Gums recede for a number of reasons. Although the primary cause is aging – gums normally recede as people get older – there may be other causes as well, such as gum disease or brushing too vigorously. But whatever the reason, receding gums can cause teeth to be more sensitive to hot and cold foods, and can make you more susceptible to decay forming both above and below the gum line.

Most dentists agree that it’s advisable to treat receding gums in order to avoid the associated problems and to maintain the patient’s good oral health for the future. But until recently, the only method to treat a receding gum line was grafting. This invasive procedure involved removing gum tissue from the top of a patient’s mouth and placing it where the gums were receding. Although the treatment was effective, it came with many disadvantages. It often required multiple trips to the dentist’s office, stitches, and a significant amount of time for recovery.

Fortunately, researchers have created a new, much less invasive technique for treating receding gums called Pinhole® Gum Surgery. The process involves the dentist inserting a pin-like instrument into the patient’s gums, gently loosening the surrounding tissue, then injecting collagen into the gums. This new procedure offers a number of benefits over the old gum grafting technique, including the following:

• Pinhole® surgery is non-invasive and does not require the use of a scalpel or stitches.
• Because no cutting is involved, the amount of bleeding, swelling, and pain on the part of the patient is greatly reduced.
• The outcome of the Pinhole® technique is immediate, so the patient sees results right away.
• As opposed to the old gum grafting procedure, which often required multiple trips to the dentist’s office, the Pinhole® procedure can be completed quickly.
• The amount of time needed for recovery with the Pinhole® procedure is greatly reduced; in fact, most patients recover within 24 hours!

If you have receding gums, ask your dentist about Pinhole® Gum Surgery. Although this remarkable new technology is quite effective in treating receding gums, it may not be the right choice for everyone. Meeting with your dentist, giving your dentist the opportunity to review your dental and health history, and having a professional exam will provide your dentist with enough information to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for this procedure. Dental technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and the Pinhole® procedure is one good example of just how far we’ve come in treating receding gums.