Pinhole Surgical Technique

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What is Pinhole Surgical Technique? (PST)

The Pinhole Surgical Technique is a minimally invasive gum recession treatment. Unlike traditional grafting techniques, PST is incision and suture free. All of the surgical tools and techniques used to perform the Pinhole Surgical Technique were created by Dr. John Chao. Integrative Dental Specialists of Long Island is accredited and certified to happily provide this procedure for our patients.

From Dr. Jeffrey Etess and our friends at Integrative Dental Specialists!

how does pst differ from traditional gum grafting

How does PST differ from Traditional Gum Grafting?

Traditional gum recession treatments involve the use of donor tissue or soft tissue grafts (connective tissue grafts from your palate or tissue from a cadaver) in order to rebuild the gumline. This soft tissue would be sutured in place and would join with existing gum tissue as it healed. While this traditional grafting treatment is relatively effective, more predictable results with a better overall patient experience and satisfaction can be achieved through the Pinhole Surgical Technique.

How is PST Performed?

During the Pinhole Surgical Technique, a tiny needle is used to make a very small hole in the patient’s existing gum tissue. Through this pinhole, special PST™ proprietary instruments are used to gently loosen the gum tissue. These tools help slide and reposition the gumline to cover the exposed root structure. There are no grafts, no sutures, and no incisions needed with the Pinhole Surgical Technique. It simply involves the adjustment of the existing tissue. An enhanced PST™is achieved by utilizing Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF). Simply put, your blood is taken chair-side from a vein in your arm by Dr. Etess himself. In about ten minutes, the blood is prepared and processed with absolutely NO CHEMICALS, and it is ready for immediate use to help HEAL YOU. PRF is a revolutionary leap forward in dental healing. The PRF plug that is created contains your own growth factors, growth proteins, healing platelet cytokines, and the all-important regenerative stem cells. The PRF becomes your own dynamic super biomaterial to biologically stimulate your Pinhole soft tissue gum lift repair and regeneration, and to aid and accelerate wound healing. There are only about 1500 dentists WORLD WIDE who can perform and are certified in the Pinhole Surgical Technique, and only a very small fraction of them like Dr. Jeffrey Etess utilize PRF to achieve even greater results.

how is pst performed
benefits of pinhole surgical technique

There are many benefits of the Pinhole Surgical Technique including:

  • Less discomfort for the patient after treatment
  • Faster recovery for the patient than traditional grafting
  • No need for uncomfortable ugly sutures
  • No need for scalpels or invasive surgical tools
  • No need to take donor tissue from the patient’s palate
  • Immediately noticeable
  • Excellent, natural-looking, long-lasting results

What is the cost of PST, Gum Recession Treatment?

The cost for the Pinhole Surgical Technique varies for each individual. Treatment cost is based on a number of things including:

  • Severity of gingival recession
  • Number of teeth that have receding gums
  • Difficulty of individual case