Gum recession

Posting this here because I am not sure where else to post...

I went to the dentist last week for Xrays/Cleaning. I havent been in a few years...I KNOW...very bad.

I went to a new dentist because I have never been very fond of any dentist ive seen in the past, so I figured better time than any.

In the past, every dentist has told me that I do have gum recession,which I know of course because I can see/feel it. Ive never had any cavities and have very healthy teeth in general.

The only comment they have ever made was that I am self inflicting the gum recession by brushing too hard and that I should always use a soft brush and try to avoid the gumline. OK - will do.

So back to the present, I am at the new dentist and and dental hygenist is doing my xrays, etc...and she says, wow, you have pretty bad gum recession, has anyone ever told you this? and I said, yes, but I was always told its because I brush too hard etc. And shes like, No I dont think thats the case, the dentist will talk to you about it.

So the dentist comes in and he starts explaining that the reason I have gum recession is because the piece of tissue at the top of my gums is too tight and over time it is actually pulling the gums upward away from the teeth...

I was dumbfounded.

I had actually wanted to discuss bonding my 2 front teeth together since i have a slight space, but he says that he wont even consider that until i have the gum recession issue addressed. he said I need to consult with a periodontist which he will recommend and have surgery where they actually clip the tissue and graft the gumline where it has receded!!!

I dont even know what to do - im trying to research online and I cant find much on this issue or procedure.

Please, has anyone ever heard of this??? Its in invasive? I would really love to hear from someone who has had this or knows someone. would help me put myself more at ease....

Gum recession

Yes, I had a that procedure done - many years ago. If I recall correctly, it was called a gingival graft. The thought of it freaked me out completely - they basically remove skin from the roof of your mouth and graft it onto your gumline. I had it done on all 4 quadrants of my mouth at once and to be honest, it wasn't fun, but it also wasn't quite as bad as I anticipated.Before I had it done, my insurance company told me that general anesthesia was not covered! I didn't care and paid for it myself - there was no way in hell I could be aware of what was going on and make it through the procedure! It was actually not general anesthesia, but "conscious sedation" - but it made a huge difference! I don't remember specifics about the recovery. I do recall that for some period of time I had to have a covering over all of the areas where it was done (which was my whole mouth). The covering was almost like silly putty. Not sure how long that was for. I was kind of out of it and on pain killers for a day or two. Could only have liquids for a while. The only other thing I really remember was that I went on vacation to Mexico a couple of months later and I was very paranoid about getting an infection. I wouldn't go snorkeling because I didn't want that plastic thing in my mouth or the water. If I remember anything else, I'll let you know

Message edited 9/22/2015 4:07:08 PM.

Gum recession

I had this done on one side of my mouth. It wasn't too bad. The roof of your mouth feels like you had a pizza burn. I was not sedated. Good luck!

Re: Gum recession

Re: Gum recession

Posted by Jacquelina

Posted by chilltocam

Yes, I had a that procedure done - many years ago. If I recall correctly, it was called a gingival graft. The thought of it freaked me out completely - they basically remove skin from the roof of your mouth and graft it onto your gumline. I had it done on all 4 quadrants of my mouth at once and to be honest, it wasn't fun, but it also wasn't quite as bad as I anticipated.Before I had it done, my insurance company told me that general anesthesia was not covered! I didn't care and paid for it myself - there was no way in hell I could be aware of what was going on and make it through the procedure! It was actually not general anesthesia, but "conscious sedation" - but it made a huge difference! I don't remember specifics about the recovery. I do recall that for some period of time I had to have a covering over all of the areas where it was done (which was my whole mouth). The covering was almost like silly putty. Not sure how long that was for. I was kind of out of it and on pain killers for a day or two. Could only have liquids for a while. The only other thing I really remember was that I went on vacation to Mexico a couple of months later and I was very paranoid about getting an infection. I wouldn't go snorkeling because I didn't want that plastic thing in my mouth or the water. If I remember anything else, I'll let you know

O.M.G - this sounds REALLY bad, LOL. Thank you though - you're still alive to talk about it, so I guess thats reassuring

Re: Gum recession

Posted by chilltocam

Posted by Jacquelina

Posted by chilltocam

Yes, I had a that procedure done - many years ago. If I recall correctly, it was called a gingival graft. The thought of it freaked me out completely - they basically remove skin from the roof of your mouth and graft it onto your gumline. I had it done on all 4 quadrants of my mouth at once and to be honest, it wasn't fun, but it also wasn't quite as bad as I anticipated.Before I had it done, my insurance company told me that general anesthesia was not covered! I didn't care and paid for it myself - there was no way in hell I could be aware of what was going on and make it through the procedure! It was actually not general anesthesia, but "conscious sedation" - but it made a huge difference! I don't remember specifics about the recovery. I do recall that for some period of time I had to have a covering over all of the areas where it was done (which was my whole mouth). The covering was almost like silly putty. Not sure how long that was for. I was kind of out of it and on pain killers for a day or two. Could only have liquids for a while. The only other thing I really remember was that I went on vacation to Mexico a couple of months later and I was very paranoid about getting an infection. I wouldn't go snorkeling because I didn't want that plastic thing in my mouth or the water. If I remember anything else, I'll let you know

O.M.G - this sounds REALLY bad, LOL. Thank you though - you're still alive to talk about it, so I guess thats reassuring

Sorry - didn't mean to freak you out, but wanted to be honest. I am a HUGE baby when it comes to dental work, so take it from that perspective too. And yes, I lived to tell the tale . I do remember thinking before the procedure that I would need painkillers for days and days, but in reality, didn't need them for nearly as long as I expected. I had it done over 10 years ago by Dr. Howard Popper. I thought he was great, but since it was such a long time ago, can't really say that he still is (not saying that he's not still great - it's just been such a long time).

Gum recession

I've had it done twice. I think the worst part is the graft. You can opt for donor tissue, at least I was given that option, but that grossed me out. So, the take tissue from the soft part in the roof of your mouth... not fun. I don't want to go into specifics... ask any questions.


I had to alter my diet as well. Solid foods just weren't happening.

Re: Gum recession

I have no experience but the mouth heals fast so that's a plus to having this done.

Dental work is never easy. Hope you have a speedy recovery!