Gum Grafting Recovery

Gum graft surgery is a procedure used in the treatment of gum recession. Gum recession is a very common dental problem in which the roots of your teeth have been exposed and leads to extreme temperature sensitivity. Exposed roots can also leave teeth more susceptible to decay and bone loss. If you believe you have gum recession, speak with your dentist to see if you are a candidate for a gum graft surgery.

Some dental offices have the tools and training to provide gum grafting in their own office or they may have a periodontist on staff. If they do not, they will likely be able to refer you to a trusted periodontist. Gum graft surgery is actually a quick outpatient procedure and will have you home within a few hours.

Gum grafting surgery involves your doctor harvesting a small amount of tissue from the roof of your mouth or they may use donor tissue that was previously harvested and frozen. The new tissue is placed over the recession site and stitched into place. As it heals, the new tissue will begin to integrate and your stitches will be able to come out.

Recovering From Gum Graft Surgery

Your doctor will give you detailed instructions for your postoperative care. This list will likely detail foods that should be avoided and we will review some of that here.

It is best to keep to a liquid diet for the first couple of days. Soups should be allowed to cool to room temperature before consumption. After those first few days, began to integrate soft foods into your diet. A few examples are:

• Scrambled or soft boiled eggs
• Yogurt and jell-O
• Smooth soups with no grains
• Cottage cheese and applesauce
• Ice cream
• Soft cooked vegetables

Over the next few weeks, it is important to avoid eating any foods that are crunchy, spicy, or acidic as they will only serve to irritate and damage the graft site and extend your healing time.

Oral Hygiene After Surgery

Your doctor will recommend that you make a few modifications to your oral care routine after having gum grafting surgery. It is crucial that you continue to brush and floss regularly but as gently as possible, taking care to avoid your surgery site(s) until it is healed.

Along with taking your prescribed antibiotics, your doctor may have you add an antimicrobial mouthwash to your routine for a few weeks to help prevent infection. Take heed that you select a mouthwash that does not contain alcohol.

Your doctor may also prescribe you pain medication if you are unable to manage your pain with over-the-counter pain medications. Make sure that you do not take anything containing aspirin as they will promote bleeding.

What are possible complications from gum graft surgery?

There is always a possibility of infection as with any surgery. This is rare and if you take your antibiotics as prescribed, your risk should be minimal.

It is also possible that the graft will fail and not integrate with the existing gum tissue. If this happens, you may require a second surgery.

After Gum Graft Surgery

After a couple of weeks of healing, your doctor will have you come back for a follow up appointment. At this appointment, they will make sure that the graft is integrating and you are not developing an infection. They may give you the go ahead to begin brushing and flossing normally, depending on your individual overall health and level of healing.

Full healing time can take up to two months during which your doctor will monitor your progress. If you require any gum contouring, your doctor will be able to perform that procedure once you have completely healed.

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