Farber Center’s Dr. Chris Chondrogiannis underwent specialized training to become certified in the Pinhole Surgical Technique. Here is his experience:
The Training Course
The training for the surgical technique was an intense two-day course with the inventor of the technique, Dr. John Chao. It includes meticulous attention to the instrumentation that Dr. Chao has patented. The instruments are angled and sharpened in a specific way so as not to harm the soft tissue, and if used correctly they will mobilize and move the tissue. It took him about 13 years to perfect the instrumentation, and he has been using these particular instruments for the past four to five years.
Dr. Chris’s Experience
My training was hands-on. We did live surgery and then the follow-up the next day to see the healing. We spoke with the patient and got her take on it.
In my practice, when patients arrive, they already did their research on the Internet ahead of time. They learn that we can treat an entire arch in one visit, and that is a very attractive option.
A particular patient that I saw had cadaver soft tissue grafting on the lower front. She was unhappy that this technique would be needed for every tooth. That process would take twelve to eighteen months to complete. However, it would only take two Pinhole Surgical Technique appointments about two months apart to treat the upper and lower arches separately.
Immediately after the Pinhole Surgical Technique root surfaces look covered. That is achieved in about two hours, without suturing, and with minimal swelling and bleeding. The patient is very comfortable the next day simply taking Ibuprofen. Within a week everything starts looking nice and pink and healthy. By three weeks the result is excellent.
When the patient experiences excitement from the results of one tooth, they often want the procedure performed on the entire jaw. The overwhelming majority of our patients overcome their anxiety about gum grafting.
Ultimately, our patients are very happy with the Pinhole Surgical Technique at the Farber Center.
Dr. Chris Chondrogiannis
Periodontist
