Gum plastic surgery — recession surgery
Soft-tissue plastic procedures include surgery for gum recession: coronally advanced flaps and tunnel techniques, often with a connective-tissue graft from the palate.
This is only a slice of mucogingival surgery. Correction of recession from the tooth neck is usually possible and requires a high level of skill.
When is it indicated?
- little attached gingiva around the teeth
- single recession
- multiple recessions
- asymmetric gum line
- gummy smile
- interdental crater, negative papilla
- insufficient edentulous ridge in the aesthetic zone
- gum correction at implant uncovering
Common complaints
- cervical sensitivity
- aesthetic: teeth look longer because the gum has receded
- fear of losing the teeth
Two things are needed: a surgical technique and a material to augment the gum. The most modern options are tunnel techniques that do not cut the papillae. We use a palatal connective-tissue graft, a graft from the tuber region, or Geistlich Mucograft®.
Photos will be added to this page later.
Single recession
For example 5 mm of gum receded from an upper canine. Covering it is only possible surgically: a palatal connective-tissue graft combined with a coronally advanced flap, using periodontal plastic microsurgery.
Multiple recessions
Recession on several teeth, especially in the aesthetic zone. With a tunnel technique that does not open the papillae we draw the palatal graft into the prepared tunnel and position the gum with special sutures. In our long-term follow-up, coverage can remain close to 100% years later.
