A therapy that helps regenerate receding gums may offer dental patients an alternative to more extensive and painful gum graft surgery, a small study finds.

In severe gum disease, the gums surrounding the team recede so extensively that the root of the tooth is exposed, leaving it susceptible to decay.

The conventional fix has been gingival graft surgery, which takes tissue from the roof of the patient's mouth (the palate) and grafts it onto the receding gums to cover the exposed root. That decreases susceptibility to root cavities, eliminates or decreases gum sensitivity, and improves cosmetic appearance.

While the surgery is effective, it can be painful and requires stitches in the roof of mouth. Patients often report that the palate surgery is the major source of pain from the gum graft procedure.

In the new study, published in the Journal of Periodontology, researchers at Tufts University in Boston looked at the long-term results of an alternative procedure known as "guided tissue regeneration," or GTR.

The GTR technique studied was developed at Tufts and involves drawing blood from the patient to retrieve blood platelets, which are rich in proteins called growth factors that aid in tissue repair.

A membrane made of collagen is soaked in the platelets and then sutured over the receding tooth root. Instead of leaving the dental office with stitches in the roof of their mouths, patients leave with a small bandage on the arm where the blood was drawn.

Dental surgeons Terrance J. Griffin and Wai S. Cheung followed six patients who had had the procedure done on 37 teeth. After six months, 24 out of 37 teeth from the six patients had complete root coverage (65 per cent). At 36 months, 21 out of 37 teeth from the six patients had complete root coverage (57 per cent).

The authors say the results are comparable to traditional gum grafting surgery. They say their study shows that the treatment is stable after three years. The treatment also offers excellent root coverage, is less painful that conventional surgery, and results in increased patient satisfaction, they say.

"Patients have a less invasive treatment option for receding gums and we now have evidence to support the stability of this relatively painless procedure," said Griffin, chair of the department of periodontology, and director of postdoctoral periodontology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston.

Griffin noted that the technique is time-consuming, technically more difficult, slightly more expensive and still not widely available.

But "the end result -- improved esthetics, reduced pain, and, most importantly, improved oral health for the patient -- make it a valuable and important alternative," said Griffin.

Gum disease is one of the most common dental problems among adult Canadians. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, periodontal disease is the primary cause of tooth loss in adults aged 35 and older.