Anonymous
Post 11/20/2025 07:58     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:Anyone have a recommendation for a periodontist to do gum graft in NoVA?


I realize this is not NoVA, but I recently had two grafting procedures done using donor tissue at DC Perio in Eastern Market. I think they have a downtown office too. It's an unpleasant experience, but I am pleased with the results and the care they gave. A few notes:

-Neither of your insurances will likely cover this. Expect 1500-3000 a side, depending on your severity.
-You'll feel just fine the first day. The next 2-3 days you'll be swollen and feel run down, like you have a light flu or just got a vaccine
-The stitches stay in for about 3 weeks after. They are annoying b/c they get irritated as you talk.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2025 06:46     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
I did laser instead and worked wonderfully
Done at zcyw in Bethesda
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2025 15:40     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:Gum grafting with Allograft is not painful. By that, I mean the healing process is not painful. Getting the novacaine shots prior to surgery is painful. That would be true for any type of grafting. I had 10 teeth grafted. I took advil fir the first 12 hrs because they td me to. Woke up the next morning and was surprised I didn't need any meds.

It IS a commitment for 6-ish week to brush differently (or not at all on the site), to chew differently, to avoid certain foods, to break food into tiny morsels. It's not like you just leave from surgery a d go back to regular life like you would with a cavity being filled. But, it wasn't painful.


Can you share where you went?
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2025 15:39     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:I did pinhole 4 years ago and love it. Dentist tried to get me to do a traditional graft (cut from roof of mouth and sewn onto gums). It would have been two 4-hour operations spread a few weeks apart to allow eating on the other side of the mouth during recovery periods. That sounded gruesome and terrible so I looked up the alternatives: Pinhole was close to the same price and the whole mouth was done in an hour under a choice of local or twilight anesthesia (I chose twilight.). It was easy and wonderful. Mouth was mildly sore for a few days but not bad at all. No cuts on the palate (roof) of the mouth, no stitches, no scarring or mismatched tissue--and still holding up great now. If a graft fails, it can actually fall out. If pinhole fails, it just retracts back to where it was before--and the failure rate is pretty low. I did the pinhole thinking "well if it fails, I can fall back on the old-school graft later" but it didn't fail, and I saved myself that experience.

I just had my regular cleaning and the dentist commented (with a surprised tone of voice) how well the pinhole gum surgery was holding up. I honestly can't believe people still do this the old-fashioned way anymore. It's like the difference between old-school "cut you wide open" surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Go for it.


Can you please recommend your surgeon?
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 11:36     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anyone have a recommendation for a periodontist to do gum graft in NoVA?
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2025 16:16     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:I did pinhole 4 years ago and love it. Dentist tried to get me to do a traditional graft (cut from roof of mouth and sewn onto gums). It would have been two 4-hour operations spread a few weeks apart to allow eating on the other side of the mouth during recovery periods. That sounded gruesome and terrible so I looked up the alternatives: Pinhole was close to the same price and the whole mouth was done in an hour under a choice of local or twilight anesthesia (I chose twilight.). It was easy and wonderful. Mouth was mildly sore for a few days but not bad at all. No cuts on the palate (roof) of the mouth, no stitches, no scarring or mismatched tissue--and still holding up great now. If a graft fails, it can actually fall out. If pinhole fails, it just retracts back to where it was before--and the failure rate is pretty low. I did the pinhole thinking "well if it fails, I can fall back on the old-school graft later" but it didn't fail, and I saved myself that experience.

I just had my regular cleaning and the dentist commented (with a surprised tone of voice) how well the pinhole gum surgery was holding up. I honestly can't believe people still do this the old-fashioned way anymore. It's like the difference between old-school "cut you wide open" surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Go for it.


Can you or anyone else on here recommend someone to do this?
I need a gum graft after an implant.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2025 12:02     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
I did pinhole 4 years ago and love it. Dentist tried to get me to do a traditional graft (cut from roof of mouth and sewn onto gums). It would have been two 4-hour operations spread a few weeks apart to allow eating on the other side of the mouth during recovery periods. That sounded gruesome and terrible so I looked up the alternatives: Pinhole was close to the same price and the whole mouth was done in an hour under a choice of local or twilight anesthesia (I chose twilight.). It was easy and wonderful. Mouth was mildly sore for a few days but not bad at all. No cuts on the palate (roof) of the mouth, no stitches, no scarring or mismatched tissue--and still holding up great now. If a graft fails, it can actually fall out. If pinhole fails, it just retracts back to where it was before--and the failure rate is pretty low. I did the pinhole thinking "well if it fails, I can fall back on the old-school graft later" but it didn't fail, and I saved myself that experience.

I just had my regular cleaning and the dentist commented (with a surprised tone of voice) how well the pinhole gum surgery was holding up. I honestly can't believe people still do this the old-fashioned way anymore. It's like the difference between old-school "cut you wide open" surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Go for it.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 20:46     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am considering options for this myself now. My doctor didn't present pinhole as an option, but my research suggests that it might have a lower success rate and might not be covered by insurance. Getting a second opinion soon but it does seem like using donor gums vs your own might be much less painful and have less recovery time.

