Gingivectomy Procedures
Gingivectomy
- 30-60 minutes
The surgical removal of gum tissue is called a gingivectomy. Often, a gingivectomy is performed to treat gingivitis, but in some cases patients will elect to have a gingivectomy as a cosmetic procedure.
Reasons for a Gingivectomy
There are several reasons a gingivectomy can be good for your oral and overall health, as well as cosmetic reasons for certain patients. You might be a candidate for a gingivectomy if you’re experiencing gum recession from:
- Gum disease
- Gingivitis
- Gum injuries
- Bacterial infection
- Aging
Gingivectomy FAQs
While the procedure is quick (usually a half hour to an hour), you may need to make more than one appointment, depending on how many teeth are involved. If it’s just a single tooth or a few teeth, we’ll likely take care of it in one visit.
- We’ll apply local anesthetic.
- We’ll place a suction tool in your mouth to avoid excess saliva.
- We’ll cut away the appropriate pieces of gum tissue, either using a scalpel or laser.
- After cutting away the gum tissue, we’ll laser the remaining tissue to shape the gumline.
- We’ll apply a putty and bandages to protect your gums as they heal.
Following a gingivectomy, you’ll feel pretty good for a few hours. Once the numbness wears off, you may start to feel pain, which you can fight with over-the-counter pain medication.
Your gums may bleed for a few days. Don’t worry: this is normal. You’ll need to keep changing your bandages until it’s safe to expose your gums again. We’ll go over all of this with you related to your specific situation.
In the next week or so, you might have some jaw pain that can be mitigated by a cold compress.
Avoid mouthwash and other similar liquids. To keep your mouth clean, we recommend a saline solution.
We’re Ready to Help You
At Cajon Dental, everything we do is centered on you, your health and your experience.