Restore your gum line, protect exposed roots, and achieve a beautiful smile with advanced soft tissue procedures
Connective tissue grafts are the gold standard for treating gum recession and are highly successful because they're autografts—tissue from your own mouth.
When additional keratinized tissue is needed, free gingival grafts are used. This involves taking full-thickness tissue from the palate and transplanting it directly to the recipient area. While slightly less aesthetic than connective tissue grafts, they're excellent for building keratinized tissue width.
For patients who prefer to avoid palatal harvesting or have insufficient palatal tissue, AlloDerm (acellular dermal matrix) offers an excellent alternative. This is processed human tissue that's been decellularized, eliminating the immune response while preserving the collagen scaffold.
Not all gums are created equal. Gum tissue exists in different biotypes—a classification that describes the thickness and form of gingival tissues. Thicker biotypes are more resistant to recession and disease, while thinner biotypes are more prone to gum loss. Understanding your biotype is crucial for predicting recession risk and planning grafting procedures.
Keratinized tissue is the tough, bound-down gum directly attached to the underlying bone. It's different from the movable alveolar mucosa below it. Keratinized tissue serves critical functions: it's more resistant to trauma, infection, and recession. When recession occurs, it's often because there's insufficient keratinized tissue width to resist the forces that pull the gum downward.
When graft tissue is placed, it initially survives by diffusion—receiving nutrients from the surrounding tissue fluid. Within 5-7 days, new blood vessels begin to grow into the graft (neovascularization), establishing a permanent blood supply. By 3-4 weeks, the graft is fully integrated and vascularized. This is why protecting the graft and maintaining proper oral hygiene during healing is so important.
The amount of root that can be covered depends on several factors: the depth and width of recession, the root surface morphology, and the wound healing characteristics of the recipient area. Modern microsurgical techniques can achieve complete root coverage in 80-90% of cases when performed by a trained specialist.
Dr. Ahn specializes in microsurgical gum grafting with exceptional outcomes
Schedule Your Graft ConsultationGum grafting is a surgical procedure that adds tissue to areas where gums have receded, exposing tooth roots. The graft tissue can come from the roof of your mouth (connective tissue graft), adjacent gum tissue (pedicle graft), or donor material like AlloDerm. The procedure protects exposed roots from decay, reduces sensitivity, and improves the appearance of your smile.
Most patients experience minimal discomfort during gum grafting because the procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Post-operative soreness is typically manageable with over-the-counter pain medication and resolves within a week. Dr. Ahn uses microsurgical techniques for precise, minimally invasive grafting that promotes faster healing.
Initial healing from gum grafting takes about 1-2 weeks, during which you should eat soft foods and avoid brushing the surgical site. Full tissue maturation and integration takes 3-6 months. Most patients return to normal activities within a few days of the procedure.
Gum grafting in Costa Mesa typically costs $600-$3,000 per site, depending on the type of graft and extent of recession. Many dental insurance plans cover gum grafting when it is medically necessary. Our office helps verify your benefits and offers financing options.
Unfortunately, receding gums cannot grow back on their own. Once gum tissue is lost, it does not regenerate naturally. Gum grafting is the only way to restore lost gum tissue and protect exposed roots. Early treatment of gum recession prevents further tissue loss and more extensive procedures later.