Pinhole Surgical Technique Redefining Receding Gum Treatment

Receding gum lines can damage more than self-esteem, but a procedure now available in Nashville is offering hope to patients suffering from a common dental concern. The Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique is a virtually pain-free, minimally invasive procedure in which gums are repaired in only one day.

Another Option

Oral surgeon Spencer Haley, DDS, of Tennessee Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, is one of several Middle Tennessee providers performing the procedure. "People have gum recession from a number of different reasons, and up until now have had to have tissue grafts to correct it," said Haley, noting the time, pain and downtime associated with traditional grafting surgery. "Pinhole gives us a secondary option for gum recession."

How Pinhole Works

Training for the Pinhole Surgical Technique is offered only through the procedure's creator, John Chao, DDS, who perfected the technique in 2006. Chao's California-based workshops provide training to dentists, periodontists and oral surgeons like Haley.

Using a specially created needle-like instrument, providers create a pinhole above the gums and shift the tissue down with very little trauma to the tissue. Tiny collagen strips are then inserted to stabilize the gum flaps, and the tiny pinhole shrinks away by the next day.

"I started offering this because my patients were asking for it," said Haley, who's been performing the Pinhole Surgical Technique for three years. "It's a great option and really works."

WEB: Tennessee Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery: http://www.tnoralsurgery.com

Chao PST: http://www.pinholesurgicaltechnique.com