Painless Gum Grafts Stable After 3 Years
Painless Gum Grafts Stable After 3 YearsTufts dental researchers conducted a three year follow up study that examined the stability of a treatment option for receding gums and found that complete root coverage—the goal of the surgery—had been maintained. This
New Tissue Regeneration Uses Platelet Concentrate Gel Instead of Palatal Tissue
Tufts dental researchers conducted a three-year follow-up study that examined the stability of a treatment option for receding gums and found that complete root coverage—the goal of the surgery—had been maintained. This specific tissue regeneration application, developed at Tufts, reduces the considerable pain and recovery time of gum grafting surgery. The case study of six patients is published in the July 2009 Journal of Periodontology.
“Patients have a less invasive treatment option for receding gums and we now have evidence to support the stability of this relatively painless procedure. Instead of leaving the dental office with stitches in the roof of their mouth, a patient leaves with a small bandage on the arm that can be removed in an hour,” says Terrence Griffin, DMD, associate professor, chair of the department of periodontology, and director of postdoctoral periodontology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston.
“One of our previous research studies showed that all of the post-operative bleeding and most of the post-operative pain were related to the gum tissue removed from the roof of the mouth for use as a graft,” he continues.
The new tissue regeneration application from Tufts uses platelet concentrate gel applied to a collagen membrane as the graft instead of using tissue from the roof of the mouth. The graft is soaked in the patient’s platelets, using blood drawn in the same visit. Placed over the receding tooth root, the graft is then surgically secured.
To examine 3-year efficacy of the treatment, measurements were taken from six patients in the gum recession area at baseline, 6 months, and 36 months after surgery. At 6 months, 24 of 37 teeth from the six patients had complete root coverage (6%). At 36 months, 21 of 37 teeth from the six patients had complete root coverage (57%). The authors said the recession over 3 years was minimal and that the results are comparable to traditional gum grafting surgery.
“Our previous research determined that pain and discomfort were barriers to receiving traditional gum grafting surgery.* We have also shown previously that this treatment for gum recession results in proper coverage of the tooth root, better esthetics than those found with traditional gum grafting surgery, and enhanced patient satisfaction with the results,” says co-author Wai Cheung, DMD, MS, assistant professor in the department of periodontology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.
Griffin explains though the new treatment is marginally more expensive for the patient and more time-consuming and technically more difficult to perform, it is a valuable alternative because it yields improved esthetics, reduced pain, and improved oral health.
Source: Tufts University
