If it was my family member, what I would definitely recommend for them to do as the pinhole technique versus the traditional gum grafting. The gum grafting is very painful. It’s not predictable so it can either take or not take. It takes a really long time for it to heal. The pain usually lasts for several months, usually a month and beyond. So it definitely takes a lot longer, is more painful and costs more money and is not predictable. My go-to is really the pin hole. We just make a couple of small little pinholes, literally 16 [micrometers] in diameter really. What we’re able to do is reflect the skin back and we stuff it with collagen. The beauty of that is the collagen is natural. What the body actually does is takes that collagen and makes it part of your natural tissue. It’s really wonderful.
We’re able to take years off of the teeth, naturally, holistically. And again it lasts over 10, 15, 20 years if you maintain it properly. It’s an easy procedure and can take up to 45 minutes to about a few hours depending on how extensive it is. Patients are very comfortable throughout the process. They can stay awake if they like to. They can be put to sleep if they like to. Whatever makes them feel comfortable. And also adding that collagen into the gum tissue actually makes the face look better so it’s a natural facelift. And it’s something that my patients just love and it’s an added benefit.