Would a bone graft help stop gum recession after implant? (photos)

Question

I had a dental implant done for a missing tooth on the lower left side, third tooth in from the back. At the time, my gum was not as severely recessed. Now my gum is extremely receding and quickly. The dentist who performed the implant said my implant isn't rejecting, but I got a second opinion and the other dentist said it's possible that is what is occurring. Is a bone graft possible to help my gum stop caving in? The implant itself seems ok but the gum is very painful.

Ajay Kashi, DDS · Answer

You are showing the lower right side of your mouth and not the left side. Without X-rays it is not possible to determine if the implant is compromised or failing. You will need to look at options of surgical revision, grafting, possible redo of the implant if it is failing, one or a combination of these at times.

Kerem Turgut Atasoy, DDS, PhD · Answer

Hello. There are several reasons of the senstivitiy of periimplant gingival tissues. The amount of keratinized gingiva surrounding the neck of implant determines the resistance of tissues against external irritations such as bacterial (plaque based), food impaction,etc. If tissues are not stiff enough, there may be gingival recession amd senstivity but as far as I see from the photos, the keratinised gingiva seems sufficient.
Another reason of recession may be occurance of biological width which is a biological phenomenon rather than a problem. It can be simply explained as follows: The biological width around implant is a 3-4 mm distance from the top of the peri-implant mucosa to the first bone-to-implant contact or the stabilized top of the adjacent bone.
Sounding of periimplant tissues and evaluation of tissues in terms of bone loss is important along with radiological examination.
So, I recommend the use of waterpik device, interdental brush in such cases firstly. Bone graft may be unnecessary if there is no bone loss. If gingival tissues are not keratinised enough, there may be a free gingival graft need.

Would a bone graft help stop gum recession after implant? (photos)

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Would a bone graft help stop gum recession after implant? (photos)

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Dental Bone Graft

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.