Dr. Chao’s Surgical Pinhole Technique for Receding Gums

If you notice that your teeth seem longer than they were before, you may be suffering from gum recession. This is a condition wherein the gums shrink, leading to the exposure of the roots of your teeth – in effect, making your teeth look longer. This condition may occur due to brushing teeth overly aggressively or, most frequently, from periodontal disease.
Some people who have gum recession issues may be afraid of visiting a dentist due to the pain that comes with dental surgeries. The traditional method for treating receding gums involves the cutting and removal of tissue in the roof of a patient’s mouth and then grafting it to the receded gum.

Recently, however, Doctor John Chao invented a new technique to treat receding gum problems without surgery and sutures. This procedure, also known as the pinhole technique, is virtually painless and rapidly growing in popularity.

The Pinhole Technique involves:

  • The first step is to make your gums numb with a local anesthetic.
  • The dentist uses a needle to make a hole above the area of the receding gum.
  • A small instrument that was designed by doctor Chao is then inserted in order to loosen the gum tissue and gently move it back to its original position on the tooth. Collagen is then placed under the gum to facilitate healing.
  • The procedure takes about 20 minutes for every three teeth and can treat up to 14 teeth at once.

This is very different from the traditional method that involves incisions and surgeries. One traditional surgery can usually only correct two to three teeth at a time and the healing process can take weeks or more.

A study published in October 2012 in the International Journal of Periodontics showed that over a period of two years, 43 patients who had a total of 121 gum recessions that were treated using the pinhole process were entirely healed. Their results were similar to those of patients who were treated using the traditional, surgical grafting method. The difference was that patients who were treated using the pinhole technique were more satisfied as they did not experience the pain and lengthy recovery time of traditional gum surgery.

Benefits of the Pinhole Technique

You will feel more comfortable after the treatment as it is less painful than conventional surgery.

  • The recovery period is minimized.
  • No cutting
  • No sutures are used
  • The results are long-lasting and natural-looking

The Houston dentists at Ingenious Dentistry have been performing this procedure for their patients and we are confident that it can help most patients suffering from gum recession. Please contact us today for a consultation to determine if Dr. Chao’s Surgical Pinhole Technique would be right for you.