Gum surgery occupied an important part among the corrective treatment surgeries for the jaw in particular and the face in general. It is based on correcting the shape of the gum as well as its dark color

Gum surgery occupied an important part among the corrective treatment surgeries for the jaw in particular and the face in general. It is based on correcting the shape of the gum as well as its dark color, which leads to defect in the contrast between the color of the lip, gums and the color of the teeth.

Thus, the ideal color for the gums is the pinkish-white color, and in order to make a balance between the color of the teeth and showing an attractive smile, the cosmetic gum surgery comes as an ideal solution for people who suffer from pigmentation and blackening of the gums to solve the problem and make the jaw appear in the most beautiful shape.

What is cosmetic gum surgery?

It is a lip treatment done to correct its shape in proportion to the shape and color of the teeth. Gum surgery is divided into two stages; the first stage is gums contouring or ‘crown lengthening’ of teeth and the second stage is ‘gums bleaching.’

This procedure includes peeling the outer layer of the gums, revealing the inner layer and cutting excessive gum tissue. On the other hand, this process exposes a larger part of the teeth by lifting the gums to show the beauty of the smile.

- Gum Contouring: the operation is done by removing a part of the gums (1-2 mm width) under local anesthetic. The gums are left to heal within a period ranging from 3 to 6 weeks, then it is stitched and the crown is installed on the tooth.

- Gum Bleaching: This operation is done based on the changing of the color of gums by peeling the outer layer using a special diamond-tip tool, and it is called diamond peeling.

Hence, the patient should maintain gum protection for 48 hours where the gums begin to recover, and after a week, the operation results will start to appear.

Cases that require gum surgery:

In most cases, surgical intervention is done in the gums when there is a failure in the treatment of gums with laser, or because the treatment may require open gingival curettage, and cases of gum recession resulting from gum bleaching operations. Also, surgery can be used to treat receding and enlarged gums. On the other hand, the patient should be completely aware of these operations to choose the appropriate ones, as there are many gum problems, such as the receding gums, gingival bleeding, and the loose teeth.

In addition, there is the inflamed gums surgery, which is a disease of the gums that causes redness, swelling and bleeding, and therefore the main cause of this infection is the accumulation of tartar and plaque, as well as poor oral hygiene. This causes more gaps called gum pockets, which in turn traps bacteria and leads to increased infection.

More probably, it is preferable not to resort to periodontal pocket reduction surgery if the inflammation and the diameter of the pockets do not exceed 4 mm, and the treatment is usually done with cleaning. However, if the diameter of the pockets is between 6 and 8 mm, it is preferable not to delay the operation so that the situation does not worsen.

Stages of the cosmetic gum surgery process:

1. First, the doctor uses local anesthetic injection.

2. He places a machine to open the mouth in a way that helps him perform the operation.

3. He uses a laser or scalpel to cut the gums as per the type of operation.

4. Then he uses the saliva ejection tools placed in your mouth during the surgery in order to make sure that any extra saliva is removed.

5. Then the doctor uses laser tools in order to get rid of the remaining parts, and fixes the gums line after parts of the gums are cut.

But before the undergoing the previous procedures, the patient must visit the doctor and perform a preliminary examination to identify the condition of the gums, and then the appropriate operation is determined.

 The difference between surgical or laser gum operation:

1) The laser enabled doctors to control sculpting of gums and beautifying their shape, which gives better results.

2) Whereas the surgical gum operation causes pain and bleeding compared to laser, which is less painful and causes less bleeding.

3) On the other hand, the laser helps the healing of wounds in gums after surgery; consequently, there will be no need to use surgical sutures, and the recovery period is much less compared to surgical operation.

4) In addition, laser gum operation is the ideal solution to treat gum problems like its amazing role in gum bleaching.

Risks of gum surgery:

A - One of the most noticeable things that happens to the gums is an allergic reaction due to the type of anesthetic used by the doctor

B - Possible bleeding may occur.

C - In some cases, it is possible for the gums to grow back in the area where the operation took place.

d- On the other hand, the teeth may appear longer and larger than expected, and this can happen to people with normal or long teeth, and therefore they will feel disturbed.

Recovery after the gum surgery:

The process of recovering after the operation needs approximately 7 to 15 days along with committing to the doctor’s instructions. The patient is advised to avoid exercising or eating any food after the operation for a period of no less than 3 days. Later, the doctor will schedule an appointment to remove the stitches and check whether the gums were healed after a week or two at least. On the other hand, the recovery period depends basically on the type of operation.

It is also advised to avoid eating solid foods and to pay attention to the quality of food. At the same time, the patient should maintain hygiene in both their teeth in general, and the treated area where the operation was conducted in particular.

 Recommendations after the gum surgery:

1. In the beginning, the patient should follow a proper diet.

2. They should also maintain oral hygiene.

3. Regular visits to a specialist doctor is also required.

4. Patients should also use ice packs.

5. The medication prescribed by the doctor must also be adhered to.

6. Smoking should be avoided.

7. Protecting the treated area.

 FAQs about the gum surgery

Do I feel pain during the surgical gum operation?

The operation is done under local anesthetic, so during the operation you will not feel any pain. But after the anesthetic effect is gone, you will feel mild pain for a day or two, and you can use painkillers to alleviate the pain.

After how many days are the anesthetic stitches removed?

The stitches are removed 10 days after the operation is done and when the treated area heals or recovers.

Is there facial swelling after gum surgery?

It is possible for the face to swell in the area near the surgery for a period not exceeding 24 hours after the operation.