1 of 167 Stories from I Had a Gum Graft
Previous Story for I Had a Gum Graft Next Story for I Had a Gum Graft

The Procedure from Hell

Posted March 28th, 2006 at 4:50PM

What's Your Story?

Share It Here

  • Vote up! 27

  • |Favorite
  • |Flag

139 Comments (add your own)

Sort By  
  1. SurfMan - 31-35 years old - male

    Posted by SurfMan on Jan 14th, 2007 at 5:37PM

    Friggin hell mate, the shivers run down my spine reading this... :X

    I am glad it turned out ok...

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  2. bambi3304 - 46-50 years old - female

    Posted by bambi3304 on Mar 26th, 2007 at 5:29PM

    I don't normally cringe at anything, but that just freaked me out totally!! Glad everything is okay now!!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  3. Candita - 22-25 years old - female

    Posted by Candita on Apr 27th, 2007 at 8:15PM

    GOOD LORD!! THE AGONY.......

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  4. fabscorp - 46-50 years old - female

    Posted by fabscorp on May 22nd, 2007 at 8:50AM

    My dentist has been after me for some time to go to a periodontist, and I refuse. Stories like yours are the reason why. Nope. Not gonna do it.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  5. kizei - 26-30 years old - female

    Posted by kizei on May 26th, 2007 at 12:12AM

    i actually just had this done to the lower front 4 teeth....the teeth so far are fine, i get the sutures out in a week...but my palate hurts and wont stop bleeding...i have applied pressure with tea bags sooo many times and it doesnt seem to be effective...any ideas? how long did it take for your palate to heal? did yours bleed alot?

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  6. VAGreg - 16-17 years old - male

    Posted by VAGreg on Jun 5th, 2007 at 6:11PM

    hi all, no mine did not bleed much... it just ached for about 2 weeks. And that dang lining kept coming loose. Mind you this was years ago, so I'm hoping the technology has changed!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  7. ExperienceProject - 26-30 years old - male

    Posted by ExperienceProject on Jun 5th, 2007 at 9:30PM

    This story is an all-time favorite at EP. Thanks for sharing it!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  8. Frito - 16-17 years old - male

    Posted by Frito on Jun 16th, 2007 at 3:53AM

    I cried a little with you while reading this. I feel your pain(not literally, though.) I kind of hurt too, though, while reading.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  9. videodemon - 26-30 years old - male

    Posted by videodemon on Jul 31st, 2007 at 8:10PM

    love this story...

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  10. rchstrandy - 31-35 years old - female

    Posted by rchstrandy on Aug 1st, 2007 at 6:46PM

    Sorry to hear about your terrible experience. I had my gum grafting today due to receding gums from grinding my teeth at night. I'm only 34!!! I wear a bite plate at night and everything, nothing has helped.

    I'm happy to say that I do feel pretty good. My periodontist said that usually all patients need for pain control is Advil. I don't know about that. The ice compresses help a lot. Most of the pain is along my lower front teeth and lip area. He sutured the donor site on the roof of my mouth and that feels great. Just hope I can get back to work in a couple of days without having to deal with a lot of swelling!!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  11. aprilrain47 - 18-21 years old - female

    Posted by aprilrain47 on Aug 12th, 2007 at 11:12PM

    Wow, I'm surprised you eat popcorn at all. I'd have boycotted, after THAT experience!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  12. Posted by An EP User on Aug 29th, 2007 at 11:44PM

    This sounds awful!! I felt the pain as you were describing it. I see a peridontist as well for receeding gums & bone loss. I thought scaling was pretty awful. That is when they numb your mouth & scrape under your gums. After reading your story I think I will start flossing religously.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  13. ltlQne - 46-50 years old - female

    Posted by ltlQne on Oct 31st, 2007 at 8:13AM

    I have been told that I may need to have something done with my gums too. After reading this...I am having second thoughts. Thanks for sharing - it helps to know what really happens - since the dentist doesn't feel anything it's easy for them to say it'll be just fine. I think I'll ask for the knock out!!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  14. slowrewind - 18-21 years old - female

    Posted by slowrewind on Nov 9th, 2007 at 7:19PM

    Well written.. made me squirm. Sorry you had such a rough time!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  15. LadyLaurenJayne - 26-30 years old - female

    Posted by LadyLaurenJayne on Dec 10th, 2007 at 3:11PM

    Note to self: abstain from popcorn. Forever. And other hard foods. Come to think of it, only eat applesauce and mashed potatoes from now until the day I die.
    Wuuuuuugh.

    Reply | 2dislike | Flag

  16. toxicsparky - 18-21 years old - male

    Posted by toxicsparky on Dec 16th, 2007 at 9:04PM

    Just wanted to let you know I just had this procedure done.

    The worst part for me was the needles and the novacaine.

    I don't understand why people are shy when going to the dentist. I've had a few dentists not numb me enough before going in and I've learned. Always tell them your pain tolerance is nill.

    When my dentist first referred me to a peridontist(I had a labre piercing back in colllege, it rubbed me the wrong way apparently) He said all periodontists were out of network for me, I believed him and paid $85 for an appointment with one, then called my insurance and found one in network that they would pay.

