When Is a Gum Graft Needed for Recession?
The decision rests less on how much has receded than on why and whether it is progressing.
The question to answer first: why did it recede?
The gum covers the bone beneath it; where that bone is thin or locally absent the gum above it lacks support and tends to recede. Add a force to that predisposition and recession begins. The usual forces are hard horizontal brushing under pressure, inflammation and bone loss from gum disease, orthodontic movement that takes the root beyond the bone envelope, a tight frenum pulling at the margin, and lip or tongue piercings. These must be identified and removed before a graft, or the transplanted tissue meets the same fate.
When a graft comes onto the agenda
- No band of attached, keratinised gum remains
- Recession measured and documented as progressing
- Root sensitivity that other measures do not resolve
- Decay or wear developing on the exposed root
- An aesthetic concern at the front in a patient with a high smile line
- Thickening the tissue before orthodontic movement or a restoration
- Tissue so thin that brushing hurts and inflammation keeps returning
What is monitored when no graft is placed
A large share of recessions are stable and do not progress noticeably over years; for those the right approach is regular monitoring rather than surgery. The amount is measured and recorded, and photographed where useful, so progression is judged by comparison rather than impression. Meanwhile the brushing technique is corrected, pressure reduced and any inflammation treated, while fluoride varnish, desensitising pastes and protective coatings address root sensitivity. In most patients this both settles the symptom and halts the recession.
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Yavuz Selim
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Yavuz Selim.
Getting here from Yavuz Selim
Yavuz Selim lies in the Kepez district of Antalya; Kepez is one of the central districts, about 6 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Yavuz Selim, such as Aydoğmuş, Çankaya, Esentepe, Göksu. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Yavuz Selim.
Appointments for Yavuz Selim
At this distance, splitting treatment into visits is no problem for patients from Yavuz Selim, and attending reviews is easy too. As with patients from Kepez generally, appointments for families from Yavuz Selim can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Yavuz Selim
Setting out from Yavuz Selim at night is quick; come without delay in an emergency, and calling as you leave means preparation is done in advance. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Yavuz Selim, 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.
How Many Canals Does a Tooth Have?
The number of canals varies between teeth and even between people for the same tooth type. A canal that was not found is the leading reason root canal treatment fails.
The usual distribution
These are typical figures, and exceptions are more common than assumed:
- Incisors: one canal
- Canines: one long, thick canal
- Premolars: one to two canals
- Lower molars: three canals, sometimes four
- Upper molars: three canals, often four — the fourth is the most missed
What a missed canal leads to
Dead tissue and bacteria remain in an uncleaned canal. The tooth may seem fine for a while — even years. Then inflammation develops at the root tip, a dark area appears on the radiograph and tenderness to biting begins. Patients usually take this for a new problem, when in fact the earlier treatment was incomplete. In a root-treated tooth that becomes symptomatic years later, the first thing looked for is a missed canal.
What helps them be found
A microscope magnifies the canal orifices; an opening indistinguishable to the naked eye becomes obvious under magnification. Cone beam CT shows the number and course of the canals in three dimensions, which is decisive particularly in previously treated teeth. An electronic apex locator measures how close the instrument is to the tip, keeping the filling neither too short nor too long.
