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What can be done instead of a gum graft? Question

The pinhole surgical technique is one option. It treats recession through a small hole in the gum, without cutting a graft from the palate. Mild recession may also be treated with a deep cleaning, topical antibiotics, dental bonding over exposed roots, or braces to move crooked teeth.

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What to know

  • In a 14.5-year follow-up of the pinhole technique, mean root coverage was 86.6%.
  • The same study found complete root coverage at 77.9% of sites.
  • Cleveland Clinic calls gum graft surgery the most predictable and long-lasting option.

Sources

  1. Chao et al. Long-Term Retrospective Case Series of the Pinhole Surgical Technique. Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent, 2026 (PubMed 39808534)
  2. Cleveland Clinic: Gum Recession

Reviewed by , Director of IT and Medical Compliance: 25 years in dentistry, medicine and HIPAA compliance. Updated . Checked against the sources listed. General information, not medical advice.

Treatment and surgery Read next

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