Soft Tissue Ridge Augmentation & Dental Implants
Richland, WA

At Implant & Periodontal Associates NW in Richland, we want all of our patients to be pleased with their smile. Soft tissue ridge augmentation is a procedure that we offer to patients who have a significant depression or cleft in their gumline. Deformities like these often occur when a patient has experienced significant bone loss following tooth loss or removal, or because of injury, dentures, or developmental issues. Because the aesthetic value of the smile depends on the appearance of the gums as well as the teeth, we can correct these problems to give our patients the smile that they want.

Benefits of Soft Tissue Ridge Augmentation

When there is a cleft or crease in the gumline, there are a few very obvious drawbacks that make some benefits stand out. The aesthetic appearance of your smile benefits greatly from soft tissue ridge augmentation. Food particles will often become stuck in the depression. Remedying this issue helps patients to keep their mouths clean and helps with the overall oral health of all patients.

How Dental Implants and Soft Tissue Ridge Augmentation are Related

Many times, those who are interested in dental implants are also those who need some form of soft tissue ridge augmentation. Patients who have experienced significant tooth loss over a long period often experience bone and soft tissue loss.

The Soft Tissue Ridge Augmentation & Implant Procedure

Soft tissue augmentation can begin following the placement of the dental implants in the mouth. Exactly when we start in the process is heavily situational and can vary a little bit depending on the oral health of the patient. Once the implant restoration has been placed on the titanium implant posts, we will remove the restoration of your implants, so that we can gain proper access to the area that will be receiving the graft. We will borrow gum tissue from another area of the mouth to use as the grafting material. The most common place to pull donor material from is the palate of the mouth. The patch of donor tissue will be carefully placed onto the area needing the graft and will be attached with stitches.

Once the procedure is finished, we will replace the implant restoration and send you home with special care instructions. Soft tissue ridge augmentation has a very high success and satisfaction as long as you follow the care instructions. Smoking and tobacco use should be avoided at all costs as they can seriously impede and even work against the healing process, as tobacco use can cause failure in dental implants.

What to Expect from Soft Tissue Ridge Augmentation

Soft tissue ridge augmentation is a dependable procedure that we typically see quite good results with. Dental implants can increase your quality of life in tremendous ways and gum grafts are another way to add value to your oral health. By giving you a smile you can be proud of, we hope that you will be smiling much more often!

Call us today at (509) 542-9111 to schedule a no-obligation consultation. We look forward to seeing your smile!