During a gum graft surgery, your periodontist will: Give you local anesthesia. This numbs your teeth and gums in that area. Many periodontists also offer sedation dentistry options for your comfort, including nitrous oxide, oral sedation and IV sedation.
During your gum graft surgery, you'll probably be awake like most people, or perhaps opt to be sedated. Most patients do not require anything more than local anesthetics to numb the area. Once the area is numb you will only feel slight applied pressure but will not feel pain or sharpness.
Most gum surgery procedures take around 2 hours to complete. In some cases, the surgery will require a person to be asleep or partially asleep during the procedure. Other times, the surgery only involves the use of a local anesthetic to numb the gums. The injection of the numbing medication can be mildly uncomfortable.
For bone grafting and other oral surgery procedures, you have several dental anesthesia options, and the choice is typically yours to make, based on the recommendation of your oral surgeon. Many patients here at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Utah prefer laughing gas, otherwise known as nitrous oxide.
Refrain from speaking – keeping your mouth closed will benefit your recovery pace. Besides, your gums will be tender, swollen, and painful, which will get worse if you keep opening your mouth. Your oral surgeon will recommend refraining from talking for about three days immediately after your surgery.
For the most part, patients can drive themselves home after a gum graft. Local anesthesia (novocain) is typically used to numb the areas where the procedure takes place. In some cases, patients opt for a sedative. In this case, transportation will need to be arranged to travel home from the dentist's office.
If you use your own tissue, the most teeth you can typically graft at once would probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-8 teeth. With alloderm, you could graft every single tooth in your mouth in one sitting!
If you have dental treatment under general anaesthetic but do not need to stay in hospital overnight, we see you in the dental day surgery unit. This is called day case treatment. Having a general anaesthetic means that you are asleep during surgery and do not feel any pain.
In some cases, it may be too late for gum grafting to save the gums. If your gums are severely damaged, receding so far back that they expose the tooth's root, or if there is significant bone loss from advanced gum disease, gum grafting may not be able to restore them to their healthy state.
While a gum graft procedure isn't considered major surgery, it does require some recovery time and short-term modifications to your diet. The procedure typically takes tissue from the roof of the mouth, also known as the palate. The healthy tissue is attached to the location where dead and diseased tissue was removed.
Gum grafting is a highly safe and effective procedure; it has been tested and proven successful in treating countless cases of receding and thinning gums due to aggressive brushing and gum disease. Still, complications and infections may occur, especially without proper post-op care.
In addition, patients will frequently complain of a bad smell and indicate their graft is “dead.” Because plasmatic circulation is important to graft survival, pooling of blood — sufficient to form a clot at the interface between host and graft tissues — will be detrimental to success.
You should be able to resume light activity and even return to work after the first 24 hours, but because you'll be eating less and should avoid talking, it's best to stay home and off your feet for at least three days if possible.
It is common to also have some swelling for the first few days following your gum graft. To help alleviate this discomfort, your dentist may recommend over the counter pain relief medication, like Tylenol or Ibuprofen. They may also recommend antibiotics if they are concerned you are at risk of developing an infection.
What does gum grafting treatment involve? Once the need for gum grafting surgery has been determined, there are several treatments the dentist will want perform before gum grafting takes place. First, the teeth must be thoroughly cleaned supra and subgingivally to remove calculus (tartar) and bacteria.
Once you are completely asleep and comfortable, the surgeon places local anesthesia to numb the extraction areas. A rubber bite block helps to support your jaw during surgery and also keeps your mouth open if you are being sedated. It also protects your jaw joint (TMJ) by preventing excessive pressure during surgery.
Sedation or Sleep dentistry is a valuable tool for minimizing discomfort during dental procedures. It can also allow your doctor to complete a substantial amount of dental work in one (1) appointment.
Happily, there is no strict oral surgery dress code. It's more a basic list of recommendations for what not to wear. Don't wear something you're not comfortable in. Generally, loose fitting clothing is best.
About 15-20% of the patients ages 20-35 have some sort of gum recession and may require grafting. About 75% of people older than 50 will require some form of gum grafting due to age and normal chewing.
Is gum graft surgery worth it? Gum grafting boasts high success rates of over 90%. This procedure gives you the best chance of treating gum recession and improving your overall oral health. Left untreated, gum recession can result in cavities, severe gum disease, tooth mobility and even eventual tooth loss.
How long does the procedure take? When arriving at our dental office for a gum grafting procedure, you can expect the entire process to take about 1-1.5 hours. While the surgery itself should take no longer than one hour, it is best to allow for extra time to ensure you are comfortable.
The cost of gum grafting starts at $1200. There are other factors, like the severity, that may increase the cost. Remember, we have payment options available to suit your budget.
After 24 Hours.
You may return to normal daily routine, but avoid strenuous activities such as heavy lifting, or exercise programs which elevate your heart rate for 1 week following surgery.
On average, a gum graft can cost between $600 and $1,200 for a small area around one tooth. Dental insurance often covers at least part of the cost of a gum graft. If it is deemed medically necessary, medical insurance may provide some coverage for gum graft surgery as well since it is a surgical procedure.