Benefits of Alloderm
Healthy gum tissue not only protects your teeth from disease but also contributes to your healthy smile. If you experience gum tissue loss around your teeth, it can initiate other serious oral health problems. Your dentist can perform a reliable procedure for reversing this gum tissue loss. In the past, this treatment has required that some tissue be harvested from the roof of your mouth to serve as the grafting material. Sometimes, you may not have enough tissue available, or you may not want to have tissue taken from this sensitive area.
How Does Alloderm Work
Soft tissue grafting procedures are used in periodontics to treat a variety of dental conditions and deficiencies with your gum tissue, including gum recession. Traditional methods of soft tissue grafting relied on harvesting your own tissue with a few incisions from the roof of your mouth. This tissue is then transferred to the areas in need and then secured in place. This method has proven to be an effective and successful treatment, but patients have reported significant discomfort in the healing period.
AlloDerm now provides the collagen, the structure, and the proteins that will help your body's own tissue grow and remodel. The collagen serves as a framework into which your cells will grow. The proteins act as recruiting promoters, drawing the cells into the graft, and encouraging them to remodel the repaired tissue.
The Benefits of Using Alloderm
First, you have the freedom of choice, to use your own tissue harvested from another part of your mouth, or to use AlloDerm.
Thousands of dentists and clinicians have made AlloDerm their choice for gum recession restoration due to the following advantages:
- AlloDerm allows your dentist to focus on only one surgical site. For you this means only one site to heal during the healing period.
- AlloDerm does not contain any damaged cells that might lead to inflammation.
- An excellent safety profile and predictable alternative to using your own tissue.
- It offers a natural outcome.
- You avoid pain and potential complications associated from removing tissue from your palate.
The Alloderm Recovery
You might have some initial swelling and some mild bruising at your surgical site. This is normal after any surgery. You might also have a dressing material placed over the graft area. This needs to remain secured until the dentist removes it. Avoid attempting to look at the site or running your tongue over the site. This can cause the graft to dislodge, disrupting the surgical site and the healing.
You should avoid using any toothpaste and eating granular foods for the two weeks following surgery. This is a very important stage of your healing. Your dentist might also ask that you refrain from using your toothbrush around the surgical site while healing.
Your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic and a mouth rinse to be used. Maintaining your daily oral health practices is important to ensure a successful graft.
Healing time can vary depending on you and your procedure. Your body's natural healing process will send cells to migrate to the graft shortly after your surgery.
You should experience crucial healing in the first week. Complete healing could take several months depending on the extent of the grafting.