Berkeley Parents Network: Periodontists

Berkeley Parents Network

Periodontists

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Health & Medical > Periodontists

Jan 2008

I'm looking for a periodontist/surgeon who does gum grafts and has a realistic and sympathetic view of how REALLY painful the procedure and recovery are. My first experience with gum grafts was horrible. I had put off doing this for years because I heard how bad the pain of it was. My periodontist, Dr. Bashiri, told me that those reports were not true of his more modern procedure. WELL! The pain during the procedure was traumatizing. The doctor said it was standard practice to only use novacaine and no other pain medication. The pain of multiple shots and the pressure involved in stitching was intense. Because I am allergic to vicodin and codeine, the doctor prescribed ibuprofen. 800 mg. of ibuprofen didn't touch the pain. The pain afterward was worse than the major abdominal surgery I had. My pleas for better pain medication went unheeeded. Oh yes, said the doctor on the phone, sometimes the pain is worse on the FOURTH AND FIFTH day! The ibuprofen, he said, should ease the pain. Ha! I was in very bad pain for 8 days. So, has anyone had gum grafts that went well from a results and pain management standpoint? If so, please send me a referral.

I hear you on the pain front with gum grafts! You should talk to the dentist ahead of the surgery to really discuss your fears, experiences, pain levels, etc. I saw Dr. Carol Grimm for a gum graft about a year ago and was very pleased with the whole procedure. And I should say that I was so scared about it that I put it off for 2 years! I can't say that Dr. Grimm coddled me about the fears, but she was completely professional, understanding, and realistic. I don't remember what pain medication I had for the procedure, but I can say I did not feel pain during the graft. She did prescribe valium to help with my anxiety, and that helped. I am also allergic to codine, etc, and had ibuprofin, but I found that to be sufficient, and only needed it for 2-3 days. By the 5th day, I felt no pain at all. By the 7th, the plaster came off and I was fine. Dr. Grimm was also good with the follow up. Don't let her name fool you--she's an excellent periodontist. Her number in Berk! eley is 510-843-6341 --cw

I've had 4 bone grafts and gum surgery due to periodontal disease, plus 4 teeth pulled and now have a front lower bridge. My periodontist is FABULOUS, Dr. Harandi, in Pinole, off of Appian Way on Terra Hills Drive. His office number is 724-3666. The staff is really nice, they'll work out a reasonable payment plan they make you as comfortable as possible. Dr. Harandi is gentle, sweet, explains everything, asks if you have questions or concerns.

For all my treatments I brought my ipod and headphones, my neck pillow. The only thing that hurt was getting the injections for numbing. I felt pressure during the procedures but NO PAIN. He was fast too. My only complaint was how outrageously expensive it it adn how little of it my dental insurance covers. Good luck. It's no fun, but it is possible to have less discomfort. By the way, each time I healed quickly with little discomfort. anon

I would highly recommend Dr. Keith Chertok on Ashby in Berkeley. I recently had my third gum graft and was prepared for severe, long-lasting pain. Much to my surprise, I barely needed more than a few ibuprofren tablets over the course of a few days. Your perio was correct, though - the pain does get worse 4 or 5 days into it, since there's still a lot of anesthetic in your system. But what a difference from my first two grafts! They were done within the previous 15-20 years in Manhattan and the pain lasted for weeks. Techniques do improve over the years but, still, what a surpise for me. I was prepared to stay out of work for a while and was able to go back within a day or two. I did bruise quite a bit (I looked like Mike Tyson had lit into me) but the pain issue was a non-issue. Good luck! Carole

For gum grafts, I highly recommend periodontist Paul Sebastiani in San Rafael (415-482-9901). She is worth the drive to Marin, for her professionalism, her amazing skill. and gentle manner. More about her later. I first went to Carol Grimm in Berkeley, who refused to do more than two teeth/spaces at a time, which would cost me MUCH more money and also time and suffering. Dr. Grimm misled a friend of mine, not mentioning that she would need another graft after the first single-space she grafted, so now my friend has to go through it all over again, and pay double. (The cost to do more grafts at once is much less than doing them in separate procedures.) Dr. Grimm was business-like, negative and cold. Her office is also very unpleasant, as patients are separated only by a curtain, and you can hear every breath and sound from the other patients. And I had to wait for 40 minutes! Dr. Sebastiani's office is well-run, with no waiting, separate rooms, and a much more pleasant atmosphere. She agreed to do all 4 of my gum spaces in one procedure, and actually ended up doing 6 when she finally got into it, so save me the trouble of having to go through the procedure again. The recovery is very painful, no doubt about it. Not something I would want to do repeatedly. Dr. Grimm told me she would not be able to build up the gum, just arrest further recession. Dr. Sebastiani actually built up my gums so I have a little more height against the teeth, and a good solid pad against further recession. I was so grateful that I drove the extra 20 minutes to go to Paula Sebastiani. Her staff is also incredible, calling me after the procedure to see if I was alright, and answering all my many questions with courtesy and caring. Grafted

