How Painful is Gum Grafting?
Before we approach the level of discomfort or pain you could encounter after a gum grafting procedure you first need to understand that pain levels are relative. When your dentist questions your pain level on a scale from 1 to 10, we all have our subjective opinions. Pain is relative to our own individual experiences and our personal mental and physical composition. With this as a baseline, you will indeed have discomfort after gum grafting. Let us first discuss the reasons for considering gum grafting, the surgical procedure and then the healing process.
Why Consider a Gum Grafting Procedure?
Gum grafting is quite often the result of gum recession. This is the natural result of simply aging and can also be accelerated with some personal habits. Gum recession occurs when the root of a tooth becomes exposed. The exposed tooth root does not have the hard protective enamel found on the crown so this will result in increased sensitivity to both hot and cold and will also lead to bone loss. It can even progress to the actual loss of the tooth. Gum recession also negatively affects your smile. With time you will not immediately notice the change, but the perception of the balance between your teeth and gums is changing. Gum grafting will have positive health implications as well as improving your self-image with the restoration of your healthy smile. If you do not practice proper oral hygiene at home, you are allowing plaque to build up on your teeth which then immediately infects the gums from gum or periodontal disease. This is a leading cause of accelerating gum recession. Tobacco products also negatively affect your gums. Diabetes will advance gum recession and even aggressive brushing with a stiff-bristle toothbrush will have a negative impact. Finally, there is your own genetic makeup.
The Gum Grafting Procedure
Most often the graft will come from the roof of your mouth. Then this grafting tissue will be added to the recession area with sutures. The graft might also come from another gum area that has an excess amount of tissue or sometimes it can come from a tissue bank. With the application of a local anesthetic, you will have no pain or discomfort during your procedure. When the anesthesia subsides, you will encounter some discomfort.
The Recovery and Healing Process
You will be sore for a few days, and you might encounter some minor swelling. The level of your discomfort can be controlled and neutralized with an over-the-counter pain medication. If your pain is elevated your dentist could prescribe additional pain medication. An antibiotic might be added to minimize the possibility of infection. You will be instructed not to brush your teeth around your sutures. You will be given a list of food and drink to avoid, because this is about eating softer foods to minimize your biting and chewing. Hot beverages should also be avoided. This will last your first week and then the restrictions will be revised, based on the extent of your procedure and your personal ability to heal. The discomfort is reasonably short lived and is honestly better than the ongoing sensitivity from the exposed tooth roots.