Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation Cost
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The Chao Pinhole® surgical technique, also referred to as PST, is a form of pinhole gum rejuvenation — a way to help repair gum shrinkage via a pinhole without the need to cut like a traditional gum grafting procedure.
How much does pinhole gum rejuvenation cost?
The cost of this procedure is similar to that of a traditional gum graft, but it’s important to keep in mind that many dentists are not experienced and/or trained with this type of procedure. With that being said, even if you want this exact procedure done, you may have a hard time finding a professional in your area that is able to do it.
The costs, untimely, will all depend on the dentist you choose, the severity of your case and your geographical location. To budget, dentists, from what we researched online, noted you should be expected to pay anywhere from $600 to $1,450 per tooth, but the costs can drastically drop if you were to need more than one tooth worked on during a session.
According to the official website of Erik P Svans, DDS, he noted the average cost of the pinhole surgical technique is anywhere from $600 to $1,400 per tooth, and the costs will greatly depend on the number of teeth being treated at the time. The severity of the situation, according to his FAQ page, can also play a role as patients will a generalized recession on every tooth could pay much less than someone who doesn’t.
The creator of this procedure, Dr. Chao, says it will be about the same costs as a standard gum grafting procedure, which, according to our guide and research, can cost $700 to $1,800 per tooth.
As this procedure is often considered a “periodontal” procedure, many patients who have dental insurance did find out that many companies will cover the procedure or at least a portion of it depending on your coverage. Be sure to talk with your dental insurance company ahead of time to see if they cover a procedure such as this. Even if you do not have dental insurance, you could still consider a dental discount plan, such as DentalPlans.com, to help save you a good amount of money as this plan works similar to that of a dental insurance plan.
The process
Before the process is even considered, your dentist will first want to thoroughly review the cause of your gum recession to minimize the recession from occurring in the future, even if you had the procedure done. In some cases, it may be as simple as refining your brushing strategies or even wearing a night guard at night. Elly Tehrani, DMD, MSD, a Toronto Periodontist, mentioned on Realself.com that not everyone she sees is a candidate for this procedure.
If considered a candidate for the procedure, then your teeth will be cleaned about seven to 10 days prior to the treatment as they will need to be cleaned as much as possible since gum tissue will only re-attach to its natural root structure.
Unlike a traditional gum grafting procedure, which takes a flap of your tissue from the roof of your mouth, the pinhole surgical technique will create small puncture holes in your gum, requiring no need for cutting or sutures. Using a needle creating about a 2 millimeter sized hole above the gums, just inside the cheek, the gum tissue from the jaw bone and a needle manipulates it, gently moving it down into its correct position, according to SimplyTeeth. At this point, collagen strips, which offer elasticity to the skin, are dropped into the area of the gum inside of the first incision, which offers more support. After, slight pressure is applied to manipulate the gums into position, and while doing so, the gums will be bleed out; however, when it clots, it mixes with the collagen strips, essentially binding to the bone surface nearby. This means no sutures are required to keep it in place, allowing it to heal naturally.
The entire process can be done in as little as 90 minutes and regardless of how many teeth are being worked on, you should be able to have the entire procedure done in one sitting. In fact, some dentists claim they can work on an entire mouth in less than three hours. The length of the session will all depend on the number of teeth that need to be worked on.
Recovery
The results are deemed to be permanent and can last just as long as any other gum graft, but nothing is forever because as you age, the results may change. As long as everything is healthy and you maintain good hygiene, Dr. Chao, the creator of the process, states you should see the process lasting for years.
For about six weeks after the procedure, you will need to use a prescription-based mouthwash as you will be limited to how you can brush your teeth. You will also need to be restricted to soft foods in order to avoid affecting the gums.
During this six-week period, you will need to come in for a series of follow-up appointments and if any pain is experienced, you can simply take some OTC medicine to help subside the pain.
In most cases, the pinholes will heal in less than 48 hours.
Tips to know
This process is not designed to help cure gum disease; it is meant to restore your gum line to its normal and natural position. If you even consider this procedure and you do have a gum disease, you must treat your gum disease before any dentist will consider this route.
With any surgical procedure, there are risks, but seeing this procedure is quite new, there are not many risks reported. All surgical procedures do carry the risk of discomfort, infection and bleeding.
The International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry published a study proving the effectiveness of this therapy.
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