Periodontist | MARKSILVERSDDSMS | Portfolio of Services

Soft Tissue Grafts

Before
Recession resulting from overzealous tooth brushing.
After a connective tissue graft was placed
Before
Recession on a lower molar tooth before connective tissue grafting.
4 weeks after a connective tissue graft, the recession "defect" has been
repaired.
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After
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After
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After
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After
Before
After Allograft
The gum tissue between the front teeth (papilla) has been lost along with recession
A connective tissue graft has restored the volume of tissue between the front teeth.
Before
After Allograft
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After
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After Allograft
An allograft is commercially available connective tissue that has been processed to remove all of the cellular elements. It can be used for larger areas of recession that require treatment.
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After
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After Allograft

Gum recession can be caused by a number of factors. Connective tissue grafting procedures can improve the appearance and prognosis of teeth with recession. Normally there is a band of thicker gum tissue at the base of the teeth that is firmly attached to the tooth and underlying bone. Loss of this tissue can lead to progression of recession and inflammation of the gum over time. Restoring this "attached tissue" can improve the health of the gingival (gum) tissue. The exposed root surface can be more vulnerable to decay and sensitivity. These examples show gum grafting using one's own tissue or for larger areas, commercially available donor connective tissue (Allograft). The donor tissue is processed so that all the cellular elements are removed which provides a scaffold for repopulation with one's own cells.