# Who's had a gum graft? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779 "2004-09-30T02:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/1 "2004-09-30T02:08:00Z")
I’ll be needing three of them really soon. I have receeding gums (genetic). I watched the video in the dentist’s office and it looks relatively easy. If I’m reading my dental insurance correctly, the procedure is covered. This is good since it can cost $300-500 per graft! Anybody have them? ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/2 "2004-09-30T02:41:59Z")
Had them several years ago. Not too bad but it did hurt. They advised no hot, cold, or crunchy foods. I fond oatmeal and pudding could sustain me for several months, as well as Mrs. Smith’s Oreo Cream Pies. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/3 "2004-09-30T02:42:59Z")
Months!?! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/4 "2004-09-30T04:38:10Z")
My wife had her gums grafted a month ago. She fainted right after the procedure (don’t worry, not the first time). She had some pain and trouble eating for a while but she was fine after about 2 weeks. The dentist gave her oxycontin for pain but she only needed it for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/5 "2004-09-30T12:05:43Z")
**Pepper Mill** is undergoing these right now. She’s been eating a lot of soft foods (even applesauce, which she normally _hates_) and taking pain pills. She’s had extensive bruising on her face, so it looks as if I’ve been beating her. But she’s borne up pretty well, and she’s almost through it. Between the pills and everything, though, she’s pretty exhausted. ---
**Author:** ![swannguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@swannguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swannguy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/6 "2004-09-30T13:31:26Z")
I apologize for the slight hijack… How about bone-grafts? Just came back from my periodointist and was told that my bone-decay is quite advanced. He’s planing on 2 bone-grafts, as well as some pocket reductions…Too bad my crappy insurance isn’t covering it all - possibly looking at a $3K out-of-pocket expense Thanks, ---
**Author:** ![Fox\_Paws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/85e7bf/32.png) [@Fox\_Paws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fox_Paws)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/7 "2004-09-30T14:03:10Z")
I had tissue from the roof of my mouth grafted onto my lower gum as part of an overall mouth makeover (for functional, not aesthetic, reasons). Some of my observations: [ul] [li]Watching the periodontist jab a needle into the roof of my mouth was … weird.[/li][li]Sitting there while the periodontist sliced out a chunk of the roof of my mouth was even weirder. It didn’t hurt, though. It was a bit uncomfortable simply because of the angles involved.[/li][li]I was a weird case. I had had jaw surgery a few months prior to the grafting procedure. I had retained some mild numbness in my lower lip and chin from that surgery. Apparently that messed with the periodontist’s ability to make my lower gum fully numb on one side. He gave me a half-dozen shots before I finally told him to just finish the graft even though I could still partially feel what he was doing on one side. Thank goodness for a naturally high pain tolerance![/li][li]On the side where he _did_ get me completely numb I was fine. The stitching process was a little interesting to experience.[/li][li]I don’t recall the healing process being a problem. Then again, compared to the jaw surgery I had been through earlier, the graft was nothin’. The periodontist gave me some drugs for the pain. I didn’t use them all. But like I said, I have a high pain tolerance. I don’t like taking drugs if I don’t have to.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/8 "2004-09-30T17:55:35Z")
Hmmm. I just had that done about a month and a-half ago. The procedure was uncomfortable, but not horrible. The gum and graft site were fine – no real pain after the fact. After a day or so, however, the pain from donor site got to be fairly intense. The doctor gave me Vicoden, which made me nauseous, so I switched to Advil. It was just incredibly uncomfortable. When the Advil wore off there would be bouts (5-10 minute periods) of intense pain, where I just wanted to cry. Then the new dose of Advil would kick in, and it would be ok again for a few hours. It was tough to get a good night’s sleep, because at some point the Advil would wear off, and the pain would start up again. Eating was very difficult – I lost ten pounds in a week, from a modified starvation diet. After about two weeks, the pain was reduced to a mild discomfort. Now, a month and a half later, the spot is still sensitive, but not painful at all. So, good luck – I may just be a wimp (especially after reading some of the other experiences above), but, at my recent follow up appointment, when the doc said he wanted to schedule the same procedure for the other side, I just about decked him. I don’t know what I’m going to do, because I sure as hell don’t want to go through that again! ---
**Author:** ![Nuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea666f/32.png) [@Nuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nuke)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/9 "2004-09-30T18:31:25Z")
I had 4 small gum grafts done in 1996 to help prevent periodontal disease and protect some grooves I’d cut into the bottoms of my canine teeth from brushing side-to-side. You can still see them; they’re like little bumps near my canine teeth. No significant pain from them. The gum tissue came from the roof of my mouth and I was on novocaine only for pain relief. I had some other stuff done at the same time, so the gum grafts were the least of my problems. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-had-a-gum-graft/266779/10 "2004-09-30T22:04:22Z")
Interesting mix of stories. Based on previous oral surgeries, I think I’ll be okay. I have to make an appointment with the surgeon next week for a consultation. I’ll call the insurance company first to make absolutely sure it’s all covered. Back in 2002. I had a wisdom tooth cut out. The surgeon looked at the x-ray and claimed he’d never seen one come so perfectly sideways. He later sent a letter to my regular dentist saying how it was one of the most difficult extractions he’d ever done. I felt very, very little pain afterwards and only had to take one pain pill. Difficult or not, he did a fine job. The hole is still filling in, though.