A couple of weeks ago I had a gum graft here. It's a procedure that I have literally put off for years! After all I have impeccable dental hygiene and in my mind kept thinking, 'How could I need a surgery that seems it's for older people ?!'. Well. I did. I had braces twice and apparently this can harm your gums , sometimes. I also obsessively brush .. even with a Sonic there can be TOO much of a good thing. I put this off also because it sounded painful and horrid! When my gums started hurting to the point of having more frequent migraines ( not proven but a theory my PCP had ), and not being able to eat on one side of my mouth due to pain, I knew the time had come. I was referred here by my general dentist who had great things to say about the Scholes practice, when at my last cleaning I was told a nerve was now exposed. Ugh. I won't lie, this procedure was gonna be costly and I wanted two opinions. I liked Dr. Haskell from Scholes Periodontal best. He was friendly and professional. He seemed to appreciate that my career isn't the 'norm' and I may need to be off for some time due to the post op meds or stitches; ( some doctors do NOT understand that my career field is not 'normal'.. I don't sit behind a desk .. I am subjected to FAA random drug tests for one and must smile in my career and talk!) Thus, I would need notes of this absence. His staff seemed okay with that. He explained how grafting worked in detail and the two ways of accomplishing what was necessary and how long recovery may be . Two to three weeks of several stitches on my bottom gum.. YIKES! He also explained how I would be 'out of it' and the methods available for that because let's be honest , WHO wants to know what's happening when your gum is being sliced into and grafted with donor tissue ?!! His staff went over my co pay in detail , ( another yikes!). I moved the surgery up a few days when my headaches became so impossible to deal with and I began to miss work due to them. The only ONE hiccup was that unlike my daughters recent oral surgery with a different dental group, there was no pre-op and the day before I still had no clue as to what to truly do prior to my surgery. She could not have food , for example, could I? I was lost & I would recommend changing that for surgery patients just to put them at ease. The meds I were to take were not called in per a previous conversation and I did start to panic a bit. Dr. Haskell spoke with me and put me at ease and got the meds called in. The day of surgery I don't really recall .. #meds .. but follow up has been decent and the staff is nice with my questions. It's been a bit of a painful recovery. An update when my dressing and stitches come off! But for now .. great periodontist! read more