Q: I’m still bleeding from stitches. How do I stop the bleeding?

A: What kind of surgery did you have? You must call your surgeon ASAP.

Q: I had periodontal surgery a few weeks ago because of receding and bleeding gums (that I had complained about for the last year and a half and eventually self-referred to the gum specialist). They stitched me back up after surgery and even after healing I have some major concerns and am wondering what is typical and/or expected? When I went back for my follow-up, he said “I don’t like what I see” and has now indicated that I am going to need to either get a bridge for my bottom four front teeth or four implants (of course my insurance won’t cover the implants). I was shocked. Had no idea I would eventually (somewhere down the road) lose these teeth. They, particularly one tooth, are also MUCH looser now after the surgery. They were not loose beforehand. Is this typical? Recommendations?

A: I would suggest you speak to the Periodontist and see if the teeth can be splinted. You might want to discuss a night guard appliance also if you do choose to save the teeth. See if you can get the prognosis of the teeth from the periodontist as well. If these teeth are determined to be very poor, then the options of a bridge or implants might have to be considered.

Q: What are the side effects or after effects of gum surgery?

A: It depends on which gum surgery. If it’s traditional surgery, you might have stitches and periodontal packing and might need to take it easy that day. If it’s laser surgery, I often have patients from out of town who hop on a plane to go home the same day, or drive three hours. The recovery from laser surgery is relatively easy. In general, laser procedures are much more easy and patient-friendly than traditional surgery.

Q: What is the advantage of laser surgery over “conventional” gum surgery?  Are the results better than conventional surgery?

A: With laser surgery, there is no cutting or stitching of the gums, and therefore, minimal post-operative discomfort. In our office, we are finding the results have been superior to the conventional therapy.

Q: Do some periodontal problems still require conventional gum surgery?

A: Yes. We still use conventional procedures in some circumstances, but even during these procedures, we utilize the laser as much as possible. This reduces post-operative discomfort for our patients.