Is Gum Contouring Painful?

Gum contouring or gum lifting is a surgery performed by the dentist and while the words dentist and surgery usually mean pain and recovery, gum contouring is not most painful procedure nor is the recovery a long one.

If you have talked to the dentist about changing your smile with gum reshaping, the dentist will talk to you about your health and what change you would like to see in your smile. For some people, their gumline is not symmetrical across their smiles and for others, their teeth appear too small due to overgrown gums. The dentist can use gum tissue sculpting to address a number of aesthetic concerns and have you smiling from ear to ear for everyone to see after an appointment or two.

In the past, dentists used scalpels to remove excess gum tissue after numbing the affected gums before treatment. Now, most dentists use a laser to address your gums and the laser results in less swelling as your gums heal. During the procedure, the anesthesia will prevent you from being uncomfortable or having any related pain. As the numbing medication starts to wear off, your gums will hurt but there are a number of ways for you to help reduce your pain.

If the dentist uses a laser during the procedure, your gums will experience less trauma and will not swell as much as they heal as they would if the dentist used a scalpel and cauterizing tool. No matter what tool or technique you and the dentist decide will get you closer to the results you are looking for, you will not have a pain free experience but you can be more comfortable.

OTC Medication

As your numbing medication starts to wear off your gums after your procedure, your dentist will recommend over the counter medication to help keep you comfortable. Depending on your personal medical history and pain level, your dentist may recommend an NSAID like ibuprofen or naproxen. The dentist will talk to you about aspirin or other blood thinning medication; these can lead to excessive bleeding from your healing gums.

Your Diet

At no great surprise, after the dentist cuts your gum tissue with any tool and it is healing, your gums will be sensitive. The best way to avoid irritating your sensitive gums is to avoid certain foods and drinks. Anything that is very crunchy or has a hard texture can crumble and rub against your gums resulting in a prolonged healing time. Foods that are softer, and drinks that are lower in acid will help your gums stay comfortable and less likely to swell.

Limiting Activity

An important factor to helping your body heal is rest; just like your body needs extra rest to recover from a cold or the flu, when your body is recovering from surgery limited activity is best. You should take a few days off from working out and training, those kinds of exercises can increase the blood flow to your mouth. While that may not seem like a bad thing, the pressure can increase your pain, swelling and cause your gums to bleed more.

More on Gum Contouring : Are you a Candidate for Gum Contouring?