Gum Grafting
Teaneck, NJ & Roselle, NJ
 If your gums have been receding and exposing more of your teeth or roots, RJ Dental performs gum grafting at our Teaneck and Roselle, NJ offices. A gum graft replaces lost soft tissue with new tissue, covers exposed root surfaces, and reduces sensitivity. It also stops further recession at the treated site. Most patients arrive at this page after seeing more tooth showing in the mirror, feeling sharper sensitivity to cold drinks, or hearing “you have some recession” at a recent dental visit.
Recession is the visible result of soft tissue loss around the teeth. The causes vary – aggressive brushing, periodontal disease, thin tissue genetics, orthodontic movement, or grinding – and the right treatment depends on what’s driving it. Grafting addresses the recession itself; if the underlying cause is active periodontal disease, that has to be managed first.
Gum grafting is part of broader periodontal care at our practice. The goal isn’t only to make the gums look better – it’s to protect the underlying bone, stabilize the tissue, and prevent the situation from getting worse. We’re upfront with you about what grafting can and can’t do, and about which technique fits your specific situation.
On This Page
What Is Gum Grafting?
 Gum grafting is a surgical procedure that adds soft tissue to areas where the gums have receded. We either harvest the new tissue from another part of the mouth (most often the palate) or source it from a tissue bank, then secure it at the recession site to cover exposed root, increase tissue thickness, or both. Once integrated, the graft becomes part of your own gum tissue.
There are a few different grafting techniques, and the right one depends on what we’re trying to accomplish and how much tissue you have to work with. Some grafts focus on covering exposed roots; others focus on building up tissue that’s grown thin to prevent future recession. Often the goal is both.
Types of Gum Grafts
Connective tissue graft is the most common type. We take a thin piece of tissue from beneath the surface of the palate, leaving the surface intact, and place it at the recession site under the existing gum tissue. Connective tissue grafts are well suited to root coverage and tend to produce natural-looking results. Most patients heal comfortably because the harvest area is not exposed.
Free gingival graft takes tissue directly from the surface of the palate and places it at the recession site. The technique is most useful when the goal is to thicken existing gum tissue rather than to cover root surfaces. Healing of the palate site involves a small open wound that closes over a couple of weeks.
Pedicle graft uses tissue adjacent to the recession site itself. We partially separate gum tissue near the affected tooth and slide it over to cover the exposed area while keeping it connected at one end to maintain its blood supply. Pedicle grafts work when there’s enough healthy tissue beside the recession.
Allograft uses processed donor tissue or an acellular dermal matrix instead of tissue harvested from your own mouth. This option is appropriate for some cases where multiple sites need treatment or where harvesting from the palate isn’t ideal. We discuss it during your consultation if it fits your specific situation.
Is Gum Grafting Right for You?
You may be a candidate for gum grafting if any of the following apply:
- You see visibly more of your tooth showing than you used to, especially near the gumline
- You have sensitivity to cold or sweet foods at specific teeth where the gum has receded
- A recent dental exam noted recession of 2 to 3 millimeters or more at one or more teeth
- You have thin gum tissue that’s at risk of further recession even though it isn’t fully recessed yet
- Your bite or grinding pattern is putting stress on the gum tissue at specific teeth
Active periodontal disease has to be treated first. If we find inflammation or pocketing during your exam, we manage that with deep cleaning and follow-up before recommending grafting. The graft needs healthy tissue to integrate into.
Your Gum Graft Doctor in Teaneck and Roselle
Dr. Shahin Ghobadi handles surgical procedures at RJ Dental, including gum grafting. He completed a postgraduate Oral Surgery residency at St Joseph Regional Medical Center after graduating from UMDNJ-Dental School – full background on Dr. Ghobadi’s bio. He is an active member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (AAOMS).
Soft tissue grafting requires careful surgical handling. The tissue is delicate, the harvest and recipient sites both need attention, and the success of the graft depends on how cleanly we perform each step. The training from a dedicated oral surgery residency directly applies, and Dr. Ghobadi performs grafting cases at our practice as part of the surgical scope his residency prepared him for. We handle grafting in-house rather than referring it out, which keeps your case under one roof from consultation through follow-up.
The Gum Grafting Process, Step by Step
A gum grafting case typically spans several weeks to several months from your first consultation through the final follow-up. The active treatment is usually three to four visits; the rest of the timeline is healing and integration.
1. Consultation and Periodontal Evaluation
Your first visit covers an exam of the recession sites, a periodontal evaluation to confirm there’s no active disease, and photographs and measurements to document the baseline. Dr. Ghobadi reviews what’s caused the recession with you – which often points to behaviors that need to change to prevent future recession at other sites – and discusses which grafting technique fits your case. If we identify active periodontal disease during the exam, we treat that before scheduling the graft.
