Oral problems do not always affect the teeth, after all, the oral cavity is composed of different tissues and structures that also develop complications. The good news is that there are procedures and treatments to reverse these conditions, such as gingivoplasty.
It is a type of plastic performed on the gums , but not everyone is sure of its indication or how it works. It was because of these doubts that the Odontoclinic team created this article in order to explain everything you need to know about this subject.
Continue reading to understand what gingivalplasty is, the advantages of performing this procedure, who can do it and other information to stay on top of the subject.
What is Gingivoplasty?
It is a surgery used to correct and modify the shape of the gums. The technique, which may also include removing the bone that surrounds the teeth, has both aesthetic and functional goals - such as in cases where hyperplasiated (enlarged) gums are removed to facilitate tooth hygiene.
What is the difference between gingivoplasty and gingivectomy?
For dentists, the difference between gingivoplasty and gingivectomy is related to the removal or not of the bone that surrounds the crown and the dental root - gingivectomy would be the procedure that only cuts out the gingival tissues.
However, for the average patient, the term refers to any change in the shape of these tissues, regardless of the technique or bone removal during gingival plastic surgery.
Planning for gingivectomy in the treatment of gingival smile reduction.
What are the indications for this type of gum surgery?
The indications for gingivoplasty are similar to conventional gingival plastic. Widely used to allow free access to caries or dental fractures located below the gums a technique known as surgery to increase the clinical crown-its multiple indications make it an essential surgical procedure for the day-to-day of the dentist specialized in dental prosthesis, periodontics or even specialties such as endodontics (root canal treatment).
- align and level gums without harmony
- eliminate or mitigate the gingival smile
- modify the tissue architecture
- recover teeth with dental fractures and subgingival caries
- remove grown gums during treatment with an orthodontic appliance
- facilitate the cleaning of teeth (removal of plaque).
How is the step-by-step of this surgery?
Due to the simplicity of the technique, the step-by-step procedure of gingivoplasty does not require a high number of consultations or excessive care in the postoperative period.
Between the initial consultation and the removal of the suture stitches, 3 consultations are enough to reconstruct an even more striking and natural smile.
Level and align gums: gingival plastic surgery can be essential in the treatment with dental contact lenses and porcelain veneers.
How long will the results last after surgery?
When surgical techniques are performed correctly, the results are permanent - by correct techniques, we mean the proper removal of the gums, respecting the limits of the supporting bone architecture.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the health of the gums after treatment, an important factor to avoid inflammatory edema or gingival recession that, in the latter case, may, indeed, compromise the durability of the gingivoplasty.
How is the postoperative period of gingivoplasty?
Compared to surgery to correct gingival retraction with gingival grafts, the postoperative period of gingivoplasty is considered simple. Pain and tenderness may be present in the first few days, but easily controlled by even conventional pain relievers.
In the first 7 days, restrictions on rigid feeding and the use of special instruments for and chemical agents for cleaning teeth are used to ensure faster and more effective healing.
After 10 days, the suture points (imperceptible) are removed, as well as almost all retractions of feeding and cleaning of the teeth.
Clinical examination to define the gingival biotype and limits for cutting the gums.
How many days will I need to stay home?
Postoperative aesthetic complications depend on the surgical extent and position of the gums when smiling when speaking.
In general, when the procedure is performed with sutures with aesthetic function, from the fourth day after gingival plastic surgery, it is possible to return to work or school activities without aesthetic limitations that compromise these types of commitments.
What tests are needed for gingival plastic surgery?
The clinical examination carried out by the dentist is essential to identify the excess of extension and biotype of the gums (thin or thick).
Simple radiographic examinations, carried out in the dental office itself, may already be sufficient for planning and selecting the best technique for gingival plastic surgery.
Complex cases, in turn, may require specific computed tomographic images to analyze the supporting bone architecture of the gingival tissues.
- simple clinical examinations
- conventional radiographic exams
- computed tomography
- photographic analysis
What changes in the postoperative period when surgical bone remodeling is necessary?
