How Painful is a Gingivectomy?
Many people suffer from excessive gum tissue which can be a simple aesthetic issue or can cause oral health issues. Gum overgrowth can also be a side effect of certain medications or even genetics. A gingivectomy is a minor surgical procedure used to remove tissue overgrowth to ensure a healthy, beautiful smile.
How painful is a gingivectomy?
The procedure for a gingivectomy is not painful because the area being worked on will be numb the whole time! Your doctor will administer a local anesthetic before using either a scalpel or a laser to remove excess gum tissue and reshape the gum line. In some cases, the doctor may need to reshape the underlying bone structure as well which may require a minor incision along the gum line and sutures after the procedure.
If your doctor uses a scalpel to remove the excess tissue, you may need sutures to close that incision as well. When a laser is used, the trimmed tissue is cauterized as the overgrowth is removed, effectively closing the incision without sutures. The whole procedure takes between 30 minutes an hour, depending on the extent of treatment. Since a gingivectomy is an outpatient procedure, you will be able to go home immediately following treatment.
Is recovery after a gingivectomy painful?
If you experience any discomfort, it will be during the recovery period after the anesthetic wears off. Most patients are able to manage their discomfort with over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol or Advil. Additionally, your doctor will likely give you antibiotics to take to prevent infection.
The healing process is relatively quick, though you will likely experience minor bleeding for a day or two. Your doctor will have applied a wound dressing once surgery is complete to help prevent excessive bleeding and the dressing should come off on its own after a couple of days. If it does not, your doctor will remove it for you at your follow up appointment. Any bleeding that you do experience should subside on its own.
During your healing time, it is important to adhere to a diet of soft foods for about a week. After a week, any discomfort and soreness should be gone but if you do experience continuing pain or bleeding, it is important to see your doctor to make sure that you have not developed an infection.
A gingivectomy is a great option to treat a gummy smile or excessive tissue overgrowth. The procedure is quick and healing time only takes about a week. It is important to keep in mind that everyone tolerates pain differently so to ensure a quick recovery with minimal discomfort, it is important to follow your postoperative instructions.
If you think a gingivectomy is the right treatment for you, discuss your options with your dentist so they can provide a referral to a periodontist for further evaluation and treatment.