral health – Repairing your gums through pinhole surgery is an ideal way to keep your mouth healthy. Good physical health begins in the mouth. When gums begin to recede, food can become trapped, leading to excessive tooth decay. This can also result in lesions on the gums that can become infected. If an infection goes untreated, your teeth may become loose and eventually fall out. It’s important to visit your dentist at the first sign of discomfort to prevent the problem from worsening.
5. Fast recovery times—Because pinhole gum surgery incisions are so small and don’t require stitches, the healing times are quicker, and there is much less risk of infection. In most cases, the healing time for the pinhole incisions is only a few days. Your dentist will recommend not brushing or flossing your teeth while the incisions are actively healing. Instead, rinsing your mouth with an antibiotic mouthwash is preferred.

Pinhole gum surgery is a safe and effective treatment for receding gums. Dr. Chitra Tiruveedula of Advanced Dental in Aliso Viejo, CA, uses pinhole gum surgery as part of an effective treatment plan for receding gums. If you have questions about this procedure, you can schedule an appointment with the dentist. Existing patients can call (949) 362-8523, while new patients must call (949) 289-9993 for an appointment.

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