William L. Purifoy, DDS Periodontics & Implant Surgery

Gingival (gum) grafting

Before		After

Symptom/chief concern: "Thinning gums and progressive soft tissue recession . The right side was previously treated by another periodontist using palatal donor tissue. The patient reported that "it was a very bad experience."

Objective findings: Clinical evaluation revealed generalized marginal tissue recession with exposure of roots and margins of crowns. Anatomic conditions (thin gum tissue) were a high risk factor for continued worsening on the future.

Action: Grafting the untreated left side using a commercially available regenerative tissue matrix allograft. This allowed a large number of teeth to be grafted without using palatal donor tissue. The patient experienced minimal discomfort.

Plan: Patient has returned to her general dentist for follow-up care and she has recommended Dr. Purifoy to her friends.

Scientific Evidence Links Periodontal Disease and Cardiovascular Disease

CHICAGO—Cardiovascular disease, the leading killer of men and women in the United States, is a major public health issue contributing to 2,400 deaths each day. Periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory disease that destroys bone and gum tissues that support the teeth affects nearly 75 percent of Americans and is the major cause of adult tooth loss.