Would appreciate if someone could tell me what the name of the hard
white part of the gum (at the top of the lower gum, or the bottom of the
upper gum) is, and what is the name of the operation in which a
transplant of this material is made.

Thanks.

"Steven Bornfeld" <> wrote in message
news:...

>
>
> zara wrote:

the

>
>
> At the necks of the teeth lie the free gingival margin. In a normal
> periodontium you can insert a probe 0-3 mm before hitting a stop
> (gingival attachment). The pinker part of the gum below this

attachment

> is the attached gingiva--that is, tightly attached to the roots and
> underlying bone.
> As you move away from the necks of the teeth, you will reach a point
> where the tissue is redder, thinner, and more movable. This is known

as

> the alveolar mucosa.
> Generally, you would like a minimum of 3 mm of attached gingiva around
> the necks of the teeth to minimize chance of gum recession due to
> abrasion. The type of surgery to correct inadequate attached gingiva

is

> broadly known as mucogingival surgery. There are several types of

this

> surgery. Some require grafting of attached tissue from elsewhere in

the

> mouth (usually the hard palate), some involve sliding tissue from an
> adjacent gum area (some form of pedicle graft).

I have a bicuspid on the lower right that, I was told, lacks the
attached gingiva due to a congential defect. The red tissue is sagging
and the tooth is loose. I was told the options were a graft of attached
tissue, or synthetic tissue graft.

I was wondering why the tooth wasn't loose before if the attached
gingiva was missing all along.

Are there any other options that don't involve grafting?

Also, would appreciate any information on the pros and cons of the
options.

Thanks.

>
>

http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyre...97/gingiva.jpg

>
> Steve
>