“As a nurse, I tend to avoid doctors in my free time,” says Ulrike Beyer. “I only go to the dentist every six months.” enter a patient’s room, the mood changes.”
But the woman from Frankfurt stops laughing when her teeth become more and more sensitive to pain. “It was clearly visible in the makeup mirror,” she recalls. “The upper incisors and canines seemed significantly longer. The necks of the teeth were exposed.” Luckily, the next check-up is already due. Your dentist, Dr. Siuosh Rassaf, knows about gum recession.
“For years, I’ve only recommended transplantation in exceptional cases,” he says. In this procedure, mucous membrane from the palate is sewn under the gums. But then the tooth-protecting and supporting function is no longer perfect. dr Rassaf suggests the “Pinhole Surgical Technique” to Ulrike Beyer, a new method from the USA . The gum is detached from the jaw through a hole the size of a needle’s eye, pulled into its original position and fixed with a special membrane. This is completely broken down after 8-10 weeks and replaced by the body’s own tissue.
The approximately one-hour procedure (from about 700 euros, health insurance companies do not pay) takes place under local anesthesia. “I hardly even noticed the injections,” Ulrike remembers. A good week later, she drinks cold water from the fridge and feels it for the first time: “The teeth stay calm. It doesn’t hurt anymore! I can finally bite again – and of course I can laugh too.”
Why do teeth react to external stimuli, even if they are intact?
“When the gums pull away from the tooth crown with its protective enamel, the dentin layer is exposed. Thousands of small canals run here. They extend to the cavity of the tooth, in which the sensitive nerve runs. That’s why we find cold or warmth and sweets on the exposed tooth neck unpleasant.”
What triggers receding gums?
“The most common triggers include inflammation (periodontitis), excessive brushing and teeth grinding (bruxism). But smoking or lip ligament piercings can also contribute to gum retraction.”
What helps with pain-sensitive teeth?
Professional teeth cleaning every six months is a good thing. If the tooth necks are already exposed, the sensitivity can be temporarily reduced with fluoride varnishes. However, as with Ms. Beyer, only the Pinhole Surgical Technique , a new procedure that does not require a scalpel, sutures or transplants, delivers really convincing results – it is like a lifting of the gum line that has slipped.