2. Pre-Grafting Periodontal Management (If Needed)
If your exam shows active periodontal disease, the first step is periodontal treatment – typically scaling and root planing (a deep cleaning that goes below the gumline), followed by reevaluation a few weeks later. We don’t graft into actively-inflamed tissue because the graft won’t integrate reliably. For patients without active disease, this step is skipped and we move directly to grafting.
3. Grafting Surgery
On the day of grafting, we numb both the recipient site and the donor site (when we’re harvesting from your palate) with local anesthesia. The procedure usually takes 60 to 90 minutes for a single site, longer for multiple sites or more complex cases. Dr. Ghobadi prepares the recipient area, harvests or positions the graft tissue, and secures it with sutures designed to dissolve as you heal. We send you home with detailed post-op instructions, soft food guidance, and any prescriptions you need.
4. Initial Healing
The first 1 to 2 weeks are the most restrictive. You’ll eat soft foods, avoid brushing or flossing the surgical site (we’ll show you exactly which areas to avoid), and apply gentle ice if needed for swelling. Most patients return to work the next day or the day after. We schedule a check-in at 1 to 2 weeks to remove any non-dissolving sutures and confirm the graft is integrating.
5. Full Integration and Follow-Up
The graft fully integrates into your tissue over 4 to 6 months. During that time, you’ll keep up with normal hygiene at home (carefully around the surgical site at first, normally as healing progresses), and we’ll see you for one or two follow-up visits to check progress. Your final result – root coverage, tissue thickness, or both, depending on the technique used – is typically assessed at the 4 to 6 month mark.
Benefits of Gum Grafting
 The most direct benefit of gum grafting is that it stops the recession at the treated site. Gums don’t regrow on their own once they’ve receded. Without intervention, recession tends to continue, and over years it can expose more root surface, increase sensitivity, and ultimately threaten the bone underneath. A successful graft halts the trajectory. Dr. Ghobadi monitors the integration during follow-up visits at 1 to 2 weeks, 4 to 6 weeks, and 4 to 6 months.
For appropriate cases – usually less severe recession with adequate adjacent tissue – grafting also covers exposed root surfaces. The amount of root coverage varies based on the recession class, the technique used, and the tissue quality at the site. Dr. Ghobadi sets realistic expectations during your consultation; we don’t promise full coverage when the anatomy doesn’t support it.
Aesthetics matter too. Visible recession can make teeth look longer and the gumline uneven. After successful grafting and integration, the appearance is typically much closer to a natural gumline. Sensitivity to cold and sweet foods often improves as new tissue covers the exposed root surfaces. We document baseline measurements at the consultation and again at the 4 to 6 month follow-up so the change is something you can actually see, not something you have to take on faith.
- Stops further recession – The new tissue at the treated site stabilizes after integration; we confirm graft stability at the 4 to 6 month assessment
- Reduces root sensitivity – Covering exposed root surface with new gum tissue insulates the tooth from cold, sweet, and acidic foods
- Protects underlying bone – Receding gums can lead to bone loss; grafting helps preserve the bone that supports the tooth
- Improves smile appearance – Restoring a more natural gumline addresses the cosmetic concern many patients raise first; we document the visual change at follow-up so you can see it for yourself
- Sets up future treatment – Healthy, thick gum tissue creates a more stable base for future restorative work like dental crowns or veneers
The benefits compound when grafting is paired with the behavior changes that prevented future recession at other sites – brushing technique, choice of toothbrush, treatment of grinding if applicable. We cover this during your consultation, not in a follow-up afterthought.
Why Choose Our Practice for Gum Grafting
Soft tissue grafting belongs with a doctor who has surgical training. Dr. Shahin Ghobadi completed his postgraduate Oral Surgery residency at St Joseph Regional Medical Center and is an active AAOMS member. The training matters because grafting depends on careful tissue handling at multiple delicate steps, and the success of the graft is what determines whether the procedure was worthwhile.
We handle grafting in-house rather than referring patients out. That keeps your case continuous – the same team that examines you, plans the procedure, and performs the surgery also handles your follow-up at 1 to 2 weeks, 4 to 6 weeks, and 4 to 6 months. The continuity matters because the integration phase is months long, and consistency in who is monitoring it improves outcomes.
We’re realistic about what grafting can do for any specific case. Severe recession, multiple compromised sites, or cases where the underlying problem isn’t addressed don’t always have ideal-looking outcomes. Dr. Ghobadi sets honest expectations during the consultation – what coverage is realistic, what tissue thickness is achievable, what behaviors need to change to keep the result. The point isn’t to deliver every patient the cosmetic ideal; it’s to deliver each patient the best result their specific case allows.
Gum Grafting Cost and Financing
Cost matters, and we’ll be straight with you about it. The cost of gum grafting depends on how many sites need treatment, which technique is used, whether donor tissue (allograft) or your own tissue is involved, and whether other periodontal work needs to happen first. A single-site connective tissue graft sits at one end of the range; multi-site or more complex cases sit at the other end.
