If a tooth looks longer than its neighbours, stings when you drink something cold, or your dentist has been watching a receding spot for a while, a gum graft covers the root and stops the recession going further. It is done here at our Yakima office on South 40th Avenue, by a board-certified periodontist, with sedation if you want it.
When the gum pulls back, the root of the tooth is left bare. Root surface has no enamel, so it is sensitive to cold, it notches and wears, and it decays far more easily than the rest of the tooth. Gum that has receded does not grow back on its own.
A gum graft places a small piece of healthy tissue over the exposed root and secures it there. As it heals it becomes part of your own gum: thicker, tougher, and sitting where it should. The tissue can come from the roof of your mouth, or from a processed donor material that avoids a second surgical site. Which one we use depends on how much coverage you need and how thin your existing gum is, and we explain the trade-off before you decide, not after.
Recession rarely hurts at first, so it is easy to wait. The problem is that it keeps going, and every millimetre of gum you lose takes bone with it. Grafting a small recession is a routine procedure with a very predictable result. Grafting a large one, after the bone has gone, is harder and less certain. If a receding spot has been "kept an eye on" for a couple of years, that is usually the sign it is time to have it looked at properly.
A graft only lasts if we deal with what caused the recession. So before we recommend one, we look for three things: active gum disease driving it, which needs treating first; a heavy or grinding bite adding to it; and hard brushing wearing the gum away, which is the most common cause we see. If it is your brushing and nothing changes, the new tissue will recede too, so we show you what to change.
Not everyone needs a graft. Some recession is stable and simply needs watching. If that is you, we will say so.
Smoking lowers the success of gum grafts more than almost any other procedure we do, because the graft survives on a very fine blood supply. We will talk about it plainly.
Most grafts take between sixty and ninety minutes, and several neighbouring teeth can usually be treated in the same visit rather than one at a time. The area is thoroughly numbed, so the procedure itself is comfortable. IV sedation and oral sedation are both available here in Yakima if the idea of it is what has been stopping you.
Afterwards, if the tissue came from the roof of your mouth, that donor site is the part you notice: think of a pizza burn, sore for about a week. We cover it with a protective dressing. If we use donor material instead, there is no second site and recovery is considerably easier. Cold, soft food for the first few days, no brushing on the graft for the first week, and no pulling your lip out to look at it, which is the most common way a graft gets disturbed. Most people are back at work the next day. The area looks settled by two to three weeks and fully blended by about eight.
Gum tissue is what periodontists train three extra years to manage. Dr. Abdullah Alkanan is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and teaches periodontics at Pacific Northwest University's School of Dental Medicine, here in Yakima. Complex cases are also reviewed with Dr. Muhammad Saleh, a board-certified periodontist and a lead author of national periodontal guidelines.
Consultation, x-rays, the graft itself and every follow-up visit take place at our Yakima office. Nothing is sent to another city.
Our Yakima office is in-network with Delta Dental and with the Careington network. Other plans are welcome and we file the claim for you. Gum grafting is often partly covered when there is measurable recession; we check your plan and tell you what to expect before you decide anything. Monthly payment plans are available for the balance; see insurance and financing.
Board certification is the highest credential in periodontics, and both of our doctors hold it. Complex cases here are reviewed by both: the surgeon who will do the work, and the specialist who helped write the research it rests on. A second opinion is built in, with no extra step for you.
Diplomate, American Board of Periodontology · Faculty, PNWU School of Dental Medicine
Founder of the practice. Trained in the UK and the United States, teaches periodontics at the dental school in Yakima and lectures internationally. Conservative planning, honest advice, and no corners cut.
Read his full bio
Diplomate, American Board of Periodontology · Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Michigan
More than 140 published papers and a lead author of the national guidelines on disease around implants. Other surgeons travel to learn implant surgery from him. Calm, thorough, and clear about what he is doing and why.
Read his full bioWhen your dentist wants a specialist involved, this is where they send you.
We can't put a real number on a webpage, because the honest answer depends on what your exam and 3D scan show. What we can promise is that you'll get a written treatment plan with an exact figure on it before you commit to anything. No surprises added later.
Most patients have some insurance coverage, and we'll check yours and tell you what it will and won't pay. For the balance, we work with three financing companies so you can spread the cost over time — many patients qualify for plans with no interest if paid within the promotional period.
Ask us at your consultation and we'll walk you through the options and the monthly numbers.
A day-by-day recovery guide, who is a good candidate, and quick answers to the questions we hear most: Gum grafting for receding gums →
Gum disease driving the recession? See LANAP laser gum treatment in Yakima →
Call any of our three offices, or send us a request and we'll get back to you. Phone hours are Monday to Friday, 7am to 3pm.