What is Pinhole? All about this little-known treatment for receding gums

Pinhole treatment is aimed at recovering part of the gum that has been lost, either due to aggressive brushing or periodontal disease. 

It is included within the other gingival regeneration procedures, but its purpose is not only to restore the esthetics of your gums, but also to ensure the protection of your teeth by all means.

This little known technique was investigated in 2012 in the United States, it was Professor Chao who put into practice this new way of dealing with cases of gingival recession or gum loss.

We can define it as a different approach, to avoid shaping the tissue of a donor part of the patient himself, and thus cover the exposed dental roots.

Keep in mind that this mucosa has important functions inside your mouth, to cover the dental root and to avoid at all costs that we develop problems and infections, sensitivity, among others...

Hence the importance of keeping our gums healthy, you may be wondering what does Pinhole treatment consist of?

Is it much better than other gingival grafting techniques? Don't worry, we will tell you everything you need to know in this article.

The Pinhole treatment is designed for all those patients who have suffered gum loss, gum recession can be due to multiple causes, such as:

  • Aggressive brushing causing abrasion of the gums 

  • Bad habits such as smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages 

  • Poorly planned orthodontics 

  • Severe trauma (blows) to the mouth 

  • Presence of periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis

ProDent informs you:Pinhole Treatment is a novel way to address receding gums; but gum grafts offer highly positive and natural results, without the need to resort to artificial material.

How is a Pinhole Treatment performed at ProDent? 

The Pinhole Treatment will help you to restore part of a lost gum, all thanks to the patient's mucosa and a second material that is placed in the subgingival area.

Specifically, we must say that resorbable artificial membranes are used; as for the instruments, some are used to make a small perforation or incision in the damaged area.

On the other hand, by means of manual movements, our expert dentist slightly detaches the mucosa from the root and then takes it to the area suffering from retraction.

After performing this gum loosening, the dentist introduces through small initial perforations that have been made with small strips of collagen, an artificial membrane that helps healing.

As the collagen is reabsorbed under our gums, it recovers its natural and aesthetic appearance thanks to the little known Pinhole Treatment.

How can gingival recession be prevented?

One of the most dangerous consequences of a gingival recession is the space that is created between our teeth, because the roots are exposed.

It is at that point where bacterial plaque and tartar accumulate, which can lead to advanced periodontal disease, tissue and bone deterioration, and in the worst case, complete tooth loss.

For this reason, at ProDent we want to remind you that the best way to prevent gum recession is to brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss and visit your favorite dentist regularly.

Pros and Cons you should know about Pinhole Treatment 

Summarizing all the information we have just given you in this article, we can say that the advantages of Pinhole Treatment are the following.

  • No stitches are required 

  • As there is no donor part, we avoid what would be a second healing in another area of the oral cavity, usually the palate

There are also certain disadvantages of this kind of treatment that you should be aware of, which we have grouped together for you below:

  • Greater expense for the patient because the process requires specific instruments, as well as adequate training to be able to carry it out

All of this ultimately translates into a much higher price for the treatment itself.

  • It requires artificial material, although it is biocompatible with the organism and this ends up being reabsorbed, the membranes imply certain risks in case the Pinhole Treatment is not performed properly, such as leaks of the material

Effectiveness and opinions about Pinhole Treatment

Understanding that Pinhole is a great revolution in gingival regeneration techniques, and it is really a new step to investigate new ways to proceed in a case like this.

In spite of this, recent studies revealed that in long-term patients, patients treated with Pinhole treatment do not offer as positive results compared to other gingival restoration treatments.

This was demonstrated in a study that followed the evolution during 33 months of 43 patients with 121 recessions, all these patients were treated with the Pinhole Treatment and obtained similar results to those achieved with free grafts.

Even so, the Pinhole technique, which was described in the studies published by Professor Chao, shows a large number of positive and satisfactory results in 81.2% of the cases treated.

However, for all the information collected, it is of utmost importance to study, evaluate and take into account the specific needs of each patient before applying one technique or another.

Schedule your appointment for a Pinhole Treatment with the best dentists at ProDent

Gum recession cases must be assessed individually, taking into account the needs of each patient, only then we can apply the most appropriate gum grafting technique.

In addition to studying the possibility of recurrence in the medium and long term, at ProDent Dental Clinic we perform grafting techniques to restore your smile and functionality to each of our patients.

You already know that the right way to rejuvenate your gums is with the help of Pinhole Treatment, but don't forget to visit us at ProDent for a more accurate analysis.

To make an appointment with us, call the corresponding numbers and schedule your Pinhole Treatment.

Sergio Herrera