It may not feel like it at first because the surgery was only in your mouth, but your entire body will feel the impact of a gum graft. You may feel sore, overwhelmed, tired and anxious. Getting plenty of rest will help ease these symptoms and get you back to feeling like yourself in no time.
Every person heals differently. But on average, gum graft recovery takes one week to two weeks. If you had multiple areas treated at once, recovery might take a little longer. Your periodontist can tell you what to expect.
You should be able to resume light activity and even return to work after the first 24 hours, but because you'll be eating less and should avoid talking, it's best to stay home and off your feet for at least three days if possible.
Possible Complications
Changes in gum appearance such as an uneven gum line. Graft may move out of place, which can result in needing another procedure. Bleeding, which can lead to a hematoma. Infection.
You will know that the graft is healing when the swelling subsides and the soft tissues are shrinking. Your gum tissue will begin binding to the root surface and bone. Then, new blood vessels will begin to form to enable blood flow to the graft. This stage takes four to six weeks from surgery.
Your oral surgeon will use plenty of anesthetic and possibly sedation to keep you as comfortable as possible. These can take some time to wear off in some cases, which can cause you to feel tired for the rest of the day.
Usually, you can tell you have a failed gum graft because you will have a large white patch of white tissue that has come off the tooth. Sometimes it may even look like the gum graft is falling off.
AVOID PEROXIDE, ALCOHOL, CARBONATED BEVERAGES, AND DRINKING THROUGH A STRAW. After 24 Hours. You may have soft foods, such as cooked vegetables, fish, pasta, and meatloaf, which are easily chewed. You should use utensils and avoid chewing at the surgical site for 2 weeks.
Avoid extremely hot foods for the rest of the day and do NOT rinse out your mouth, as these will often prolong the bleeding. If bleeding continues, apply light pressure to the area with a moistened gauze or moistened tea bag. Keep in place for 20-30 minutes without looking to see if bleeding has stopped. (NO PEEKING!)
Avoid any hard, spicy, crusty, coffee or acidic foods. Chewing should be done on the side opposite the surgical site.
Exercise: Avoid strenuous exercise or lifting weights for the 1st week after surgery. You may walk or ride a bike carefully.
The graft is fragile and therefore you should avoid chewing on the treated teeth during the first 2 weeks. Also avoid foods that require chewing a lot or that are too hard or crunchy like potato chips, nuts, gums, steaks, crusts of bread, raw vegetables.
What Can You Eat After a Gum Graft? It is recommended that you stick to a liquid or soft food diet for the first couple of days following your gum graft. On the first day of your surgery, we suggest only ingesting cold beverages and foods such as milkshakes, ice cream, and pudding.
A: You may resume brushing and flossing all teeth except the surgical area 24 hours after surgery. Avoid brushing the surgical area until your stitches are removed or have dissolved depending on the type of stitches placed for your procedure.
After implant surgery, your gums are healing from having an incision made through them. It is vitally important that you avoid drinking hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate after the procedure itself for up to two or three days.
Your periodontist will ask you to keep the gauze in place for the first 40 to 50 minutes, reducing the risk of bleeding. You should also refrain from speaking. While you may feel up to chatting, it's best to wait 2 or 3 days unless otherwise advised by a dentist.
If it just won't stop, call. Food Stay on a soft diet, chew away from the grafted tooth/teeth and avoid any foods that would be more likely to get stuck in the gum graft site, such as corn, popcorn, nuts, and seeds (fruits like strawberries have seeds). Do this for up to 2 weeks.
The reason it's more painful is that they harvest the donor tissue from the surface of the roof of the mouth. This leaves the underlying gum tissues completely exposed and therefore in pain. Connective tissue grafting – this procedure is significantly less painful than a free gingival graft.
For two or three days following a gum graft, eat soft and unsticky foods. Eat lots of things like warm (not hot) oatmeal, cream of wheat cereal, eggs, yogurt, pasta, smoothies (not too cold), and mashed potatoes that have cooled slightly. Jello is another ideal option.
For soft tissue “gum” grafts, the site(s) may appear white during the healing process (up to 2 weeks), this is normal and not a sign of infection. The tissue will change to a pink color as it heals.
The gum tissue will undergo changes for the next 1-2 weeks. The graft color may change from pink to white. This is NORMAL. Then the color will change to red and then back to pink as the swelling decreases.
You may also notice that the area is shiny at first, but after 2-3 days it becomes grainy as granulation tissue develops to protect the site until the new gum tissue can form. The granulation tissue plays a key role in repairing the area and protecting it from damage.
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.
After surgery, your body undergoes repair and recovery, which drives a higher baseline metabolic rate and draws on your nutrient stores. So it isn't surprising such intense activity at a cellular level results in feeling tired after surgery.