A friend where I used to work said she had gum-graft surgery recently, and was dealing with a lot of stitches in her mouth. I hadn't ever heard of gum-graft surgery before, so I wanted to find out a little more about it. I assumed it had something to do with gum disease. I was only partially right.
If you have some teeth where the gum has receded enough that the root is exposed and it causes you pain or discomfort, you may be a candidate for this kind of procedure. The periodontist basically takes some tissue from the roof of your mouth (ouch, I know) and transplants it to the area where it will cover the part of your tooth's root that is showing. Your palate, where the tissue was taken, is packed and sutured for healing. It feels better in a couple of weeks, but takes more like 6-8 weeks to heal completely. (It does fill in completely.)
Here's a great page of frequently asked questions from the University of Cincinnati/Ohio State University's wellness site:
http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/gumdisease/gumgraftsurgery.cfm
And this periodontist's page has some before-and-after photographs. It's not pretty, I know, but it's really informative:
http://www.beverlyhillsperio.com/gum-grafts.aspx
The good news? My friend was worried, but she actually had other people who'd had the surgery tell her that it went fine, and that their recovery was not that difficult. And having healthy gums grow back over what used to be exposed root surfaces is going to help prevent bone loss and pain in the future.
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Tina, thank you! Your experience actually doesn't sound nearly as bad as I'd imagined (but then, I've always been somewhat of an admitted dental phobic). I can't imagine how you felt not being able to brush, floss, rinse or clean for several weeks, however. That just goes against everything we've been used to doing all our lives!!! But I'll pass this information on to my friend. She'll be very glad to hear it.
August 24, 2009 - 8:48amThis Comment
Diane, I've had this procedure performed a few times now and while the first week is uncomfortable, I have had some success. Here were a few impressions:
The roof of my mouth (where they removed the tissue to graft onto the gums) was tender for four or five days. While the discomfort went away, it took a while for the roof of my mouth to feel 'normal' as I felt I had a 'ridge' for several months.
Care of the area was difficult. In order to have the tissue mesh properly with the gums, the area can't be brushed, flossed, rinsed or cleaned for several weeks. This doesn't exactly feel hygenic and I felt I had a strange taste in my mouth because of it.
Also, the tissue doesn't always 'take' and may separate slightly from the gum over time as was my case. The dentist was able to use the initial tissue to pull it over the tooth, but we just always want things to work the first time.
Finally, my dentist mentioned that bonding is an option to having my gums grafted -- which I've tried as well. I've had a few areas bonded and found it greatly decreased sensitivity and has made it easier for me to eat hot and cold foods without a lot of discomfort. This wasn't the case with the gum grafting. The downside to the bonding is that they need to be replaced about every seven years or so my dentist says.
August 21, 2009 - 10:24amThis Comment