Gum Pinhole Surgery

Receding gums are a common dental problem, and most people are unaware they have gum recession until they begin experiencing other symptoms. When gums are healthy, they fit snugly around your teeth, protecting your tooth roots and preventing disease-causing bacteria from penetrating deep inside your gums.

While gum recession often occurs because of gum disease, it can also happen if someone has naturally thinner gum tissue or brushes their teeth too vigorously. Without treatment, gum recession increases the risk of tooth loss and may even affect overall health. Early detection and treatment can help save your teeth, protect your smile, and improve your general health.

Pinhole surgery is one possible treatment for receding gums. This advanced dental surgery can be an alternative to more traditional gum grafting, covering exposed tooth roots effectively.

What Is Pinhole Surgery

Pinhole surgery is an advanced gum rejuvenation technique that helps treat receding gums without needing to take gum tissue from another area in your mouth for grafting. The procedure also doesn’t require stitches. It was developed by Dr. John Chao and is a patented procedure.

Treatment involves making a tiny hole in your gum. A special dental instrument is inserted into the hole, and tiny gentle movements help free the gum tissue. The loosened gum tissue can then be repositioned over your exposed tooth roots. Small strips of collagen are inserted into the hole to help healing.

The tiny hole in the gum heals very quickly, so there is no need for stitches. Post-operative symptoms like swelling, bleeding, or discomfort are minimal, and results are visible faster.

What Are the Benefits of Pinhole Surgery?

The benefits of choosing this technique can include:

• Gum recession can be corrected in as little as one treatment.
• Pinhole surgery can take as little as 1 to 2 hours to complete.
• Because the technique is scalpel-free and requires no stitches, there are fewer side effects during healing.
• The tiny holes in the gums can heal in as little as 24 hours.
• Minimally invasive treatment means less pain relief is needed afterward, and most people will feel perfectly comfortable with just one or two over-the-counter pain relief pills.
• Treatment can help protect and preserve natural teeth, reducing the need for other more costly and invasive treatments like implants.
• The results can be more cosmetically appealing, creating a more youthful and healthy appearance.
• Minimal downtime is required, and most people will be back to normal and can complete light activities within 1 to 2 days of pinhole surgery.

Who Can Have Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation?

Before a pinhole procedure, you will need a complete gum evaluation from our periodontist at Atlas Park Dental. We can assess any signs of gum recession and review the technique with you so you know exactly what is involved.

Since gum recession is often caused by periodontal disease, it is important to eliminate any underlying infection before starting treatment.

Not everyone will be suitable for pinhole gum rejuvenation. You must not have active gum disease, and your gums cannot be inflamed. It is a treatment that requires meticulous oral care afterward to help maintain the results. If you are less suitable, we can discuss alternative treatments for gum recession.

What to Expect If You Have Pinhole Surgery?

We suggest you have your teeth professionally cleaned before a pinhole gum rejuvenation treatment, as it’s important to ensure the tooth roots are clean and free from bacteria and tartar buildup before we begin. In some cases, a more extensive deep cleaning may be recommended to prepare the gums properly.

On your day of treatment, we will ensure your gums are numbed before making the tiny holes to begin repositioning your gum tissue. Before you go home, we will thoroughly review all post-operative instructions, ensuring you know how to look after your mouth during the healing period.

Our periodontist will want you to come back for follow-up appointments after your gum rejuvenation treatment so we can assess its effectiveness and make sure the results are as expected.
Pinhole gum rejuvenation is a useful and minimally invasive treatment for receding gums. It can help reduce common problems of receding gums like tooth sensitivity and tooth-root decay and improve oral health. Treatment has a high success rate, and the outcome can be cosmetically pleasing.

If you’re concerned about gum recession or want to learn more about pinhole surgery, Atlas Park Dental in Glendale, NY, is here to help. We also provide a full range of other services, including tooth extraction, Wisdom teeth Extraction, and bone graft procedures. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.