Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique®

Gum recession, also known as gingival recession, is the sinking of your gum line down from your tooth crown onto your tooth root.

This can be due to:

• Individual tooth, gum, soft tissue and bone anatomy
• Tartar build-up along your gum line (this is why a regular scale and polish, and a deep clean is crucial!)
• Gum disease
• Deep fillings, onlays, or crowns placed below the gum line
• A destructive bite (this can be corrected with orthodontic teeth straightening and orthognathic surgery)
• Provoking of your gum tissue, e.g. from overzealous tooth brushing and flossing, tongue or lip piercings, poorly fitting dentures, etc.

Gum recession is a serious condition as it exposes the roots of your teeth, leaving them without protection. Correcting gum recession can have many harmful consequences, including:

• Experiencing a short, sharp and sensitive pain, especially when eating or drinking something cold. If left, this may progress and worsen into a long, dull ache.
• Promotion of food particle and plaque bacteria retention around the affected tooth/teeth, which increases your risk of having gum disease, tooth decay, toothache and dental infections
• Creation of saucer-shaped cavities on the roots of your teeth due to their structure being rubbed away by heavy or abrasive tooth brushing
• The loss of an aesthetically pleasing smile due to poor pink (gums) to white (teeth) proportions
• Fear of tooth loss as you may notice your gums gradually receding by themselves.

These are signs that you might have receding gums:

• Sensitive teeth, especially after consuming cold food and drinks or when brushing the teeth.
• Your gums are getting visibly shorter.
• Your teeth appear longer.

Engineered by Dr John Chao, the Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation® technique is a minimally invasive option for treating gum recession to prevent all the problems listed above. Unlike traditional tissue grafting methods, it delivers a much-enhanced patient experience as it is:

• Incision/cut free – so no need for scalpels or invasive surgical tools.
• Graft free – so no need for removal of soft tissue from elsewhere in your mouth to repair your gum recession
• Suture free – so no need for uncomfortable stitches. 
• Less painful and faster recovery after treatment - so there is minimal downtime.
• Natural-looking
• Long-lasting

Generally, the Pinhole Surgical Technique is much faster and safer than traditional gum grafting or soft tissue grafting as there are no incisions and cuts made. However, there still runs a risk of tenderness, swelling, or infection.

Gum analysis

Your gums will first be thoroughly analysed and measured at every aspect to determine the severity of your gum recession. Some intraoral scans may additionally be taken to allow you to enhance visualise the proposed result.

Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation®

The Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation® procedure will take 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the number of areas that require rejuvenation and the severity of your gum recession. 

The relevant areas will be completely numbed with a local anaesthetic, so you will not feel any pain at all during the whole procedure, solely some pressure and vibrations. You may additionally be placed under prior IV sedation, or General Anaesthesia depending on your concerns and agreed individualised treatment plan.

A small hole will be created in the receding gum tissue. When the pinhole has been made, a specially designed instrument is placed into the hole. This device peels and will gently loosen the gum tissue into an appropriate position on the tooth. Once the gum tissue is in the desired position, collagen strips are inserted into the pinhole in the gums. These strips keep the gums steady in a minimally invasive way and help to create novel tissue that will ultimately secure the gums in place.

Post-operative care and review

After the procedure is completed, you will be given care instructions on how to look after your mouth. This will include advice on oral hygiene, avoiding smoking for at least one week (the longer, the better!), painkillers, and other good oral health habits. You also will be provided with an antibacterial mouth rinse and gel to apply over your gums for 1-2 weeks.

Healing is generally fast and takes place within a few days to a week. You will usually be able to go about your daily routine after a day.

You will be reviewed in 1 month, where follow-up gum measurements will be taken to determine the level of improvement of your gum recession.

Nuffield Dental is a one-stop, multi-disciplinary dental care centre. At Nuffield, we put you first. We believe in providing personalised service for each patient. Our dentists have specialised in implant dentistry and oral surgery for 20+ years. We have accredited dental providers who are skilled in the area of dental implant surgery.  

All of the tools and techniques used to perform the Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique were created by Dr John Chao. Dr Kumar has been personally trained by Dr John Chao and is a member of the PinHole Academy. Solely dentists trained by Dr Chao are allowed to use the Pinhole Technique with the patented instruments that were designed by Dr Chao.

For your convenience, we have clinics all around Singapore to meet your needs closer to you. For information, please visit our clinic to book an appointment.