How Long Is Recovery after Pinhole Surgery?

How Long Is Recovery after Pinhole Surgery?

Aug 01, 2022

The pinhole surgical technique is a scalpel-free and suture-free process to correct gum recession. Dentists use specially designed tools to gently loosen the gum tissue to glide over the receded part of the tooth after making a tiny hole in the gums with a needle.

If you have receding gums, the pinhole technique is excellent without post-operative symptoms because there is no cutting or stitching involved. In addition, patients undergoing this process are pleasantly surprised by the instant aesthetic improvement in the gums.

If you have a diagnosis of receding gums or are showing visible signs of the issue, the Bolton dental office can perform pinhole surgery to restore your smile. As the procedure requires no incisions or sutures, you can expect quicker recovery after treating multiple teeth simultaneously.

Benefits of the Pinhole Technique

The pinhole technique is an excellent advance in dentistry and periodontal care. This procedure is minimally invasive, unlike traditional gum grafting, replacing lost gum tissue with tissue taken from other mouthparts. The pinhole technique is ideal for you because it delivers results faster and more optimal results and more comfortable recovery.

The specialists at the dental office in Bolton have undergone extensive training on the pinhole technique. As a result, they are proud to offer patients with gum recession this innovative solution to rejuvenate their overall appearance and the health of their teeth.

The Pinhole Technique

When starting the process, the dentists clean your teeth and the gum tissue affected before numbing it with local anesthesia. The professionals use specialized dental instruments to make a tiny hole above the receding area. The entry point helps insert a small angled tool to release the gum tissue from the bone. Next, the gums are pulled over their proper place, leaving them draped over the exposed tooth root. To complete the procedure, the dentist inserts collagen strips to fortify the gum placement to stimulate collagen growth.

While the pinhole technique is generally performed on a couple of teeth, the method helps correct many teeth in one appointment. Depending on the number of teeth you want to treat, the procedure requires approximately 20 minutes for the several initial teeth. If you have receding gums in your whole mouth, you might need about 90 minutes. With a short recovery time, you can look forward to instant results from this technique.

What Should You Do after Pinhole Surgery?

When leaving the dental office, you receive instructions from the dentist to relax or limit your activity for the rest of the day. You must avoid strenuous activity or aerobics for at least three days. In addition, you must ensure you don’t pull on your lips to see the surgical area with your fingers or any other instrument for around six weeks because you can disrupt the grafting with the pulling.

You can expect discomfort after the anesthesia wears off. However, your dentist prescribes pain relievers to manage the discomfort. In addition, you receive a prescription for antibiotics to prevent infections. Ensure that you take the medicines as prescribed without skipping doses. Contact the dentist for advice if you experience pain and swelling after a few days with fever.

You must keep your head elevated while resting in bed for at least 72 hours to lessen or stop the swelling. You can use ice packs on your cheeks on the day of the procedure, using them intermittently for 15 minutes on and off. After that, you can apply wet heat for 20 minutes every two hours.

How long before I eat after pinhole surgery?

After undergoing a cosmetic dentistry procedure to enhance the looks of your gums and smile, you must rely on cold foods and drinks on the day of your procedure. You can start having foods such as ice cream, milkshakes, pudding, yogurt, et cetera. Do not consider having carbonated drinks or acidic fruit juices, and avoid straws for drinking liquids.

The day after the surgery, the dentist recommends a liquid cold diet. You can consider having milkshakes, Jell-O, ice cream, pudding, and yogurt.

From the third day until two weeks after your process, you must have a soft diet relying on foods such as pasta, soups, eggs, fish, cooked soft vegetables, oatmeal, rice, beans, et cetera. Dentists recommend avoiding hard, spicy, crusty and acidic foods besides coffee. You must use the other side of your mouth to the surgical site when chewing foods.

South Hill Dental provides the pinhole surgical technique in Bolton if you are worried about gum recession and are looking for alternatives for gum grafting. Kindly arrange an appointment with the practice today to instantly improve the appearance of your gums and dental health.

©2025 South Hill Dental | Privacy Policy

Call Now Book Now
Click to listen highlighted text!