The removal of the bone that surrounds the crown or tooth root may be necessary so that the final results of the treatment are seen as gums with perfect and symmetrical contours.
Most used in surgical correction of gingival smile, the technique, which requires more demanding postoperative care, requires the use of antibiotic medications to avoid surgical complications such as edema or bone dehiscence.
Postoperative: Gingivoplasty with bone remodeling and gingival grafts requires more delicate care.
Can you simulate the result before the gingival plastic before and after?
Yes. Gingival plastic for aesthetic purposes, without involving gingival or bone grafts and whose final results depend on the patient's scar response, can have its results simulated-through mockups-to facilitate aesthetic optimization even for combined procedures with laminates ceramic type dental contact lens, porcelain veneer or resin facet.
Can gingivoplasty result in gingival retraction?
Failures in the planning and execution of surgical techniques can result in retracted gums and tooth sensitivity.
While the latter can be reversed by treatments for desensitization, the gingival recession caused cannot always be reversible, requiring auxiliary procedures with grafts or aesthetic reconstruction of the teeth through dental restorations in resin or ceramic veneers.
Can patients with an orthodontic appliance perform gingivoplasty?
The use of an orthodontic appliance makes it difficult to remove food debris and plaque next to the gums, requiring the use of special devices for cleaning.
Not surprisingly, exaggerated gingival growth (hyperplasia) is a relatively frequent finding among patients undergoing orthodontic treatment without adequate hygiene control.
And, for these individuals, gingival surgery is a correct indication to restore the aesthetics and function of the gums.
Is laser gingivoplasty better than the conventional technique?
The use of lasers for gingival tissue incisions is not common in dentistry.
The reasons are the high costs of equipment and specific training associated with the risks for bone necrosis in the operated site.
On the other hand, faster tissue healing and reduction of postoperative pain are obvious advantages of the technique.
Gingivoplasty: rare and high-cost equipment has pros and cons in gingival surgery.
Is gingivoplasty really the technique used by famous people?
The smile of the impact of treatment with dental contact lenses and porcelain veneers are known for striking corrections to teeth and gums of artists and famous.
Ideal to further optimize the result of the procedures performed with these types of ceramic veneers, gingivoplasty is an indispensable procedure for cosmetic dentistry in the city of Porto Alegre.
Is this technique reversible?
Gingivoplasty reversibility may be possible in situations restricted to tissue removal without bone repair, and restricted to cases without removal of the gingival papillae.
In other cases, the treatment is irreversible, which is why this type of plastic surgery requires exams and careful planning to avoid ineffective aesthetic results or, in rarer cases, which bring aesthetic and functional damage to the smile.
Is gingivoplasty indicated to recover retracted gums?
Gingival recession results in exposure of the tooth roots, a characteristic of the condition known as retracted gingiva.
The surgical techniques of gingivoplasty do not include the procedures for covering the exposed dental roots by recurrent retraction, a treatment that brings together its own set of techniques to recover aesthetics and prevent continuous tissue recession.
Can the gingival graft be used to restore gingival aesthetics?
Used more often in the treatment of gingival retraction or tissue reconstruction of the tissues surrounding dental implants and fixed dental prostheses, the gingival graft can be used to align or modify tissue biotype (increase the thickness of thin and delicate gums).
What are the pros and cons of gingivoplasty?
Surgical procedures of any nature can present postoperative complications and minor results - in some cases, even aggravating the problem -, which is why they require care during the examination and selection phase of the technique.
The pros and cons of gingivoplasty, examined further, give a good idea of how accurate the indications for this type of gingival plastic are.
Pros of gingivoplasty?
- simplicity and speed of the surgery.
- simple postoperative
- few postoperative complications
- results durability
- optimization of aesthetic results
Cons of gingivoplasty?
- eventual postoperative sensitivity.
- errors in the execution of the surgical technique (gingival retraction)
- partial irreversibility