Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation

At Brighton Dental, Dr. Paige Woods performs the pinhole surgical technique, the latest treatment for gum recession. Gum recession can cause discomfort, sensitivity, and a noticeable, aesthetically-displeasing ridge at your gum line. Your recessed gums have the potential to wreak havoc on your smile and overall well-being, but patients frequently reject the traditional treatment for gum recession because of the extent of the surgery and excessive downtime required post op.

Traditionally, the procedure usually recommended to treat gum recession is gum grafting, an invasive technique that takes gum tissue from the roof of your mouth and stitches it atop the area of exposed root. Gum grafting requires excessive downtime, up to ten days, and can require multiple treatments to repair extensive gum recession. Now, at Brighton Dental, our cosmetic dentists offer pinhole gum rejuvenation, a no-stitch, no-scalpel, downtime-free technique to treat gum recession.

To find out if the pinhole technique can benefit the appearance of your gums, please call Brighton Dental today at 619.722.3381.

What Happens During Pinhole Rejuvenation?
Performed with a pin-like instrument, the pinhole surgical technique takes just a few minutes per tooth. Using a pin sized entry point, the specially designed tool loosens the gum tissue, moving the gum on top of the exposed gums. Collagen strips are then placed through the entry point to keep the gums in place during the healing process.

Results are immediate and the pinpoint-sized entry heals within 24 hours. Post-op, patients report only mild swelling and no downtime is needed for recovery.

Pinhole Rejuvenation vs. Gum Grafting
Differences between traditional gum grafting and pinhole gum rejuvenation include:

• Surgical procedure: With traditional gum grafting, an incision is usually made on roof of your mouth to extract gum tissue, sometimes an alternative donor source is used. Must create an incision in palate to extract gum tissue, then gum tissue is sewn atop exposed roots. With the pinhole surgical technique, a small, pinhole sized entry point is used to glide gums over area of exposed roots. Collagen strips are placed to keep gums in place.
• Amount of teeth treated: Only Only a few teeth can be treated at a time with traditional gum grafting. Wit pinhole gum surgery, numerous teeth can be treated in one visit.
• Length of surgery: Gum grafting can take over 90 minutes, while the pinhole procedure requires less than an hour.
• Recovery time: The stitches used during gum grafting can take up to 10 days. With pinhole rejuvenation, there is virtually no recovery time.

For more information about the pinhole surgical technique in San Diego, contact Brighton Dental by calling 619.722.3381 or completing the questionnaire on our website. Dr. Paige Woods welcomes patients in and around San Diego County.