Gum grafting is a highly safe and effective procedure; it has been tested and proven successful in treating countless cases of receding and thinning gums due to aggressive brushing and gum disease. Still, complications and infections may occur, especially without proper post-op care.
Is pain normal after a gum graft surgery? While a gum graft procedure isn't considered major surgery, it does require some recovery time and short-term modifications to your diet. The procedure typically takes tissue from the roof of the mouth, also known as the palate.
Gum Tissue Graft: When to Call the Doctor
Call your dentist if you experience any unusual symptoms following surgery, including: Bleeding that won't stop after applying pressure for 20 minutes. More pain, swelling, and bruising than your dentist said to expect.
For patients who are not using donor grafting material, the healing process typically takes around 7-10 days, although most pain and discomfort should begin to alleviate and disappear within 2-4 days.
Throughout your surgery, you can expect to feel no pain whatsoever, as the anesthesia will ensure you are thoroughly numb. However, once you are home and the effects have worn off, it is not uncommon to experience some soreness and discomfort. Fortunately, there are ways to manage the pain and avoid complications.
It's never too late for gum grafting as long as the patient has sufficient gum tissue to harvest for the graft. However, the success rate of the procedure may be lower in cases where the patient has advanced gum disease or other underlying health issues that can affect the healing process.
As most surgical procedures, gum grafting surgery implicates risk of infection, bleeding, and reaction to anesthesia. Besides, severe pain, bone rejection, inflammation, swelling, nerve injury, bacterial exposure of wounds, loose sutures, uneven healing, and more…
Pinhole Surgical Technique
Next, your periodontist uses special instruments to loosen your gums and move them back to the appropriate position. This procedure has gained popularity due to it being far less invasive than traditional gum grafting, which in turn makes the recovery time significantly faster.
After gum graft surgery, it is highly recommended to stick to a soft food diet for the first few days to avoid causing any trauma to the surgical site. They are gentle to your oral cavity, easier to consume, and less likely to get stuck and cause infection in the surgical area.
Because the “tunnelling” gum graft approach is minimally invasive, your new gum graft will be a natural pink color and look so natural, most of our patients cannot even tell which teeth were treated and which were not.
This exposes more of the tooth root, leaving it vulnerable to decay and sensitivity. About 15-20% of the patients ages 20-35 have some sort of gum recession and may require grafting. About 75% of people older than 50 will require some form of gum grafting due to age and normal chewing.
If a dental patient has been diagnosed with gum disease, then they must have their gum disease treated before they can be considered a candidate. If a gum graft is performed on unhealthy gums, then it is likely that the procedure will fail. Good gum health is essential to a successful gum grafting.
During your gum graft surgery, you'll probably be awake like most people, or perhaps opt to be sedated. Most patients do not require anything more than local anesthetics to numb the area.
The right candidate for gum grafting
The ideal candidate for this type of procedure is one who has had severe periodontal disease around the gums and the teeth. This is the type of patient who would benefit from the procedure. There are several symptoms of gum disease.
If you use your own tissue, the most teeth you can typically graft at once would probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-8 teeth. With alloderm, you could graft every single tooth in your mouth in one sitting!
On average, a gum graft can cost between $600 and $1,200 for a small area around one tooth.
Keeping your head elevated above your heart will also help. Most swelling can occur in the morning and up to 3 days after surgery. Avoid sleeping / laying on the side that surgery was performed. Two days after surgery, moist heat will help resolve minor swelling.
Periodontal Cosmetic Procedures Instructions
Avoid hot foods for the 1st day (hot soups, coffee, tea) as they will increase swelling to the treated area(s). Warm foods can be consumed on the 2nd day.
To protect your gum graft from becoming irritated and slowing down the healing process, avoid the following: Tough substances (steak or raw veggies) Crunchy substances (popcorn, nuts, ice, and potato chips)
It's the recommended course of treatment for receding gums to avoid exposing the teeth' root surface that leads to decay and sensitivity. Gum grafts help reverse these adverse effects and restore gums' health so that they can maintain their protective seal around the teeth.
Gum grafts fail (in some cases) because post-treatment instructions weren't followed but they can also fail for many other reasons too. Gum grafts have a higher failure rate in patients that don't always heal well (i.e. due to Diabetes or other immune disorders).
You'll still need to brush your teeth! But don't brush the site of your gum grafting surgery. You can gently pass the brush over the tops of your teeth, but avoid contact with the graft site. Also, don't floss for a couple of weeks, or until your mouth is healed.
Start using the toothbrush during the 2nd week post-surgery. Do not brush the graft site during the 1st week. Use a regular toothbrush in the non-surgical areas. Oral hygiene 7 days after surgery, gently brush using the extra-soft post-operative toothbrush only around the tooth/teeth where the graft was placed.
In addition, patients will frequently complain of a bad smell and indicate their graft is “dead.” Because plasmatic circulation is important to graft survival, pooling of blood — sufficient to form a clot at the interface between host and graft tissues — will be detrimental to success.
With a gum graft, you can expect it to remain in place for a lifetime, but you will need to take care of your oral health on a daily basis. This means brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush and being mindful of how much pressure you're using while brushing.