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Soft Tissue Grafting When There Are No Teeth? | Chicago Dentist

Senior woman in the dental office smiling

The health and appearance of your gums are just as important for your beautiful smile as your teeth. They are said to be the frame around the photo, so maintaining them is vital if you want to show off your pearly whites with pride. We employ a method that allows us to enhance the appearance of your soft gum tissue while also performing a restoration.

Here is a real-world example of an effective soft tissue graft on a patient:

A 35-year-old patient was missing two teeth in the front of her mouth with an aging bridge she found unappealing. While her goal was to simply replace the bridge, a closer examination revealed how an unsightly indentation in the gum tissue is what had compromised the appearance of her bridge. Beyond replacing the bridge, we wanted to enhance her soft gum tissue as well, as it would work to improve her overall oral aesthetic.

Through the use of a minimally invasive tunneling procedure, we placed a collagen graft to build out the tissue and create the impression that a tooth was present. We saw the improvement immediately following surgery, and in the coming weeks, her big more closely mimicked the appearance of real teeth than an artificial solution. Rather than simply reconstructing the tissue, it was important for us to create the illusion that she had never lost her teeth in the first place.

If the appearance of your gums is affecting your smile and confidence, a soft tissue graft may be the solution you have been looking for. A soft tissue graft is minimally invasive, will improve the look of your gums, and allow you to embrace your gorgeous smile.

If you would like more information about soft tissue grafting, call Dr. Cabrera in Chicago, IL at 312-994-7939 or visit www.perioimplantchicago.com.

Dr. Cabrera proudly serves Chicago and all surrounding areas.

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What to Do When You Develop Receding Gums | Chicago Dentist

There is little more deflating to your smile than receding gums. Not only does it change the look of your smile, but it can also cause your overall demeanor to change as well. We all want a great smile to show off. But receding gums is a natural thing to happen as we age. Fortunately, there are solutions to this dental issue, and it doesn’t have to be as invasive as it once was.

The goal of correcting gum recession is to rebuild the lost tissues and where possible, cover the roots in order to prevent infection. It is important to fix this dental issue before more extreme issues, like infection or gum disease, arise in the future. There are many procedures to accomplish this. One of the earliest treatments published was the connective tissue graft introduced in the early 1990’s, and can be seen in an article published by Dr. Cabrera in The Journal of the American Dental Association in 1995 titled The Connective Tissue Graft, and later reprinted in The Canadian Dental Journal.

But what does this treatment option entail? A very small opening is created either on the roof of the mouth or behind the last upper teeth. The tissue is then secured to the area of recession with small (slightly bigger than a human hair) sutures (stitches). In most cases, recovery is uneventful, requiring no more than over-the-counter medication.

This approach has been refined over the years. Today, we also employ a number of procedures classified as tunnels, which use very small incisions to accomplish the surgery. As you can see, there is no reason to hide your smile with receding gums – visiting a dental professional can easily repair the look of your smile and the health of your gums.

If you would like more information about rececding gums, call Dr. Cabrera in Chicago, IL at 312-994-7939 or visit www.perioimplantchicago.com.

Dr. Peter O. Cabrera proudly serves Chicago and all surrounding areas.

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Is Grafting Possible Without Teeth? | Chicago Dentist

Although most people concentrate on the teeth for an attractive, healthy smile, the appearance of the gums cannot be ignored. It has been said that the gums are the frame of the picture. You can have a nice picture, but an ugly frame will destroy the appearance. We will often use soft tissue to enhance the appearance of the tissue in conjunction with new restorations. The following case demonstrates one such example:

This case illustrates a 35-year old physician who was missing two teeth in the front and had a bridge placed many years ago. She did not like the appearance of the bridge and wanted to replace it. The before photos illustrate how an unsightly indentation in the gum tissue compromised the appearance of the bridge. In addition to replacing the bridge, we wanted to improve the appearance of the tissue in order to improve her “picture frame”. Utilizing minimally invasive tunneling procedures, a collagen graft was placed to build out the tissue and create an appearance that a tooth was present, but it’s missing. The improvement was seen immediately at the time of surgery, and after several weeks in a new temporary bridge, the result is even more apparent. As you can see, we have created the illusion that there are teeth present by simply reconstructing the tissue.

If you find that you have gums that are affecting your smile and self-confidence, soft tissue grafting may just be the solution you’ve been looking for. Not only will it improve the look of your gums but will also give you a discreet way to bring back a reason to smile.

If you would like more information about tissue grafting, call Dr. Cabrera in Chicago, IL at 312-994-7939 or visit www.perioimplantchicago.com.

Dr. Peter O. Cabrera proudly serves Chicago and all surrounding areas.

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When It’s Time for a Gum Graft | Chicago Dentist

There is little more deflating to your smile than receding gums. Not only does it change the look of your smile, but it can also cause your overall demeanor to change as well. But for many of us, it can’t be helped – gum recession often goes hand-in-hand with the aging process or genetics. It’s really disheartening as we love to show off our smiles. Worry not – the dental industry has addressed this issue and it doesn’t have to be as invasive as it once was.

The goal of correcting gum recession is to rebuild the lost tissues and, where possible, cover the roots. It is important to fix this dental issue before more extreme dental issues develop. One of the earliest treatments published was the connective tissue graft introduced in the early 1990’s and can be seen in an article published by Dr. Cabrera in The Journal of the American Dental Association in 1995.

