When you sit down in the dentist’s chair, your dentist and your dental hygienist are looking at a number of things inside your mouth. In addition to the health of your teeth, they’re also checking your gums. If your gums recede, the roots of your teeth can become exposed, leading to a whole host of problems. Which can range from sensitivity to temperature changes to root decay, tooth loss. There are a number of factors can lead to receding gums, from gum disease to hormonal changes, to aggressive brushing, to root splintering. A gum graft can replace lost gum tissue to prevent further loss and often recover exposed roots. What can you expect after your gum graft is complete?
Recovery Time
For the most part, patients can drive themselves home after a gum graft. Local anesthesia (novocain) is typically used to numb the areas where the procedure takes place. In some cases, patients opt for a sedative. In this case, transportation will need to be arranged to travel home from the dentist’s office. The surgical area will normally be tender for one to two days. Tissue for the gum graft is often taken from your palate but may be obtained from other sites or be ‘store bought’ in the form of manufactured collagen. This area takes one to two weeks to heal. While it’s recommended that patients refrain from strenuous physical activity or exercise for 24 hours following the surgery, most patients find that they can return to their usual activities, such as work, the next day.
Pain
The area of the gum graft will be tender for a day or two, and sensitive to hot or cold drinks and hard foods for a several weeks afterward. If the graft is from the roof of your mouth, patients typically describe the pain as similar to a hot pizza burn- but this can be avoided with closure of the donor site and coverage of the palate with a mouth guard. Over-the-counter pain medications will usually suffice for managing the pain, but it’s always a good idea to check with your dentist before taking anything. While it can be tempting to maneuver your mouth and lips to try to get a better view of the surgical area, it’s best to avoid doing so, as this can cause unnecessary pain.
Eating and Drinking
It’s imperative that smoking, tobacco use of any kind, and alcohol are avoided until your mouth has healed, as these will interfere with the healing process. It’s also important to avoid hot drinks, and hot and hard foods at the surgical site. All of this can aggravate or hurt the surgical area. The ideal post-gum-graft diet consists of soft foods. Eggs, yogurt, and mashed or cooked-until-soft vegetables are all good things to have in the house. And of course, this is a great time to indulge in items like pudding, gelatin, and ice cream. And after a couple of days you can chew a harder diet on the opposite side
Cleaning and Maintenance
If you notice bleeding immediately after the surgery, it’s okay to place gauze on either side of the gum graft, but avoid putting the gauze directly on the surgical site. It can be better to apply a wet tea bag near the graft site as the tannic acid in the tea coagulates the blood. Brushing and flossing must be avoided in the surgical area until it has completely healed. To keep the area clean during that time, your dentist will recommend an antimicrobial mouthwash, along with guidelines for use.
A few weeks of care and caution go a long way. Following a gum graft, patients will experience less pain in their teeth, and will have an overall healthier mouth. For more information on gum grafts and other dental procedures, call Specialty Dental Care in Omaha, NE at402.334.8083.
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FAQs
Gum graft surgery is a dental procedure for treating thinning gums or gum recession. Gum grafting covers exposed teeth roots and adds volume to your gum line, improving overall oral health. Recovery usually takes one week to two weeks, but it may take longer.
How long after a gum graft can I eat normally? ›
When can I eat my regular diet after a gum graft? Typically, your gum graft should heal within 14 days. After that, you can resume eating as you wish.
How painful is gum grafting after surgery? ›
If no tissue is removed from your palate, you will likely not experience much discomfort at all; however, if tissue is removed, you should plan on some mild to moderate discomfort following the procedure. Once your surgery is complete, the anesthesia typically wears off after a few hours.
How to tell if a gum graft is healing properly? ›
A month after your gum graft surgery, your graft should be fully healed and integrated with the surrounding gum tissue. It should exhibit a color that closely matches the surrounding gum tissue, transitioning from reddish-pink to a more consistent white-pink hue, indicating the completion of the healing process.
How to speed up gum graft healing? ›
Rinse with Salt Water
Completely avoid rinsing your mouth for the first 24 hours after gum grafting (no matter how badly you want to do it). However, after one day has passed, you can rinse with warm salt water after the first day, which will help heal your gums faster.
Is gum graft major surgery? ›
A gum graft procedure is a routine surgery performed by periodontists on a daily basis. Most procedures are relatively short and so is the recovery time. Even though gum grafts are not major surgery, it is good to be as prepared as possible for your procedure by knowing what to expect.
When can I drink water after gum graft? ›
Until the bleeding stops it is very important that you don't rinse and don't spit. You can drink water, but you can't swoosh it in your mouth.
When can I chew on my gum graft? ›
After one week, you may advance to a soft diet without chewing on the graft site. After week two has passed, you can slowly start eating harder foods taking care not to chew on the graft site for 4 weeks.
How do you take care of your mouth after a gum graft? ›
Please follow a soft food diet, taking care to avoid the surgical area(s) when chewing. Chew on the opposite side and do NOT bite into food if the procedure was done in the front of the mouth. Avoid sticky, hard (such as ice cubes, nuts, popcorn, chips), brittle, spicy, highly seasoned, or acidic foods in your diet.
Are gum grafts worth it? ›
Gum grafting is worth the money as it boasts high success rates of over 90% and provides the best chance of treating gum recession, preventing severe gum disease and tooth loss.
Weeks 2-4: Continued Healing and Tissue Integration
The fusion of the connective tissue graft with the original gum tissue. The transformation of the tissue graft's surface to a grainy texture resembling the surrounding tissues. The color changes from pink to white to red and back to pink.
Is it hard to talk after gum graft surgery? ›
Refrain from speaking – keeping your mouth closed will benefit your recovery pace. Besides, your gums will be tender, swollen, and painful, which will get worse if you keep opening your mouth. Your oral surgeon will recommend refraining from talking for about three days immediately after your surgery.
Should I brush my teeth after gum graft? ›
No swishing - this can disrupt healing. You should start using a salt water rinse the day after your gum grafting procedure. Don't brush the grafting area or otherwise disturb it during the first week of healing.
What does a dead gum graft look like? ›
Healthy gum tissue is pink and firm. If large amounts of your graft appear white or even grey, it may signal dead or necrotic tissue.
How long does a gum graft take to fully heal? ›
Some patients may take a long time to complete the gum graft healing stages. Other patients' gum tissues take 4-8 weeks to heal completely. The healing time will also be determined by how much tissue was extracted from the patient's mouth roof and its thickness and area.
How long do you have to be off for a gum graft? ›
This area takes one to two weeks to heal. While it's recommended that patients refrain from strenuous physical activity or exercise for 24 hours following the surgery, most patients find that they can return to their usual activities, such as work, the next day.
How long after a gum graft can you work out? ›
Avoid strenuous activity and all aerobic exercise for the next 3 days as this might cause the graft to separate from the underlying tissue due to an elevation in your blood pressure. DISCOMFORT: Some discomfort may be present when the anesthesia wears off.
Is a gum graft worth it? ›
Gum grafting is worth the money as it boasts high success rates of over 90% and provides the best chance of treating gum recession, preventing severe gum disease and tooth loss.
