Anyone had gum grafts for gum recession?

[JustOneMoreSliceOfCake]

Private or nhs?
I have one or two gums that have receded due to grinding and clenching teeth. I have awful jaw problems as a result but the receded gums have really knocked my confidence.

Has anyone had it done. If so how much did it cost?

No waltnutpie, I'd do it again the same I think - less chance of rejection by using your own tissue. And it was very successful; no problems and still in place doing it's job well now!

Thanks Bin, good to know. I'm so glad it was very succesful! Glad for you, and glad for those of us that are facing this procedure.

fair I think you can have a sensitive tooth from gum recession desensitised by laser. I saw this..it costs £100. I haven't had it done. I've got a sensitive spot and I rub sensodyne on it and was told to use the Colgate mouthwash, the purpley one. The veneer is just cosmetic, afaik.

Btw, does anybody know what the chance of rejecting implanted tissue actually is?

no cake. i decided against it. i have a few health problems that i'm trying to deal with so i didn't want something 'alien' inserted which would make my body try to fight it, thus causing me more problems.

Yes, understandable. I'm still processing steff telling us about her friend getting gum graft from a cadaver.

I suppose it's no different really than an organ transplant, but the idea is taking some getting used to,

A bit different to an organ transplant as it's in your mouth!

I'm sure that's really silly of me but I'd just find it a bit too squeamish.

Not silly! Apparently the cadaver tissue is irradiated.. Which is a scientific term for bleached, I guess!!

I had one done on NHS to address gum recession following bi maxillofacial surgery when I was 18.

They took soft tissue from the roof or my mouth and grafted it on the front gum of my bottom teeth. They made me a clear plastic 'shield' for the roof of my mouth to protect the graft donor area. The graft took very well and is still going strong 15 years later!

There was a lot of swelling to the area immediately after and lots of general soreness (and me feeling sorry for myself!) for a good week or so! I got the tube home afterwards (I was with my dad who was too tight to pay to park in c.London while I had it done!) and had to sit with an ice pack on my mouth the whole journey! Was nothing in comparison to the surgery though!

I know somebody who had it done on the NHS - as somebody above, they shaved a graft off the roof of their mouth.

Chanandler how long was your mouth sore for! And for how long did you wear the plastic shield? So glad to hear it was succesful! Sounds like a gruesome day though..going home in the tube!!

Walnutpie I can't really remember exactly how long it was sore for, I think around a week or so, same for the mouth shield as well. The wound left behind from the graft donor area was pretty grim, a perfect rectangle shape! (although pleased to report, no trace/scar of it left at all now). Also, the graft itself is now all but invisible, there was a noticeable rectangle of different colour gum for quite a while but nothing now.
All things considered, I would recommend the procedure, much better than losing teeth due to insufficient gum stability! HTH! ??

Really does help, Thankyou. Sounds excellent. A week of soreness sounds positively brilliant, as I've been thinking it would be a year, from input upthread. Clearly healing times vary radically.

Thank goodness for modern dentistry for those of literally getting long in the tooth.

It looks like gum recession varies a lot, from self limiting which is unsightly but not tooth threatening, to full on potential tooth loss gum loss.

I suppose the year long soreness could've been related to nerve damage/trauma during the procedure? I've STILL got an area of nerve damage from my jaw surgery where the skin is sort of numb but tingly to the touch (about the size of a ten pence just next to my chin on one side!).

I don't remember having any stitches removed so I'm assuming the graft used dissolvable stitches (these vary in how long they take to come out but ime aren't sore for the whole time they're in!).

The 'week' of soreness that I refer to doesn't mean all healed and hunky dory (obviously the hole in the roof of my mouth didn't disappear in a week!), I just mean the initial post op swelling/soreness period. Full 'healing' took longer but was totally manageable, but I could have just been hardened by the preceding seven years of fixed braces and major jaw surgery! (the mouth apparently heals fast anyway!) Good Luck!

Cadaver
I'd prefer to be toothless

Thanks for explaining Chan. Yes, I suppose hunky dory after a week is too much to expect.

The skill of the person doing the job must be a significant factor, re. Skilful stitching, I guess.

mist being toothless isn't the end of the world, I agree, but.....non vegetarians have dead flesh in three mouths most days of the week, anyhow...

I would rather be toothless right now, because after the second load of antibiotics, give it a couple of days, and my abscess is bad again! Whole left side of my lower jaw now, starting to affect middle teeth too. I no longer wish to save the tooth, just take it out!

If I was having a gum graft it would be for pain reduction rather than cosmetic or to keep my teeth. This information is really helpful though, I am glad I joined OPs bandwagon (dentists chair?)

Ouch Fan that sounds incredibly wearing, sorry to hear you are suffering.

I hope you can get it sorted ASAP. Very tricky, abscesses. I had one once and did lots of oil swilling with coconut oil with tea tree in it, and I filled an empty teabag full of clay and wedged it in next to it, to draw it out. It was a terrible palaver and very painful.

I hope you have a good dentist.

And your aibu is...?

Well, OP has abandoned thread, but she posted here and in general health, here probably just for higher traffic.

OP, let us know how it goes!