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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Anyone ever needed a gum graft?
I just learned last week that my job might get cut to part time this spring, and now at my dentist appointment I found out I need gum graft surgery on my six bottom front teeth. Ugh. I have two questions for anyone who may have experienced this fun: 1. How bad did it hurt? 2. Do you mind sharing how much it cost? According to Google, it could be thousands 
Re: Anyone ever needed a gum graft?
1. According to my dentist, I was odd. He said that usually the donor spot hurts people the most. While not me! My gum graft site hurt alot. The donor site hurt like a bad pizza burn to the roof of my mouth. I only had one graft done, but it was pretty far down by the time I did the sugery which could be why the graft site hurt so bad for me. My graft was on my bottom front tooth, they also cut the thing that connects my bottom lip to the gum which is what was causing my problem (that didn't hurt at all). I had no problems since I had it done but you need some recovery time.
2. I think I paid a couple hundred out of pocket. Thank God for dental insurance because it probably would have been about a thousand for just the one graft.
Get an oral surgeon for this, you don't want your normal dentist to preform this procedure. Meet with more than one to find someone you are comfortable with
I had it done for the area on my two front bottom teeth. Not too fun. They took the skin off the roof of my mouth for it. I am a big baby though. I did have to go with an oral surgeon, which is HIGHLY recommended.
I can't remember what it would have cost, but I doubt much of it would be covered by insurance.
It really needed to be done, in my case. About 90% of my tooth was visible.
Just so you know...a gum graft will not help you keep your teeth. It is done for a few reasons
1) Cosmetic
2) Prevent you from getting cavities there
3) If you have sensitivity there it can help with this.
Just to let you know that gum grafts are not a for sure thing, it depends on the situation if it is even worth it.
I just had this done about 6 months ago. ?I think I had about 5 - 6 teeth involved too. ?But it depends on where the teeth are and how many sections they have to do it in. ?For mine, they had to do 3 separate sections. ?Each section was about $900 (pre-insurance). ?My insurance only covered 40% though, so I still ended up paying about $1200 out of pocket.
There are two different methods... one is to use tissue from your mouth and the other is to use artificial tissue. ?They said the results are better with the artificial, but it's more expensive. ?I had it done using my own tissue because I was told that I didn't have enough tissue at the graft site to support the artificial one.
The pain wasn't that bad. ?It hurt pretty bad for about a day or two. ?But they gave me vicodin, so that helped. ?I had each surgery done on a Thursday so I only had to take Friday off work and then had the weekend to recouperate. ?I was fine by Monday to go to work. ?In fact, the second time I had it done, I went out to dinner on Saturday night and was actually able to eat some pasta (softer foods are a must).
Good Luck!?
Hmm...I'm curious about that timing recommendation (unless you've had a history of perio disease or not-so-great brushing and flossing habits.) Typically, my patients who have excellent oral hygiene and regular hygiene visits before becoming pregnant do really well while pregnant. If you have not-so-great oral hygiene (i.e. lots of plaque left unbrushed and un-flossed) then, yes, the increased estrogen levels and blood flow to your gums can cause an exaggerated response to plaque while you're pregnant. But being pregnant alone isn't enough to create gum disease. So I disagree that pregnancy puts you at high risk for gum disease. Poor brushing and flossing while pregnant is what puts you at risk. It's plaque (and the lovely bugs living in that plaque) that cause gingivitis and or perio disease.?
I lurked over here after someone posted on D&R and here and thought I would chime in. . .
I was told the same thing by a periodonist (6 lowers due to braces and shifting) and put it off ($3000 is hard to come by for a poor college kid). After getting a second opinion, I was told I really only need one, b/c that is the only tooth exposed and clip at the bottom.
The 2nd opinion told me there is no guarntee the others will recede just b/c they are thinned. I am waiting for my ins. to kick in to max benefits before getting it done. HTH
Also, the 1st peri told me they would have to use cadaver skin b/c of the large area, that was several years ago, so they may have artificial now.
Well, that actually makes me feel a little better--I DO brush and floss
. Don't want anybody to think I have horrible hygiene or anything...the hygienist even said she could tell I floss, and I never have cavities. Maybe I can put this graft thing off for awhile...
?As you can probably tell from the ticker, I've started spending a little time over on the Bump boards and I have to say that it's a little distressing to hear people chalking gingivitis and periodontal disease up to pregnancy, as though it's just an inevitable symptom of pregnancy (it's not!) The key component (whether you're pregnant or not) is the plaque. No plaque=no disease. Easier said than done, I know. It's a little off track of your OP, but it's a hot button topic for me and I couldn't stop myself from putting that out there. Re: the grafting...if you're concerned, it never hurts to get a second opinion if you're not sure what's best for you. Worst case scenario is that your docs agree and you're doubly sure of your treatment plan.
About 10 years ago I asked if I needed it done and was told as long as I flossed and took good care of the area, it would be fine. Then 4 years ago, it had gotten worse and I was told it needed to be done. I got an estimate for $1500 (after what my then insurance picked up).
I decided to wait because I was getting married and 1 - moving on to DHs insurance and 2 - got to open an FSA, in which I planned to put the money to pay the out of pocket.
On DHs insurance, I went to a new dentist and new surgeon. I needed the graft on my front 2 lower teeth, and they planned to take the graft from the top of my mouth. I was also told that part would be worse then the graft itself.
The first doctor was going to make me a custom fit bandage for the top of my mouth. The second doctor did not do that, and my out of pocket charge only ended up being $600 after insurance.
It hurt, but was nothing that was completely unlivable. I recommend meal replacement shakes.
ago not only said was it the most painful thing he has had done, it did
not heal right and he lost his bottom 4 teeth and has to wear a bridge.
My mom had one done about 30 years ago and said th same thing and
developed a horrible staph infection up in her sinus. I know things can
happen, but this makes me not want to do it, Maybe procedures have
changed these days?
Any advise?