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.
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.
Hard foods – chewing may dislodge the gum graft. Chewy foods – even vegetables. Although they are healthy, they may require more chewing than is recommended as you heal from your surgery. Hot foods –they will burn your gums, increasing sensitivity and pain.
Avoid Talking (As Much As Possible)
Talking causes your mouth's muscles to stretch, which, in turn, can loosen up the gauze and increase the chances of bleeding. Refraining from speaking is hard, but try to remain silent as much as possible for the first two to three days after gum grafting surgery.
Exercise: Avoid strenuous exercise or lifting weights for the 1st week after surgery. You may walk or ride a bike carefully. 9. Follow-up: You should be seen by Dr.
Following oral surgery, we recommend that you sleep with your head and shoulders propped up above your heart level. Add an extra pillow or two to your bed or to the place where you will be resting. If you have a recliner, this is also an excellent way to keep your head elevated.
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.
Do not look at the surgery site after leaving here. Some areas may remain sore for 5 to 6 days. The grafts may be a whitish or grayish appearance for 4 to 6 days after surgery, but this is normal until full blood circulation is restored.
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.
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.
Although a gum graft is not considered major dental surgery, it is best to consult with a specialist (periodontist) for optimum results. Preventing the need for gum grafts starts with knowing why gum recession occurs: Heredity – You can't change who your ancestors are, but you can take steps to manage your oral health.
Your dentist will open up the tissue at the exposed part of your tooth, and graft, or attach, the oral tissue to your gums. This'll take away the tightness, and give your gums some slack so that they more than adequately cover the root of your tooth, and make your smile great again.
Do not drink any sodas or acidic fruit juices. No straw for the next 2-3 days! 3rd day until 2 weeks after surgery: A very soft food diet should only be eaten (Pasta, soups, eggs, fish, cooked soft vegetables, oatmeal, rice, beans etc.) Avoid any hard, spicy, crusty, coffee or acidic foods.
Suture Removal
You may notice increased discomfort 3-4 days after the surgical procedure. As the tissues begin to heal, they may pull against the sutures and dressing. You may choose to take some form of pain medication one hour prior to your suture removal appointment to minimize tenderness.
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.
In most cases the dressing is left in the mouth for a period of 7-14 days and may be changed once or more by the doctor during this time. Try to keep the dressing in placed until your next appointment. If the dressing becomes loose or comes off, do not try to push it back.
Patient may experience pain, described as a constant dull ache or sharper pain during mastication or speaking (movement of oral and peri-oral tissues). Patient experiences anxiety over procedure and perceived lack of success.
We do ask that you refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol as these activities will interfere with blood clotting and healing of the grafted site.
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.
WHAT DOES A FAILED SKIN GRAFT LOOK LIKE? Compromised or failed skin grafts are characterized by continuous pain, numbness, fever, discoloration, redness, swelling, or a breakdown of tissue. The most obvious sign of an unhealthy skin graft is darkening skin that lacks the pink appearance of healthy skin.
The cost of gum grafting starts at $1200. There are other factors, like the severity, that may increase the cost. Remember, we have payment options available to suit your budget.
Recovery from Gum Graft Surgery
While every patient recovers at their own pace, swelling usually resolves completely by the tenth day. This again depends on the extent of the procedure and post-operative compliance. To keep swelling to a minimum, patients alternate ice 20 minutes on and 20 minutes.
Nose blowing may cause bleeding and may tear the thin membrane that contains the bone graft. Try to avoid sneezing and, if you must, do so with your mouth open. Avoid forceful sucking or drinking through a straw. Avoid talking and be at rest for the hours following surgery.
If we use local anesthesia to numb you during the procedure, you can drive yourself home from the office. Most local anesthesia wears off in about 4-8 hours. If you requested stronger anesthetic medication, like IV or oral sedation, you need someone else to drive you home after the procedure.