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Gum Grafting

Gum Grafting is a dental surgery usually recommended for treating gum recession. Your dentist/periodontist would remove healthy gum tissue from the roof of the mouth or take tissue from a donor(human/animal/pig) and use it to build the gum back up where it has receded.

When your gum tissue moves away from the tooth resulting in a Gum recession, it would expose more of the teeth(dentin) at its root. This causes increased sensitivity especially when eating or drinking hot or cold foods, cavities.

When is Gum Grafting recommended?

The Dentist or a periodontist evaluates the condition of the gum and the surrounding bone and tooth structure and recommends grafting with/without the addition of extra bone.

Procedure: After exposing the teeth and cleaning the gum and the surrounding area, dentist introduces extra gum tissue and closes the exposed area with sutures.

Risks

There are relatively very few risks and the dentist usually goes through the medical history and all the precautions will be taken to mitigate the risks. Potential risks could involve swelling, pain, prolonged numbness.

Recovery

Swelling will be present for a couple of days after the surgery and slowly subsides. Care should be taken to keep the surgical area clean and proper post surgical instructions should be followed that are given by the doctor.

What is the cost of gum grafting?

Depends on the extent of the tissue that is missing, whether or not extra bone tissue is required and the tissue used is from the donor/self. Gum grafting usually ranges from $500 to $1000 for a single tooth but may increase depending on the complexity.

Q: Can I eat or drink prior to my gum graft surgery?

A: Unless you opt for sedation which requires empty stomach, we advise you to have a regular meal and take appropriate medications as indicated, brush and floss before showing up to surgery

Q: Can I drive after the procedure?

A: No. You must not operate an automobile or heavy equipment for 24 hours after the procedure. If you are taking a narcotic medication, we recommend that you do not drive.

Q: Will I be sedated for performing gum grafting surgery?

A: Yes.

Q: What is “Conscious Sedation”?

A: A mild sedative given intravenously also known as “twilight sedation”.

AFTER SURGERY

Q: When can I start brushing my teeth again?

A: We advice you to brush only the teeth after gum surgery. Do not touch the gums but brush your teeth cautiously as hygiene is very important for adequate healing

Q: I have bleeding in the area of my surgery. What should I do?

A: You might have a little bit of bleeding at the surgical site. It can be either due to trauma from tooth brushing or food impaction. Allow it to form a clot and perform regular hygiene measures. If it still bothers you, call our office

Q: I have some swelling and bruising after surgery. What should I do?

A: Swelling is normal after surgery. You will have swelling at its peak during the third and fourth day after surgery but slowly it will go away. If swelling persists even after a week, let your doctor know

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