Preparing for Gingival Surgery

Oral surgery, of any type, can be frightening and often results in avoidance by patients who desperately need oral surgery to correct or repair complications of the teeth and gums. If you've been diagnosed with gingivitis, and if your doctor has recommended gingival surgery, it is important to be prepared for surgery and to know what you can expect in the hours and days after the oral surgery takes place.

Gingival surgery is a necessary surgery to correct, or repair, complications involving receding gum lines. Because the gums serve as a protective layer to the roots of the teeth, when not in proper alignment, there is a profound risk for developing infections in the teeth, gums, and complications with abscess tooth roots. For patients who need gingival surgery, the procedure often is not recommended lightly and comes with a strong recommendation for flap surgery to improve overall gum and tooth health.

No matter what type of gingival surgery you are planning to have, it is important to first ask your oral surgeon about the need for infection control or infection prevention methods, including the use of antimicrobial mouthwash or the use of oral antibiotics before and after surgery. Infection in the mouth and along the gum line must be well controlled to ensure there are no life threatening health complications of concern.

In addition to infection control, be sure that your doctor is familiar with any thyroid, metabolic disease, or cardiovascular complications you may be living with. While gingival surgery typically do not affect these conditions, the medications you may take for any co-morbid condition may adversely affect healing and the bleeding associated with this type of gum surgery. Once your oral surgeon has worked through the health questionnaire, ask about any changes to your daily medications that may need to be considered for the few days after gingival surgery takes place.

Oral surgery, of any type, can be painful. If you are about to undergo gingival surgery, there is risk that you will suffer from pain during and after the surgery. To minimize the complications with pain, be sure to ask your oral surgeon about the use of pain medications and home remedies to alleviate inflammation and swelling. In doing so, your pain, and the overall outcome of gingival surgery, will be far better and will lead to better health overall.

Sources: What You Should Know About Gum Disease, by David Snape