Is Gum Contouring Painful?
Gum contouring is usually done with a scalpel, though lasers or other surgical methods might be used. While anesthesia is used during the procedure to ensure against pain during surgery, it’s common for patients to feel some discomfort, or pain, after the procedure. This discomfort tends to be less severe when lasers are used, though there is still some discomfort following laser surgery procedures. This discomfort can be addressed simply with some at-home remedies and by carefully following post-surgical recommendations. Depending on the surgical techniques chosen by your dentist, recovery could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and there are steps patients can take to make this recovery as comfortable and painless as possible.
What Are the Best Ways to Make Gum Contouring Less Painful?
The most commonly used treatment to address pain after gum contouring is over-the-counter pain medication, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Medications containing aspirin, however, are not recommended, as they cause the blood to thin and increase the likelihood of excessive bleeding. It’s also helpful to modify the diet after surgery, avoiding crunchy or sharp foods that might irritate the gum tissue and interfere with healing. Dentists recommend a diet of soft, mild foods during the initial phases of healing, no matter what type of surgery is selected. Limiting strenuous activity after surgery can also help manage pain and help you heal efficiently. Heavy lifting or other excessive activity can increase blood flow to the surgical area, which exacerbates swelling and pain and might cause excessive bleeding that delays healing. When healing is happening as it should, pain should decrease in the days following a gum contouring procedure. If you find that your pain worsens, or if it remains consistent and interferes with your ability to function for more than a week, see your dentist for an evaluation and recommendations for further treatment or pain mitigation.
How Can I Help Ensure the Success of Gum Contouring?
In the days following your gum contouring procedure, the best guarantee of success is to follow your dentist’s recommendations for pain management, hygiene, diet, and rest. As the gum tissues heal, you’ll want to continue to support them in their healing per your dentist’s recommendations. The best way to do this is to keep these tissues, and all your oral tissues, clean and healthy. Initially, you should avoid brushing the surgical area, though you can, and should, keep the area clean with mouth rinses and gentle removal of plaque and bacteria. As the tissues heal, brushing gently with a soft-bristled brush and cleaning between the teeth with floss or a water flosser can help maintain the continued health of the gums and prevent tooth decay. If your gum concerns arose because of improper brushing, which can cause gum recession, ask your dental hygienist for assistance in learning new, more effective brushing techniques, and use these techniques to be cautious yet thorough when cleaning at the gum line. As an added measure of protection against gum disease, and to maintain the long-term results of your gum contouring, see your dentist regularly for recommended checkups. Together, you and your dental team can keep your newly renovated smile balanced and beautiful for decades.