Gum surgery - not to be read by the squeamish

[Blackandblue]

Ny daughter is severely handicapped. One aspect of this is that she cannot take any food orally. This in turn has lead to teething issues - she does not chew on food (or anything) so her teeth do not develop in the normal way and more particularly do not "fall out". Additionally, her gums are very large and swollen. This is also due to some of the medication that she takes.

At her last dentist appointment there was (brief) discussion about gum surgery to take her gums back. The dentist was not specialised in this field and was reluctant to discuss it in any great detail, suggesting we be referred to a gum specialist. This is in process.

In the meantime, I wondered whether anyone here had any experience of this type of surgery and any tips about what to expect.

It sounds pretty gruesome to me. I believe they effectively cut the excess gum away and leave the open wound to heal.

Sorry if this is a little unpalatable to some.

 

[snapper_37]

Poor kid, sounds pretty gruesome.

Have you had a nose around on the net? You can usually find medical journals etc.

Hope all goes well.

 

[accountantpete]

I had gum surgery 10 years back and the open wound was ok after it stopped bleeding but i think they popped a tube or something down my throat to carry out the operation so the worst bit was it being very painful to eat solids for 2-3 days after the op. They have probably improved their techniques these days - good luck

 

[Kirstie]

My S-I-L had this done a couple of years ago - essentially had her gums cut back. She said it was a bit uncomfortable for a week but once the dressing was removed she got back to normal pretty quick. The mouth is one of those places which heals really quickly.

 

[snapper_37]

My S-I-L had this done a couple of years ago - essentially had her gums cut back. She said it was a bit uncomfortable for a week but once the dressing was removed she got back to normal pretty quick. The mouth is one of those places which heals really quickly.

Can they do anything with receding gums because I have a dog tooth that could do with a bit of gum put back. Age and over brushing apparently.

I did have gum surgery when I had wisdom teeth took out but they were stitched. Wouldn't fancy an open wound.