Oral Health | Article

Provincial insurance doesn't cover gum grafts. Your insurance probably doesn't either. Here's what 25,000 Canadians are doing instead for $54.90 CAD a month.

If you were just quoted $3,000 CAD-$5,000 CAD per tooth for a graft, or if you've already had one that didn't hold, read this before making any decision.

Dr. Sophie Beaumont

By Dr. Sophie Beaumont, DMD, MS | Certified Periodontist

Last updated: April 2026

Before/After gum recession

20 to 30% of gum grafts fail within the first year. Provincial insurance doesn't cover the procedure. And your dentist probably won't give you that number before you sign the quote.

I've been a periodontist in Canada for 15 years.

I've billed hundreds of gum grafts. $3,000 CAD to $5,000 CAD per tooth. Patients paying out of pocket because provincial insurance doesn't cover adults between 18 and 64.

Some of those grafts held. Others didn't.

And for years, when the tissue detached after 12-18 months, I used the same line as all my colleagues: "It happens. The tissue doesn't always take."

It took me 15 years to understand that "it happens" wasn't an explanation. It was an admission of ignorance.

The reason no one tells you when a graft fails

A gum graft takes tissue from the palate and attaches it to the area of recession.

But no one asks the fundamental question: why did the gum recede in the first place?

If the gum receded because the collagen — which makes up 89% of gum tissue — degrades with age, then attaching new tissue onto a crumbling foundation, how long is that going to hold?

The answer: 12 to 18 months, on average, for the 20-30% that fail.

The new tissue has nothing to attach to. The foundation underneath continues to degrade. The tissue detaches.

$3,200 CAD. $4,500 CAD. Sometimes $6,000 CAD. Lost.

It's like putting new drywall on cracking foundations. It's going to look good for a few months. And then it's going to crack again.
Gum graft surgery

Provincial insurance, your insurance, and the $4,500 CAD no one wants to pay

In Canada, the situation is absurd.

Provincial health insurance covers dental care for children under 10. For people on social assistance. For those 65 and older.

But if you're between 18 and 64 and earning a living? Nothing.

You can have receding gums, blood every morning, exposed roots — provincial insurance will tell you it's not covered.

Your private insurance? If you still have one. Many employers cut dental plans back in 2023-2024. And even those that still have them rarely cover grafts in full.

What's left?

$4,500 CAD out of pocket. Per tooth.

Payment plan? $375 CAD per month for 12 months. Per tooth.

For a treatment that fails in 20-30% of cases.

What your dentist never explained about your gums

Your gums are made up of 89% type I collagen.

That's not an opinion. That's biology.

Collagen is the foundation. It's what holds everything together. It's what protects your roots. It's what keeps your teeth stable.

After age 25, your body produces 1% less collagen each year.

By age 50, you've lost 25% of your production.
By 60, it's more than a third.

Your toothpaste kills bacteria. That's it. It doesn't feed collagen.
Your mouthwash disinfects the surface. The problem is underneath.
Your electric brush scrubs. It doesn't repair the structure.

None of these products address the root cause.

And collagen capsules? The stomach acid in your gut destroys 80% before it reaches your gums. Studies show that only 1 to 3% of oral collagen makes it to the periodontal tissue.

You swallow collagen for your skin and your joints. Your gums get almost none of it.

Healthy vs degraded collagen in the gums

The $54.90 CAD solution that does what the $4,500 CAD graft is trying to do

If the problem is degrading collagen, the solution is to feed collagen directly. Not through the stomach. Not through digestion. Directly onto the gum.

Topical application of type I collagen delivers the peptides exactly where they're needed.

85% absorption in 2 minutes. Compared to 1-3% with capsules.

It's like putting medication directly on a wound instead of swallowing it and hoping it gets there.

30 seconds. Twice a day. After regular brushing.

Gum graft

$4,500 CAD

per tooth / insurance doesn't cover

GenciVie

$54.90 CAD

per month / money-back guarantee

GenciVie vs common solutions comparison
Woman using GenciVie

How GenciVie restores your gums naturally

Type I bovine collagen peptides

The exact type of collagen that makes up 90% of your gums. Size optimized for gum absorption.

Triple-hydrolysis process

Processed 3 times to reach 3,000 Daltons — the perfect size to penetrate gum tissue.

Nano-hydroxyapatite

Rebuilds enamel and seals exposed tubules that cause sensitivity.

Vitamin C (500mg)

Essential cofactor for collagen synthesis by your own body.

Discover GenciVie — Collagen powder for gums

GenciVie - Collagen powder for gums

★★★★★ Thousands of Canadians have made the switch

Real results. Real people.

"My dentist wanted to do a graft at $4,500 CAD. Provincial insurance wouldn't cover it. I couldn't afford it. I tried GenciVie as a last resort. 8 weeks later, my hygienist said my measurements had changed. $54.90 CAD vs $4,500 CAD. The choice wasn't hard."

— Martin, 50, Burnaby, BC

"Graft failed after 14 months. $3,200 CAD lost. My periodontist wanted to start over. I said no. 3 months of GenciVie later, the recession has stabilized. I should have started there."

— Janet, 57, Hamilton, ON

"3 quotes. $4,100 CAD, $4,500 CAD, $4,800 CAD. Per tooth. I have 3 that need treatment. I make $55K a year. Do the math. GenciVie is the only thing that gave me hope without putting me in debt."

— Andrew, 48, Kitchener, ON
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Janet, 57: "After a failed $3,200 CAD graft, here's what happened"

When the product arrived, I didn't believe in it. Not after everything I'd tried.

Week 1 Nothing. I was so used to being disappointed that I expected nothing.
Week 2 Bleeding when brushing had decreased. I had been bleeding every morning for 3 years.
Week 3 My husband told me "you look less tired in the morning." He didn't know it was because I wasn't spending 10 minutes stressing in front of the mirror anymore.
Week 5 I ate corn on the cob at my sister's. Without thinking. She was the one who pointed out that I hadn't winced.
Week 8 My hygienist measured. "Janet, your measurements have changed. The recession has stabilized."
Week 12 Went back to the periodontist. "There has been some regeneration," he said. "That's not something we see often."

$54.90 CAD a month. After $3,200 CAD of failed graft. After $225 CAD of useless capsules.

The choice that could save your smile — and your wallet

Right now, you have two options.

Option 1

Schedule a graft. Pay $3,000 CAD to $5,000 CAD per tooth that provincial insurance won't cover. Endure weeks of recovery. Hope the tissue holds — even though 20-30% fail in the first year. Watch the recession start again because no one ever fed the collagen.

Option 2

Try GenciVie for $54.90 CAD. Give your gums the collagen they're literally made of. 30 seconds, twice a day. See what happens in 8-12 weeks.

GenciVie comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

If your gums don't improve, you get every cent back. No questions asked.

Special offer — Free shipping across Canada

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This article is produced by Vellora. Individual results may vary. Testimonials reflect individual experiences and do not constitute guaranteed results. GenciVie is an oral care product, not a medical device. It has not been evaluated by Health Canada. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare professional before starting any new health program. This is an advertisement and not a news article, blog, or consumer protection update.

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