Gum Grafting

So the last few years my lower gums have been receeding. When I went to see my dentist he wanted to see if we could hold off the inevitable in having to do gum grafting. So after trying decesitzing and what not my last appointment came to my dentist suggesting that maybe it is time to get my gums grafted.

He sent me to Redwood Road Periodonist. After doing a pre exam I would have to have eight of my teeth grafted. So they would cut open the top roof of my mouth and take out gum tissue and then stitch it onto my lower mouth.

On January 14 was gum stitching day. Jeremy and the kids drove me to my appointment and then they would pick me up when I was done. So going in they got me in the chair and ready to go. It was going to be a two hour appointment and one option was tp put me to sleep. It was never discussed and so instead they gave me laughing gas (which I don't really know why they call it laughing gas because you don't really laugh I guess you can only really enjoy watching Leathal Weapon 4 and they get off on the laughing gas) not me. So I pulled out my ipod which in the end was dead due to my fault for not making sure it was charged. They however had satellite music so I used their music to keep me entertained. As I was finding a station dr Manwaring started the procedure. He put the numbing stuff on my gums and then started with the numbing shots. In the meantime I was hooked up to a blood pressure machine and a finger heart monitor. As I would feel myself tense up I would take a deep breath and relax. So all the shots in in my lower gums were done he then started the shots for my upper mouth. Dr Manwaring was finishing my right upper mouth when all of a sudden he hit a nerve so perfect it put me into shock and it hurt like a banshee.

Once that was done he left for a few mintues to let everything get really numb. Once he came back it was time to work. So for me not really knowing what was going on since I couldn't see anything just hearing as my music started to die, I think he had to cut my gums on my lower mouth to retract my gums to get my new gums to attach. In the mean time he asked how I was doing and I in so many mumbling words due to the numbing I told him that my music died - he replaced the battery and I was good again. So I could hear cut, cut, cut a could kind of feel my lower lip loosen up (kind of like face off when they pull the face apart from the face, except I don't believe my lower lip actually came off) So once my whole lower lip was loose, he then left again. He came back a few minutes later to then start cutting my left upper roof of my mouth. Once it was cut I could then hear scrapping noices as he scrapped cushioned gum on the roof of my mouth to then apply the new gum to my lower gums.

Once he got all of the extra gum needed for the first four teeth he then started stitching my lower lip back. I could feel my lower lip tighten back up to my face as well as watching this long stitch string being pulled. Once my left side was done, Dr Manwaring left again, then a few minutes later he came back to then start on the right side upper mouth. Again a slit was done and I could hear scraping trying to get the new cushion gum from my upper mouth. Once that was done he then applied the gum to my right side lower mouth. Then here came more stitches and I would watch the long string stitch be pulled then re applied to my gums. After he stitched my lower mouth he then applied a couple if stitches to the roof of my mouth.

I have a top mouth guard that I have to wear for the next 3 - 4 weeks and for the first 48 hours I have to eat soft foods - such as mashed potatoes, jellos, creamy soup, cereal, etc. After the first 48 hours I can start to eat small food portions of chompier foods.

Its day two and I am doing really well. Its more uncomfortable than hurting, but not too bad.