    This one was great, did the procedure very quickly, Numbed me up with the needle twice then waited for it to take affect and numbed me up more before actually cutting. My face was numb for awhile afterwards and he gave me a Rx for vicoden which I was to take as soon as I got home even if I was still numb, he warned me it would hurt later and it would be better for me to take a pill before I felt it rather than afterwards.

    The packing he put into place was very much like having chewing gum stuck to the roof of my mouth and the front of my mouth, but it did it's job(even though I couldn't really do mine while wearing it) Like he predicted it fell out once the wounds were healed. The roof fell out about 2 days later(and now I can rub my tongue over the abrasion on the roof of my mouth and it just fells like a dimple, no pain.

    The one in front just fell out tonight(4 days later, I probably shouldn't have had a hoagie for dinner) but i can just tell there's a bubble, I haven't looked because they told me not to.

    My advice, if you dentist recommends it(check your insurance) but go, and feel free to act like a big baby and demand lots of novacain.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  17. goldie75 - 31-35 years old - female

    Posted by goldie75 on Dec 20th, 2007 at 11:40PM

    I don't think I would be able to take looking at the dentist coming towards my open mouth with a razor blade.

    Reply | 2dislike | Flag

  18. glorygirl - 56-60 years old - female

    Posted by glorygirl on Dec 21st, 2007 at 11:36PM

    ugh, brought back some of my denist nightmares. Been there done it, and all I can say is. PEOPLE FLOSS!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  19. maddix - 36-40 years old - female

    Posted by maddix on Dec 24th, 2007 at 7:10PM

    Oh, my God..!! You did actually endure that? Gosh.. I'm glad you survived it.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  20. maddix - 36-40 years old - female

    Posted by maddix on Dec 24th, 2007 at 7:14PM

    Oh, my God..!! You did actually endure that? Gosh.. I'm glad you survived it.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  21. Quotient - 26-30 years old - female

    Posted by Quotient on Dec 26th, 2007 at 6:52AM

    This made me get teary eyed. My heart is still pounding so hard after reading this. I had a similar dental procedure done this year but I opted to be asleep for it. Oh how I am so much more thankful for that now!
    My mouth still feels funny inside - lumpy where the dentist stitched up after he was finished. It's only been a few months though. Hopefully in a year or so I won't notice anymore.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  22. sacrine - 18-21 years old - male

    Posted by sacrine on Jan 20th, 2008 at 4:48AM

    Bloody hell... I almost fell off my chair at one point during this.

    I take my hat off to you, well done for going through something I would have clear run out of the surgery from

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  23. pphead - 51-55 years old

    Posted by pphead on Jan 29th, 2008 at 9:29AM

    I was sorry to hear about that experience, but I have to assume its' an anomaly. I had a gum graft (once recently and once five yrs ago). My dentist was very gifted, gentle, and I experienced no pain at all: not during or after the procedure. Oh, and the Percoset helped!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  24. PnP - 36-40 years old

    Posted by PnP on Feb 2nd, 2008 at 9:02PM

    I'm sorry ... I'm such a pain wimp, I couldn't even finish reading your story. It just got to be too painful even to read, let alone having to experiene going through it.

    What an ordeal!

    I'm really going to be careful when I eat popcorn.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  25. Flutterbies - 26-30 years old - female

    Posted by Flutterbies on Feb 9th, 2008 at 2:54PM

    OMG i read your story and almost started to cry! That sounds soooooooooooooo horrible!!! Now Im terrified to eat popcorn. :( Your very brave!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  26. Flutterbies - 26-30 years old - female

    Posted by Flutterbies on Feb 9th, 2008 at 3:04PM

    OMG i read your story and almost started to cry! That sounds soooooooooooooo horrible!!! Now Im terrified to eat popcorn. :( Your very brave!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  27. ClearPier - 31-35 years old - female

    Posted by ClearPier on Feb 15th, 2008 at 11:28PM

    I normally have no problem with gory stuff. I never look away from surgery on telly or hide my eyes in horror movies... as soon as you wrote the bit about being able to feel it, i couldn't help myself, i had to look away and skipped to the end of the story. Sorry!

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  28. VynRt - 31-35 years old - female

    Posted by VynRt on Feb 17th, 2008 at 5:20PM

    ((hugs)) Chilling.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  29. trysha - 26-30 years old

    Posted by trysha on Feb 25th, 2008 at 11:03PM

    I SO feel you pain...

    I had the same procedure done last week but thankfully I was sound asleep! I woke up feeling all woozy and swollen though, first meal I had was jelly and ice cream. After that I was eating soft food but then started to eat normal a few days later.. But till now I have my stitches visible in my lower front teeth.
    The top part of my mouth were they scraped off also hurts too. I'm on 2 set of antibiotics but thankfully did not have to rely much on pain killers.
    Yes, its not one of those things you would wish anyone to go thru. Even after being asleep having it, I would seriously not wish for anyone to go thru the same thing as I did.
    So boys and girls, look after your teeth and gums, brush, floss, brush and floss!!!
    Thanks for sharing your story :)

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

  30. Posted by An EP User on Mar 27th, 2008 at 9:32AM

    That sounds awful! But, I have needed this surgery for years, and do not have dental insurance, or a huge wallet. Unfortunate as your experience was, at least you got to have it.

    Reply | 1dislike | Flag

Experience Project is a community based on authenticity, support, and respect. EP encourages you to post with these values in mind.

Add your Comment