Gum Grafting

Receding gums due to periodontal disease can expose tooth roots and cause eventual tooth loss. Gum recession is also a common problem among adults. The solution: gum grafting.

Gum grafting is the most common method of treating exposed teeth and tooth roots. During a gum grafting procedure, the periodontist removes tissue from the roof of your mouth and stitches it in place on the receeding gums. There are three different types of gum grafts that correct different problems.

Connective-tissue grafts are the most common. Your periodontist makes a small flap in the roof of your mouth, removes some connective tissue and stitches it in place over an exposed tooth root.

Free gingival grafts are similar but, instead of making a flap in the roof of the mouth, the periodontist removes a small amount of tissue directly and applies it to the graft site.

Pedicle grafts use nearby gum tissue instead of tissue from the roof of the mouth. This procedure can only be used for patients who have healthy amounts of gum tissue around adjacent teeth.

Our gum grafting patients come to us from all over New York City, including Marine Park, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Canarsie, Mill Basin and close-by neighborhoods in Brooklyn, NY.