Advanced Gum Restoration
Soft Tissue Grafts in Sherman, TX
Restore receding gums and protect vulnerable tooth roots.
Soft tissue grafting is a periodontal procedure used to treat gum recession and strengthen areas with insufficient gum coverage. Receding gums can expose sensitive tooth roots, increase the risk of decay, and affect smile appearance over time. North Texas Dental provides personalized soft tissue graft treatment focused on improving gum health, comfort, and long-term oral stability.
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Soft Tissue Grafting for Gum Recession Treatment
Healthy gum tissue plays an important role in protecting the teeth and supporting overall oral health. Patients in Sherman and surrounding North Texas communities may experience gum recession because of periodontal disease, aggressive brushing, grinding, genetics, or other oral health concerns. Soft tissue grafting helps restore gum coverage and improve protection for exposed tooth roots.
What Are Soft Tissue Grafts?
Soft tissue grafting involves placing healthy tissue in areas where gums have receded or become too thin. The procedure helps rebuild gum coverage around teeth while improving support and reducing vulnerability to further recession or sensitivity.
- Cover Exposed Tooth Roots Help protect sensitive root surfaces from damage and decay.
- Reduce Tooth Sensitivity Improve comfort caused by exposed roots and temperature sensitivity.
- Strengthen Gum Tissue Support healthier and more stable periodontal tissue.
- Enhance Smile Appearance Improve gum contours and overall smile aesthetics.
When Are Soft Tissue Grafts Recommended?
Soft tissue grafting may be recommended when gum recession exposes tooth roots, increases sensitivity, or threatens long-term tooth support. Early treatment may help prevent worsening recession and protect oral health more effectively.
- Treatment for gum recession and exposed roots
- Support for healthier periodontal tissue
- Protection against further gum deterioration
- Improved comfort and smile aesthetics
What to Expect During Recovery
Patients may experience temporary swelling or tenderness while the grafted area heals. Following post-treatment instructions carefully can help support healing and improve treatment success. Healing times vary depending on the extent of grafting and the patient’s overall oral health.
Benefits of Gum Grafting
Soft tissue grafts can improve oral comfort, reduce root sensitivity, strengthen gum support, and help preserve natural teeth over time. Restoring healthy gum tissue may also improve the appearance of the smile and reduce the risk of future periodontal complications.
If you have noticed gum recession, tooth sensitivity, or exposed roots, scheduling a periodontal evaluation can help determine whether soft tissue grafting may benefit your oral health.
IN SUMMARY→
A soft tissue graft places donor or palatal tissue over a receded area to cover exposed root surface and rebuild the band of attached gum. North Texas Dental performs soft tissue grafting in Sherman, Texas to reduce sensitivity and limit further recession.
Call (903) 893-2800 to schedule a consultation, or book an appointment online.
Soft Tissue Grafts FAQ
- What is a soft tissue graft?
- A soft tissue graft rebuilds gum tissue over an exposed root, using tissue taken from the palate or a processed donor graft. It covers recession, thickens thin tissue and protects the root. North Texas Dental performs soft tissue grafting in Sherman, TX.
- Why would I need gum grafting?
- Grafting is indicated when recession exposes root surface, causing sensitivity, root decay risk and a lengthening appearance, or when the band of attached gum is too thin to withstand brushing and chewing. It is also used to protect gum margins around implants and before orthodontic movement.
- What causes gum recession?
- Recession is driven by periodontal disease destroying attachment, aggressive brushing with a hard brush, thin gum biotype, teeth positioned outside the bony envelope, clenching and grinding forces, tongue or lip piercings, and orthodontic movement that pushes a root through thin bone. Often several factors combine.
- Does gum grafting hurt?
- Surgery is carried out under local anesthetic and is not painful at the time. The palate donor site is usually the more tender area afterwards, for about a week, and a protective dressing or stent helps. Using processed donor tissue avoids a palatal wound altogether.
- Can soft tissue grafts reduce tooth sensitivity?
- Yes, and that is a common reason patients seek treatment. Sensitivity at a receded site comes from exposed dentin tubules connecting to the pulp. Covering the root with grafted tissue blocks that pathway. Sensitivity typically improves over the weeks following healing as tissue matures.
- How long does healing take after a gum graft?
- Surface healing takes about 2 weeks, during which you avoid brushing the site and eat soft foods. The graft integrates over 6–8 weeks, and the tissue continues to mature and blend in color and contour for several months before the final result is apparent.
- Can gum recession grow back naturally?
- No. Gum tissue that has receded does not regenerate on its own, and neither does the bone beneath it. Improving brushing technique and controlling inflammation can stop recession progressing, but restoring lost coverage requires a graft. Early intervention preserves more of the existing attachment.
- How do I know if I need a gum graft?
- Measured recession of 3 mm or more, a minimal band of attached tissue, persistent sensitivity at the root, visible notching or decay on the root surface, and recession that has progressed between appointments all point to grafting. Charted measurements over time confirm whether the recession is active.