But what does this treatment option entail? This procedure is essentially plastic surgery in the mouth. A very small opening is created either on the roof of the mouth or behind the last upper teeth. The tissue is then secured to the area of recession with small (slightly bigger than a human hair) sutures (stitches). In most cases, recovery is uneventful, requiring no more than over-the-counter medication.

This approach has been refined over the years. Today, we also employ a number of procedures classified as tunnels, which use very small incisions to accomplish the surgery. So, as you can see, there is no reason to hide your smile from the world because of receding gums – visiting your dental professional can easily repair the look of your smile and the health of your gums.

If you would like more information about gum grafting, call Dr. Cabrera in Chicago, IL at 312-994-7939 or visit www.perioimplantchicago.com.

Dr. Peter O. Cabrera proudly serves Chicago and all surrounding areas.

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Stop Receding Gums with a Tissue Graft | Chicago Dentist

There is little more deflating to your smile than receding gums. Not only does it change the look of your smile, but it can also cause your overall demeanor to change as well. We all want a great smile to show off. Unfortunately, it is a fact of life as we age. Worry not – there is a solution.

The goal of correcting gum recession is to rebuild the lost tissues, and where possible, cover the roots. It is important to fix this dental issue before more extreme issues, like infection or gum disease, arise. One of the earliest treatments published was the connective tissue graft introduced in the early 1990’s and can be seen in an article published by Dr. Cabrera in The Journal of the American Dental Association in 1995 titled The Connective Tissue Graft, and later reprinted in The Canadian Dental Journal.

But what does this treatment option entail? This procedure is essentially plastic surgery in the mouth. A very small opening is created either on the roof of the mouth or behind the last upper teeth. The tissue is then secured to the area of recession with small (slightly bigger than a human hair) sutures (stitches). In most cases, recovery is uneventful, requiring no more than over-the-counter medication.

This approach has been refined over the years. Today, we also employ a number of procedures classified as tunnels, which use very small incisions to accomplish the surgery. So, as you can see, there is no reason to hide your smile with receding gums – just need to consult with your dentist.

If you would like more information about connective tissue graft, call Dr. Cabrera in Chicago, IL at 312-994-7939 or visit www.perioimplantchicago.com.

Dr. Peter O. Cabrera proudly serves Chicago and all surrounding areas.

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Pinhole Surgical Technique: What You Need to Know | Chicago Dentist

No one wants receding gums, but unfortunately, it’s a fact of life. Fortunately, there is a way to repair the issue without having to use painful gum grafting. Pioneered by Dr. Chao, the Pinhole® Surgical Technique is a new way to repair gum recession through a pinhole-sized incision, rather than having to cut. This new technique will not only reduce discomfort grafting surgery can do, but also cut down recovery time. Here are some of the common questions asked:

Is gum recession something that you see often? If it isn’t a painful result, chances are patients won’t address the issue. Before the Pinhole Surgical Technique, a lot of people are put in a dilemma of whether they should fix it with a very painful, drawn out gum grafting procedure, try to ignore it, or try a temporary fix by placing a filling on the exposed root.

How long does the standard gum grafting procedure take? The standard procedure requires cutting out a graft of the gum from the palate and grafting it to where it’s needed. To delicately cut and remove the graft tissue and attach it with sutures takes about an hour to an hour and a half for just one or two teeth. But what is more drawn out is the recovery time, which could two or three weeks. With Pinhole Surgical Technique, there is no gum grafting anymore. A pinhole is made by a needle, so there’s no scalpel or cutting at all. Then we shift the tissue down with very little trauma to the tissue.

Will I have to do this often? This is expected to be permanent and lasts as long as any other procedure. Maintenance will keep the procedure intact.

If you would like more information about Pinhole Surgical Technique, call Dr. Peter O. Cabrera in Chicago, IL at 312-994-7939 or visit www.perioimplantchicago.com.

Dr. Cabrera proudly serves Chicago and all surrounding areas.

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Minimally Invasive Procedure in Soft Tissue Grafting | Chicago Dentist

It is important as a dental professional to give our patients the best experience we can, even when it requires a dental procedure that typically doesn’t have the best reputation – gum recession treatment. We are always looking for minimally invasive approaches for the correction of gum recession to ease the comfort of our patients.

Tunneling procedures have been around in periodontics for decades. These procedures are advantageous because small incisions, similar to the ones used in arthroscopic surgery, are also used to complete these procedures.

I had been working on this particular approach to this procedure for several years. In fact, it was featured at the 2015 meeting of the American Academy of Periodontology. The procedure is carried out by way of a few small incisions above the area of recession.

One of the reasons this procedure is an advancement to the treatment of gum recession is because of the recovery time. Typically, gum recession treatment takes a long time to heal and requires additional visits to the dentist for follow-up treatment. With this variation, dissolvable sutures are used to stabilize the area, allowing the patient to return to their daily practices, such as brushing, very quickly. In addition to a speedy recovery time, the ability to place sutures that will dissolve at different rates is beneficial because there is typically no need to have them removed, making additional dental visits required only in the case of complications arising.

Gum recession is just a fact of life. It is nice to know that treatment doesn’t need to be an unpleasant one.

If you would like more information about soft tissue grafting, call Dr. Cabrera in Chicago, IL at 312-994-7939 or visit www.perioimplantchicago.com.

Dr. Cabrera proudly serves Chicago and all surrounding areas.