Are you having problems with your gums? Have you had bad experiences with gum bleeding and pain? You wouldn’t have to worry much because modern dentistry has now introduced us to innovative and more advanced dental procedures that can address even the toughest oral problems, like gingival issues. Whether you have a gummy smile or receding gums, gingivoplasty and other gum-related procedures can be the answer. Let us learn more about gingivoplasty, gingivectomy, and other dental procedures that can address a patient’s gum problems.
What is Gingivoplasty?
Has anyone told or teased you about having a gummy smile? Yes, this remark may sound offending and has a double meaning for some. But, literally speaking, having a gummy smile means that your gums are more emphasized than your teeth when you laugh. This is because your gums are too long that it covers almost half of your front teeth, making your pearly whites look short. This problem may typically cause little to no effect on your overall dental health, so many dentists consider this as an aesthetic issue. With this, dentists developed gingivoplasty.
What is the Difference between Gingivectomy, Gingivoplasty, and Gum Graft?
Gingivectomy
If you have gingivitis, and you have excess growth of infected gum tissue, this is the dental procedure that your dentist may suggest as treatment. This is the surgical removal of diseased gum tissue so that the infection will not spread to surrounding healthy gums.
How much is Gingivectomy?
If you inquire for the cost of gingivectomy, your dentist may claim that it would depend on the severity of your gingival infection. Typical cost of this procedure ranges from $200 to $400 per tooth, so it is best if you report to your dentist at Croydon, VIC at Maroondah Dental Care clinic as soon as possible so as to halt the development and spread of the infection, simplifying your procedure and saving your time, pain, and, yes, money.
Gingivoplasty
For receding gums, gingivoplasty is not the answer. Where gingivectomy is to remove infected gum surfaces, gingivoplasty is strictly for cosmetic purposes only. Also called gum contouring or reshaping, gingivoplasty is being recommended by cosmetic dentists for a patient with a gummy smile. This aesthetic-driven surgery removes healthy gum tissue to expose parts of the teeth to make it look longer and bigger, emphasizing the shine and sparkle of your pearlies.
There will come a time where gingivectomy and gingivoplasty can be done as a combined procedure. If you have a gummy smile with mild gingivitis, this surgery combination is your best bet in preserving that healthy-looking radiant smile.
How much is Gingivoplasty?
Let is admit the fact that cosmetic surgery is quite a splurge. If you are tight on the budget and do not feel anything wrong with your gums, maybe you can decide to skip your gingivoplasty only until the pandemic subsides. Why? Because we have first-hand information that cosmetic dentists typically charge their patients $50 to $350 per surface area of a tooth. Prepare at least $3000 if you plan on making your full front gums contoured and reshaped to make it compatible with your sparkly teeth.
Gum Grafting
There is a misconception that with receding gums, gingivoplasty is the surgery of choice. The truth is, receding gums need a different surgical procedure. Gum recession occurs when the teeth start to wear or even pull backward which exposes the roots. This can cause sensitivity, abrasion, decay around the root surface, and even tooth loss. In restoring tooth loss, there are useful blogs at the DDSS site called ToothImplantsSydney where you get to be informed how dental implants are the best alternative for replacing missing teeth. Meanwhile, here are the main factors that lead to receding gums.
- A gum / periodontal disease where bacteria infect the tissues around the gum.
- Bad oral hygiene.
- Bad tooth brushing. If you brush in the wrong way or too hard, the enamel will wear out. Please check out Dental 266’s Philips Sonicare toothbrush reviews if you’re looking for the ideal electric toothbrush for you.
- Grinding teeth.
- Smoking, it piles up tartar.
- Crooked teeth, place pressure on other teeth.
- Genetics. 30% of people will suffer from this problem no matter how they maintain their oral hygiene.
Dentists initially recommend conservative measures if the cause of gum recession is poor hygiene. Avoid brushing your teeth too harshly, regular flossing, and stop smoking are just some of the ways you can halt the development of your receding gums. If all else fails, this is where your dentist may recommend undergoing gum grafts. Depending on the patient’s needs, the dentist in Gordon, NSW can perform any of the following:
- Free gingival graft: Soft tissues around the mouth or nearby healthy gum tissue are removed and stitched to the areas where the gums are receding. Patients with thin gums are likely to get this type of graft to prevent further recession.
- Pedicle graft: The dentist creates a flap of tissue right next to the receding gums and uses them to cover the affected area. It’s the most successful procedure since it doesn’t cut off blood flow.
- Pocket depth reduction/ Gingival flap surgery: This procedure is done to patients with pockets depth great than 5 millimeters. The gum tissue is folded and placed over the root to cover the pockets. Some proteins can be injected to stimulate natural regrowth.
There are various ways such as cleaning and removing tartar that can be used to stop receding gums. Deep cleaning will stop the bacteria from building up.
How much is Gum Grafting?
Because gum grafting is a complicated and intricate procedure, you can expect that this will cost the most money among the three common gum surgery procedures. Typical gum graft surgery cost ranges from $600 to $1200 per tooth. This estimate depends on the specialization of the dentist, the donor or source of the tissue graft, and the severity of your condition.
We hope that we shed some light and answered some questions about gum diseases. If you have other health-related concerns, feel free to check out our website to get more information and clarifications. We update our blogs and provide informative articles to our valued readers as part of our advocacy to educate and spread the word about maintenance of health and everyone’s overall well-being.