We accept most major dental insurance plans, and our insurance and financing options list every carrier we participate with. Coverage for periodontal grafting varies more than coverage for routine dental work; some plans cover a portion as a medically-necessary procedure, while others classify it as elective unless tied to a specific functional concern. Our front office team verifies your benefits before treatment and provides a written estimate.
For patients without insurance or who hit their annual maximum, our dental discount plan applies a 20 percent reduction to surgical work. Flexible payment plans through Sunbit, CareCredit, and LendingPoint help spread the cost across months. Call (551) 369-2001 for a personalized estimate after your consultation.
Schedule Your Gum Grafting Consultation
Ready to take the next step? Call us at (551) 369-2001 or request an appointment online to schedule. We’re at 865 Teaneck Rd in Teaneck, NJ 07666 and 121-125 Chestnut St, Suite 201 in Roselle, NJ 07203. Either office can handle your gum grafting case from consultation through follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will gum grafting hurt?
During the procedure, we numb both the recipient and donor sites thoroughly with local anesthesia, so most patients feel pressure rather than pain. Recovery discomfort is more noticeable than a routine dental appointment but typically less than what most patients expect. Over-the-counter pain relievers handle it for most cases. The palate harvest site (when used) tends to be the more sensitive area during the first week, not the gum graft site itself.
Where does the graft tissue actually come from?
The most common source is your palate – we take a thin piece of tissue from the roof of your mouth, where it grows back. Connective tissue grafts take tissue from beneath the surface of the palate (leaving the surface intact); free gingival grafts take it from the surface itself. For some cases, we use allograft tissue (processed donor tissue) or an acellular dermal matrix instead, which avoids harvesting from your own mouth altogether. Dr. Ghobadi recommends the source based on what fits your specific case.
How much recession can be covered with a graft?
Root coverage outcomes vary by recession class. For typical recession with healthy adjacent tissue (Miller Class I or II), full or near-full root coverage is achievable in most cases. For more advanced recession with bone loss between teeth (Miller Class III or IV), partial coverage is realistic but full coverage typically isn’t. Dr. Ghobadi reviews your specific recession class during the consultation and gives you a coverage estimate before scheduling any procedure.
How long is recovery before I can eat normally again?
Plan on 1 to 2 weeks of soft food and careful eating. Most patients return to work the next day or the day after the procedure. The surgical site itself feels normal within a few weeks, but full integration of the graft takes 4 to 6 months. During those months you can eat and live normally; the integration is happening at the tissue level and isn’t visible at the surface.
Will the graft “take” successfully?
Most grafts integrate successfully when candidacy is right and you follow the post-op instructions carefully. The factors that improve graft success: no smoking during healing, careful avoidance of brushing or flossing the site for the first weeks, soft food adherence, and absence of active periodontal disease at the time of grafting. We screen for these during the consultation and don’t proceed if conditions aren’t right. In rare cases where a graft doesn’t fully integrate, we discuss next steps – which sometimes means re-grafting and sometimes means accepting a partial outcome.
Why do I need this if my teeth feel mostly fine?
Recession is gradual, and many patients feel nothing at all even as it progresses. The reason for treating recession before symptoms become significant: untreated recession tends to continue, eventually exposing root surface that’s vulnerable to decay, sensitivity, and bone loss. Treating earlier means the graft is working with more remaining tissue, and outcomes are typically better than waiting until the case is severe. If you don’t have visible recession or noted recession on a recent exam, you probably don’t need a graft right now – but if your dentist did note recession (or signs of periodontal disease), addressing it earlier is usually the better path.
Are there alternatives to surgery for receding gums?
For very mild recession, behavior change alone (softer brushing, addressing grinding, treating active periodontal disease) can sometimes prevent further recession without grafting. For moderate to advanced cases, conventional grafting is the standard treatment because no other approach actually adds tissue back. Other techniques exist, including some marketed as minimally invasive, but the conventional grafting approaches we use have decades of clinical research behind them and produce reliable outcomes when the case is appropriate.
Why should I choose RJ Dental for gum grafting in Teaneck or Roselle?
Three reasons. First, Dr. Ghobadi completed an oral surgery residency, so soft tissue grafting is in his trained surgical scope rather than being a procedure done occasionally. Second, both our Teaneck and Roselle offices handle grafting cases, so the office closer to you is the office that does the surgery and the follow-ups. Third, our pricing reflects whether you’re a single-site case or a multi-site case – we don’t charge a flat “gum graft” fee that overcharges simple cases or undercharges complex ones.
Does dental insurance cover gum grafting?
Coverage varies significantly. Some dental plans cover a portion of grafting as a medically-necessary periodontal procedure, while others classify it as elective unless tied to a specific functional concern (sensitivity, recession class, etc.). Many plans cover the surgical fee at one rate and the donor tissue (allograft) at a separate rate. Our front office team verifies your specific plan’s coverage before treatment and provides a written estimate. For patients without insurance, our discount plan applies a 20 percent reduction to surgical work. |
