Deciding on a Gum Graft
Surgery is not a starting point but the last step of a prepared process.
Which recession needs a graft
The decision rests on four points: documented progression over time; sensitivity of the exposed root that does not settle with preventive measures; loss of appearance in the smile zone, where the tooth looks longer and the root shows darker; and the quality of the remaining gum, since too little thick attached tissue leaves the area unprotected. If none of these apply, the recession is usually monitored with corrected brushing.
What must be resolved before grafting
- Hard, horizontal brushing — the commonest cause
- Hard-bristled brushes and abrasive pastes
- Full resolution of gum inflammation and calculus
- Excess load on that tooth and night-time clenching
- Orthodontic assessment if the tooth sits outside the bone
- A lip or tongue frenulum pulling on the gum
- Smoking, which impairs healing and graft attachment
How a connective tissue graft is done and what to expect
A thin strip of connective tissue is taken from inside the palate and placed over the exposed root beneath the adjacent gum, which is then advanced over it and sutured, under local anaesthesia. In the first days the area must not be brushed or chewed on, and the lip should not be pulled to inspect it. How much root can be covered depends on the bone and gum level between the teeth: with intact papillae most of the root can be covered, otherwise the aim is thicker tissue and a halt to progression.
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Camyuva
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Camyuva.
Getting here from Camyuva
Çamyuva lies in the Kemer district of Antalya; Kemer is a coastal tourism district, about 43 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Camyuva, such as Arslanbucak, Ovacık, Göynük, Yeni. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Camyuva.
Appointments for Camyuva
If you say you are coming from Çamyuva when you book, procedures are combined and examination, radiographs and treatment are usually completed the same day. As with patients from Kemer generally, appointments for families from Camyuva can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Camyuva
Coming from Çamyuva at night is quicker than by day once the roads clear; call as you set out and you will receive first-aid guidance on the phone. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Camyuva, the clinic is open 24/7 and in an emergency the order is set by severity rather than arrival time. For spreading facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or toothache with fever, go to the nearest emergency department.
What a Bone Graft Is and When It Is Needed
A graft is not a filler put in place of missing bone; it is a scaffold that lets the body build its own. Over time it is largely replaced by the patient's own bone.
Why bone disappears
Jawbone maintains itself through the chewing stimulus transmitted by tooth roots. When a tooth is lost that stimulus stops and the bone begins to resorb: the loss in the first year accounts for a large share of the total. Gum disease, long-standing infection and the pressure of a removable denture accelerate it.
Types of graft
There are four main groups by source:
- Autograft: the patient's own bone — the best biological response, needs a second site
- Xenograft: processed bovine-derived — the most commonly used
- Allograft: human-derived, from a tissue bank
- Synthetic: calcium phosphate based, containing no biological source
Protecting at the time of extraction: socket preservation
The most effective approach is not to make up the loss later but to prevent it occurring. Placing a graft into the socket at the same visit largely preserves the bone's dimensions and can remove the need for more extensive procedures such as a sinus lift later. This option should be discussed at every extraction where an implant is planned.