Are there risks in using donor tissue with regards to viruses, etc?


No. None at all. All the biological cells are washed out. Basically it's the collagen scaffold that remains and your own skin cells grow onto it.

This article suggests that risks of disease transmission are very low, although not zero. https://www.verywellhealth.com/are-donor-tissues-and-grafts-safe-2549895
This UK dental group notes that "there is a very small risk of disease transmission [with gum allograft], although this risk is very low when proper screening and processing protocols are followed." https://london-dental-specialists.co.uk/choosing-the-right-gum-grafting-procedure-autograft-vs-allograft/
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 20:16     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
I had a graft done about a year ago. The first day was very uncomfortable, but after that it was minor pain at worst. As others have said the top-of-the-mouth site that provides the graft was longest to heal.

I'd do it again without hesitation if needed.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 20:06     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Gum grafting with Allograft is not painful. By that, I mean the healing process is not painful. Getting the novacaine shots prior to surgery is painful. That would be true for any type of grafting. I had 10 teeth grafted. I took advil fir the first 12 hrs because they td me to. Woke up the next morning and was surprised I didn't need any meds.

It IS a commitment for 6-ish week to brush differently (or not at all on the site), to chew differently, to avoid certain foods, to break food into tiny morsels. It's not like you just leave from surgery a d go back to regular life like you would with a cavity being filled. But, it wasn't painful.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 20:01     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am considering options for this myself now. My doctor didn't present pinhole as an option, but my research suggests that it might have a lower success rate and might not be covered by insurance. Getting a second opinion soon but it does seem like using donor gums vs your own might be much less painful and have less recovery time.

Are there risks in using donor tissue with regards to viruses, etc?


I don’t think it’s an infection risk due to the way the tissue is prepared.

However, I consulted with two oral surgeons who do grafts and implants exclusively. Both avoid Allograft/donor tissue when possible. They explained to me that the risk of complications and the durability of the result are both better when they use the patient’s own tissue (autologous graft). That said, sometimes it is necessary to use donor tissue when they cannot successfully harvest the amount needed from the roof of the patient’s mouth.


It DOES take additional experience and the right technique to successfully use allograft. Perhaps your docs don't have the skills. I had 10 teeth grafted with Allograft. My periodontist knows what he's doing.

Allograft is the ONLY way I'd do any gum grafting.I have the successful outcome to show for it.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 19:59     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am considering options for this myself now. My doctor didn't present pinhole as an option, but my research suggests that it might have a lower success rate and might not be covered by insurance. Getting a second opinion soon but it does seem like using donor gums vs your own might be much less painful and have less recovery time.

Are there risks in using donor tissue with regards to viruses, etc?


No. None at all. All the biological cells are washed out. Basically it's the collagen scaffold that remains and your own skin cells grow onto it.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 15:45     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am considering options for this myself now. My doctor didn't present pinhole as an option, but my research suggests that it might have a lower success rate and might not be covered by insurance. Getting a second opinion soon but it does seem like using donor gums vs your own might be much less painful and have less recovery time.

Are there risks in using donor tissue with regards to viruses, etc?


I don’t think it’s an infection risk due to the way the tissue is prepared.

However, I consulted with two oral surgeons who do grafts and implants exclusively. Both avoid Allograft/donor tissue when possible. They explained to me that the risk of complications and the durability of the result are both better when they use the patient’s own tissue (autologous graft). That said, sometimes it is necessary to use donor tissue when they cannot successfully harvest the amount needed from the roof of the patient’s mouth.

That makes sense. The one question is how prevalent illegal tissue procurement from funeral homes is. There was a case some years ago where a tissue broker was found to have taken tissue from corpses without families' knowledge, including from people who were old and/or died of cancer. Those cases are probably the exception to the rule, however. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/body-part-broker-rarely-got-families-permission-flna1C9438111
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 14:25     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am considering options for this myself now. My doctor didn't present pinhole as an option, but my research suggests that it might have a lower success rate and might not be covered by insurance. Getting a second opinion soon but it does seem like using donor gums vs your own might be much less painful and have less recovery time.

Are there risks in using donor tissue with regards to viruses, etc?


I don’t think it’s an infection risk due to the way the tissue is prepared.

However, I consulted with two oral surgeons who do grafts and implants exclusively. Both avoid Allograft/donor tissue when possible. They explained to me that the risk of complications and the durability of the result are both better when they use the patient’s own tissue (autologous graft). That said, sometimes it is necessary to use donor tissue when they cannot successfully harvest the amount needed from the roof of the patient’s mouth.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2024 01:03     Subject: Gum graft surgery - anyone? Anyone done pinhole?
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am considering options for this myself now. My doctor didn't present pinhole as an option, but my research suggests that it might have a lower success rate and might not be covered by insurance. Getting a second opinion soon but it does seem like using donor gums vs your own might be much less painful and have less recovery time.

Are there risks in using donor tissue with regards to viruses, etc?