How Do I Know if My Gum Graft Is Healing Properly?

If you have gum recession, you are a good candidate for gum graft surgery. This treatment prevents tooth loss by correcting receding gums. A periodontist will remove gum tissue from the roof of your patient’s mouth and place it on the affected area. It is critical to follow the gum graft healing stages exactly to avoid the recurrence of your gum problems.

For a complete and safe recovery, you will go through two stages of gum graft healing.

1. Stage 1: Gum healing

When the soft tissues shrink, and there is less swelling, you will know that healing has begun. The gum tissues gradually start to bind to the root surface and the nearby bone surface. New vessels will also begin to form, and the tissues will receive an adequate blood supply. This stage of healing lasts four to six weeks after surgery.

2. Stage 2: palate healing

The palate heals slower than the gum graft and takes six to eight weeks after surgery. You will feel a burning sensation for the first few days, and the discomfort lasts about 14 days. If swelling or tissue removal results in an exposed bone, the healing period may last longer than two months.

What Helps Gum Grafts Heal Faster?

You should follow a few or all of these recovery tips along with your Dentist In Poway instructions.

• Apply ice and pain relievers.

Use ice packs and pain relievers to manage the swelling and pain caused by the procedure. For the first 24 hours following gum graft surgery, apply ice at 20-minute intervals. Ask your periodontist whether over-the-counter or prescription anti-inflammatory medication is best for you.

• Avoid Speaking

Talking can cause your mouth to stretch and jar the gauze loose. So avoid speaking for the first 2 to 3 days unless absolutely necessary.

• Do not make any plans for at least three days.

After the first 24 hours, you should be able to resume light activity and even return to work, but because you’ll be eating less and should avoid talking, it’s best to stay at home and off your feet for at least three days if possible.

• Avoid playing with the dressing.

Many of us are proclive to probe and poke cuts and bruises, particularly in our mouths. However, you mustn’t do this so the dressing can protect the wound and allow clotting to begin. Instead, let your dressing work and then fall off naturally.

If you have excessive bleeding that does not stop after 20 minutes of gentle pressure, contact your periodontist immediately. Another effective treatment is to apply a tea bag to the wound, as the tannic acids in tea promote clotting. However, this should not be used instead of notifying your doctor.

• Consume soft foods

For the first day or two, stick to liquids. To avoid heat or cold shock, stick to soups, smoothies, or well-blended food at room temperature. Make very small pieces of non-liquid foods. Here are some food suggestions: oatmeal, soft fish, eggs, yogurt, soft tofu, applesauce, Jell-O, ice cream, and eggs

Avoid hard fruits and fruits with small seeds. The seeds can get stuck in the dressing or the wound, complicating your recovery. Also, eat no toast, chips, cookies, hard or sticky candy, or other similar foods.

Brushing should be done with caution.

Your North County Dental Group dentist will advise you to brush your teeth away from the procedure site. Brush your teeth, dentures, dental implants, or All-on-4 implants as close to the gum graft surgery possible, especially for the first day or two. Your periodontist will give you a special rinse for the surgery area to help prevent plaque until you can brush it. After the first 24 hours, this can be used.

What Should a Gum Graft Look Like After One Week?

For the next 1-2 weeks after getting Dental Grafting In Poway, CA, the gum tissue will change. The color of the graft may vary from pink to white. This is completely normal. The color will shift to red and pink as the swelling subsides.

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.