DENTAL GRAFT DIARIES: The Story

As you may already know, I enjoy the benefits of retail therapy.  Shopping is what I do best.  I shop often.  I shop many venues.  I shop for many different things.  So I bought me some new gums...

Although I thought that I've never met anyone who has gone through this, the procedure is apparently fairly common.  People just don't like talking about it.  The risks are low; The costs are high.

Since by sheer nature of my type-A personality I am a planner 110%, I talked to a few people who had this procedure done and researched online as much medical information about the surgery and post-surgery care as humanly possible.  And of course, I read a lot of blog posts about the procedure experience and how to ease the recovery before I surrendered to the scalpel.  This La Jolla Mom post was particularly helpful.  All the comments gave it a lot more value.  Still I wasn't really sure what to expect and was really scared.  

So I decided to document my recovery in detail.  Hopefully, my little diary will help someone as well.  If not, I will have something to refer to when I go back for my checkup in two weeks. Plus, it is a good countdown for me to plan my next moves and to make sure I am recovering on schedule.  This is not any kind of advice in any way, shape or form - just documentation of my personal experience.  

Another disclaimer: I am extremely pain tolerant.  On the scale from 1 to 10 the most painful this ever got for me was maybe a 4, but I was taking the meds almost exactly as prescribed in the beginning.  The doctor said it was a super-painful endeavor.  All my friends told me that it was a procedure from hell.  So please listen to your body.  Heed the signs. That is the key to your health and overall well-being. 

The procedure is officially call "Connective Tissue Graft".  I had four front teeth done.  I am assuming that if you are covering less, your wounds will be smaller and recovery shorter and easier.  This may also depend on the severity of damage that your flesh has suffered.

In addition to the main surgery, the membrane that attaches the lip to the gums on the front of the chin was cut off and attached to a different spot (according to the doctor.  Personally, I am still trying to figure out which spot that might be).  Mine was too high and was pulling too much on my gums, weakening them and tearing them away from the bone. I had only the local anesthesia.  No pills, IVs, or gas.  Several shots, so probably like a gallon of it.  I felt a little unstable afterwards, but I think it was simply because of laying with my head shoved up so high for so long.  I didn't have to have anyone take me home or take care of me in any way during the whole recovery.  

Please visit my Dental Graft Diaries page for the full story.