Pinhole Surgical Technique

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Many patients who are aware of their gingival recession have decided to forego gum grafting as an option to restore their oral health. This choice comes about because numerous patients read or hear horror stories involving soft tissue grafting as a painful surgery and lengthy healing process. Patients become so terrified that they would rather risk oral health problems or potential tooth loss than proceed with gum grafting.

Unfortunately, as time passes and the oral health problems become more severe regarding gum recession, the option for correction becomes more complex, painful, and costly. The best time to correct an oral health issue is when issues are first discovered.
 

Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST) is a minimally invasive treatment option to treat gum recession without using traditional soft tissue grafting procedures or sutures. Pinhole Surgical Technique also referred to as the Lunchtime Gum Lift or Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation, is an advanced technique that combines several traditional periodontal surgical procedures.

Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST) Procedure

Pinhole Surgical Technique is done without the use of scalpels, periosteal elevators, or sutures. Instead, a small 'pinhole' is made in the tissue where specialized instruments may be inserted to elevate a "flap".

Once the tissue is elevated from the underlying bone and tooth, it can easily be moved into a new position. Then resorbable collagen strips are used to hold the tissue in place while the healing occurs.

PST Limitations

Pinhole Surgical Technique may not be possible in areas of advanced bone loss. Additionally, patients must not have gum inflammation or active periodontal disease at the time of surgery.

Advantages of Pinhole Surgical Technique

With traditional gum grafting, limitations were seen in the number of teeth and the size of the area that could be treated in one sitting. In most cases, gum grafting will take several months to over a year, depending on the case. The first major advantage of PST is the ability to treat multiple teeth in one sitting - even the whole mouth. There is also much less chair time, better patient acceptance, less post-operative discomfort, and fewer insurance restrictions than conventional soft tissue grafting.

If you are interested in learning more about Pinhole Surgical Technique, Dr. Lee offers consultations to discuss the procedure further and answer questions.