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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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Enhance Your Smile with Dental Implants | Chicago Dentist

Implant surgery may have been improving smiles for the past 60 years, but implant therapy has come a long way, becoming one of the greatest dental advances. Under specific situations, dental implants can be placed at the time that the tooth is extracted. And if the implant is placed in very firm bone, temporary crowns can be placed on the implant the same day.

Immediate implants are placed into two categories: single teeth or full mouth. Single tooth implants are those used to replace flawed teeth in the front of the mouth, or those people would see when you smile. Typically, this treatment option would be ideal when the cause is the result of trauma, where a tooth is fractured and cannot be restored. The full mouth option is ideal for patients with many failing teeth, or already have dentures.

As far as the process is concerned, it really is pretty straightforward. During your initial examination, your dental professional (periodontist) will take a three-dimensional scan of the injured jaw. This will tell us precisely how much bone is available for the placement of a secure implant. Once complete, a treatment plan will be discussed. During the surgery, the periodontist will remove the tooth and replace it with the implant (a root substitute). Typically, bone grafting is also performed at the same time. The patient then has a temporary tooth, or custom-made bridge, inserted.

When we have a flawed smile, we become self-conscious about showing it off. With these immediate dental implant/teeth-in-a-day options, we don’t need to worry about keeping our smile hidden for long. All it takes is one dental appointment.

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

Dr. Cabrera proudly serves Chicago and all surrounding areas.