Nov 2006

Has anyone seen Dr. Chertok for soft tissue grafting? I hear it is a simple, but albeit painful procedure and was hoping for some input. Did you like Dr. Chertok and the office? I also would love to get an idea of what something like this might cost me, (the total amount before submitted to insurance, as insurance plans vary...) I have two teeth that are needing grafts. I haven't yet had my consult appt. (at which point the Dentist office will submit a pre-auth to my insurance), but the problem is that I am about to submit my Flexible Spending Acct. allotment amount to work and the forms are due before I will even have the consult appointment. Anyone out there that can enlighten me on the surgery/recovery and additionally the cost I might expect to incur? Thanks so much julie

I just had gum graft surgery a couple of weeks ago thru Dr Marks in Walnut Creek (primarily because I live along the 680 corridor). About a week before the actual procedure, I had to go in to get an impression for a plastic piece that fits on the roof of your mouth to allow it to heal (that's where they harvest the tissue from). The procedure itself went more quickly than I thought it would (about 75 minutes)--I think I spent more time at the Kaiser WC pharmacy to get my post-op meds. After the surgery, my gum was really sore for about the next 18 hours. I didn't really encounter soreness or pain in the roof of my mouth (I was told it if I did, it would feel like I burned my mouth from eating hot pizza, but I didn't). I also made the mistake of not eating enough food with the prescribed pain reliever, so I had a nasty spell of nausea the following day. As far as eating, you'll probably want to stick to soft, bland foods (e.g. soup, applesauce) for the first few days. But about 24 hours after the surgery, I started to feel normal again. I had the surgery on a Thursday afternoon, took Friday off to recover, took it easy for the rest of the weekend, and was back to work on Monday. The plastic piece wasn't covered by my insurance and required a $100 payment. Procedure itself was about $2000 and luckily insurance is covering most of that; in your case, it will depend on your insurance carrier. A recent gum surgery patient

January 2003

Looking for a current recommendation for a periodontist. Would love someone that works with my schedule instead of just their own. Prefer near Rockridge or SF Embarcadero area. Nicole

I recently had my gums grafted by Keith Chertok. I found him to be very friendly, knowldegeable and sensitive. He is located on College Ave. near Alta Bates. Phone is 510.548.0150 Amy K

My wonderful dentist, Dr. Nathan Kaufman, referred me to Dr. Kwan, a periodontist, for a dental implant. My initial consultation was great, no need to look further. He explained everything quite well and was also very nice. I had the implant two days ago and it was great. I had heard horror stories about the dental implant process but it was no worse than a filling or root canal (and I am the biggest chicken when it comes to dental work). Suddenly, it was over and time to go home! I highly recommend Dr. Kwan. Here is his website: http://www.peri-eau.com/ Lisa

October 2002

Can anyone recommend a skilled (and gentle) periodontist in the eastbay? It's for my parents who live in Alameda. Thanks! Adrienne

My periodontist, Dr Gilbert Oliver in Pinole is wonderful and so are the hygienists and office staff. I've had deep cleaning done by him initially and I now go in for regular cleanings done by Debbie who is also really good. I've opted to not go to a regular dentist for cleanings even though it's a little more expensive. His number is (510)724-3666. (1500 Tara Hills Drive Suite 202, Pinole). priscilla

I would recommend Dr. Keith Chertok. Just last week, I had my gums grafted and he did a great job. Very gentle, explains things as he goes along and is sensitive to the pain and anxiety that such a surgery causes. He is located at Ashby and College in Berkeley and can be reached at 510.548.0150. Amy

I would recommend Dr. Glenn M. Fujinaka. He's very gentle and experienced. His office is in Oakland, CA. His phone number is 465-9911. Good Luck! Nancy

I have had two gum grafts (sounds WAY worse than it is) by Carol Grimm, in the Huntmont Building behind Alta Bates (on Regent, I believe). She's incredible.

It wasn't pleasant during the procedure (not sure how it could be), but it wasn't painful and was over fast. She's also VERY good about explaining what is going to happen, etc.

And my recovery time was incredibly fast. I went to work the next day in each case and felt completely healed in just over a week. If you need a periodontist, she's your gal. Jennie

February 1999

From: L

I had a very positive experience with a periodonticist in Hayward. His name is Ivan D. Ancell at 886-7910. He made sure I did not have any discomfort when he performed surgery on my gums. He is also an extremely funny and personable guy. I highly recommend him.

From: Rochelle

Chertoff--(I'm probably spelling it wrong...) was a referral from our dentist Howard Pollick and orthodontist Bob Iezman.--- Very personable and smart...good people and communication skills.

From: Karen

Before you pay your periodontist for the cancelled appointment, consider this: Is there anywhere in her office or in any literature that they give you...including when you make the appointment...that they need a week's cancellation? I believe they have to have something that lets you know that this is their office policy. I would definitely challenge this. I know when I took my son to a periodontist in San Diego for a tooth extraction, they wanted 48-hour notice, but they told me this over the phone when I made the appointment. You might want to check and see if there are any guidelines with the American Dental Association as to business practice, etc.

From: Nina

I highly recommend Dr. Carol Grimm in the Huntmont Building, 843-6341. I find this practice extremely well managed and Dr. Grimm highly competent as well as remarkably gentle and reassuring. For long appointments, they do charge for missed appointments if you cancel later than 48 hrs. in advance, but explained this policy to me very carefully in advance and called me to remind me in time for the cancellation to be made with no charge.

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