"The gum grew into my tooth..." Saving a Tooth Nearly Sentenced to Extraction with Gum Surgery and Resin Wall Build-up

Hello, this is **Dr. Kang Seokhoon, Director of TTE Dental Clinic — where we never give up on saving your natural teeth.** When severe decay is left untreated and the tooth crumbles away, the **gum tissue can grow into the cavity** — a frightening experience. In dental terms, this is called gum tissue hyperplasia. When this occurs, every touch of a dental instrument causes bleeding and severely limits visibility, dramatically increasing treatment difficulty. This is exactly the kind of case where a patient might hear: **"The decay is too extensive — the tooth needs to be extracted."** However, if the tooth root is still healthy, it is too early to give up. Today, we share the story of saving a tooth so severely affected that the gum had practically engulfed it — through **precise gum surgery and resin wall construction.** **[Treatment Process]** #### **1. Before Treatment: A Tooth Overtaken by Gum Tissue** This was the condition at the first visit. Most of the tooth crown had been destroyed by decay, and the empty space was completely filled with **swollen gum tissue.**

The gum had invaded the interior of the tooth to the point where it was impossible to distinguish tooth structure from gum tissue — touching the area caused immediate bleeding. #### **2. Gum Tissue Removal and Crown Lengthening** Before any restorative treatment can begin, we must first **identify the tooth boundaries.** The overgrown gum tissue is carefully removed, and if necessary, the underlying bone is reshaped to expose the tooth above the gum line — a procedure known as **crown lengthening.**

After clearing the gum tissue, the hidden root and tooth margins are finally revealed. Now we are ready to begin treatment. #### **3. Rubber Dam Placement & Resin Wall Construction (Key Step)**

This is the **highlight** of today's treatment. Root canal therapy requires a sealed environment where disinfectant cannot leak out and saliva cannot enter — but with most of the tooth walls destroyed, achieving this seal was impossible. The solution: place a **rubber dam** and build **artificial walls using composite resin** around the remaining tooth structure.

**"Why go through all this complexity?"** This **resin wall** is essential for rubber dam placement, and the rubber dam is essential for completing **root canal treatment in a bacteria-free environment.** Skipping this step significantly increases the risk of bacterial contamination during treatment, which often leads to extraction. #### **4. Root Canal Treatment and Zirconia Crown Restoration (After)** Thanks to the resin wall, root canal treatment was completed under sterile conditions. The tooth was then reinforced, and a **zirconia crown** was placed as the final restoration.

Here is the completed result. The bleeding, swollen mess from the initial visit is gone — replaced by a strong, beautiful tooth. ### **[Do Not Give Up on Your Natural Teeth]** The case shown today is, from the dentist's perspective, a time-consuming and demanding treatment. Removing the overgrown gum (crown lengthening) and building resin walls for rubber dam placement require far more effort than simply extracting the tooth and placing an implant. However, **no matter how advanced an implant may be, it can never be better than your original natural tooth.** At **TTE Dental Clinic,** no matter how challenging the situation appears, if there is even a **1% chance** of saving the tooth, we follow evidence-based protocols (rubber dam, adhesion, resin wall) to protect your natural teeth to the very end.