Are Gums Able to Regenerate?

Gum disease can cause your gums to recede, pulling the gum tissue away from your teeth and forming periodontal pockets that trap plaque and bacteria. Luckily, gum tissue can be regenerated using gum grafts, bone grafts, and tissue-stimulating proteins.

Gum Grafting

A gum graft procedure is used to treat gum disease and the resulting gum recession that occurs. During a gum graft, we use a local anesthetic and remove a piece of soft tissue from the roof of your mouth. This piece of tissue is then stitched onto the area of the gum that has been infected or receded. The grafted gum tissue grows along with your healthy gums, regenerating gum tissue and covering up any periodontal pockets that had previously formed.

Bone Grafting

Over time, advanced periodontitis can cause your permanent teeth to come loose and fall out, which results in jawbone deterioration. If bone loss has already occurred, bone grafting is a crucial part of treating gum disease and regenerating your gums. Bone grafting involves removing a small piece of your healthy natural bone and using it to cover the part or parts of your jaw that have begun to wear down. As your jaw heals, the existing and grafted bone fuse together and regenerate.

Tissue-Stimulating Proteins

An experimental new procedure might be able to help gum tissue regenerate as well. This procedure involves placing a thin membrane between the tooth and the diseased gum. The membrane would contain antibiotics to treat infection as well as proteins that stimulate stem cells to regenerate new bone and tissue. These tissue-stimulating proteins would be used as a supplement to the gum and bone grafting process, to aid in regeneration. Regenerative growth proteins are approved by the FDA, and we can discuss if they are necessary for your healing process.

If you have questions regarding gum grafting or post-op instructions, please contact our office today! Call our South Ogden location at (801) 475-5577 and Kaysville location at (801) 444-2696.