Most commonly, your own gum tissue is used for a gum graft. It is taken from an area in your mouth where it is abundant and transferred to the needed area. Sometimes a commercial material made from natural tissue is substituted to build up the gum around teeth and implants.

Gum grafts stop the continued recession of your gums away from your teeth. They may help decrease painful root sensitivity by covering up the exposed root surface. Grafts also protect the exposted root surfaces from excessive wear and notching. Gum grafts greatly improve the looks of the affected teeth and implants. Food accumulation around the teeth may be reduced after grafting.

The biggest risk to gum grafts is that they may not heal properly. They also may not integrate with the surrounding gum or may shrink while healing resulting in less coverage than anticipated. A gum graft may need to be repeated to get the desired result. Graft surgery can be painful for several weeks after the procedure, particularly when tissue is taken from the roof of your mouth.

The alternative is to do nothing and risk continued progression of the recession around the affected teeth or implants.

Abnormal tooth alignment and biting pressure are both important causes of gum deformities. Teeth that are tilted, crowded or rotated increase the risk for bone and gum defects. In order for a gum graft to be successful, tooth positioning issues and bite problems may need to be managed before performing the surgery.

After gum graft surgery, you should not use a hard toothbrush or dental hygiene aids that may irritate the new gum. Use of these products may cause the new gum to recede. Once the gum graft has fully healed you should be able to clean the area as normal.