When recession occurs and gum tissue is lost from in between teeth, it is usually and indication that underlying bone has been lost too. In these instances, long-lasting root coverage with grafting is very unlikely. Under these conditions, gum grafts fail more often.
Gum grafting surgeries have a success rate of up to 90%. Besides, with local anesthesia, you should not experience any pain during your treatment. Afterward, your dentist will prescribe pain medication to help you manage your soreness after the numbing wears off.
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.
You can always reattempt to have your gum graft redone. You need to wait at least 3 months after your failed gum graft to make sure the tissues have properly healed and matured after your initial surgery. An attempt to redo a gum graft too soon won't allow you to have the most optimal response.
Gum Grafting Takes a few Weeks to Heal and Pay Off
It takes a few weeks to heal and swelling to subside, and during that time the graft will adapt to the area. After that, it will take another few weeks to see the full benefits — the restored appearance of the gums.
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).
If your gum graft failed, you'll probably notice a large patch of white tissue that has come off of your tooth. Its lack of color means that the gum graft lost blood supply and is dying.
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.
The bleeding usually stops on its own, but light pressure with moist gauze or a black tea bag can be applied if necessary. The gum graft is held in place with very delicate sutures and takes 5-7 days to attach firmly.
It will get red and puffy, then white or gray with sloughing for up to two weeks. The tissue will change to pink or the natural color of your gums as the area heals.
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…
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.
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!
Although it is rare, in some cases graft tissue does not adapt properly to the graft site. If this occurs, you may need to repeat the gum grafting procedure.
Graft failure can be caused by factors such as: Poor formation of the graft union due to problems with anatomical mismatching (when the rootstock and scion tissue is not lined up properly), poor grafting technique, adverse weather conditions and poor hygiene. Mechanical damage to the graft union. Graft incompatibility.
Some complications are possible as a result of gum surgery. You may experience swollen gums, sensitive teeth, infection, and possibly teeth feeling looser – but this should only be temporary. There is also the possibility that the grafting could fail and may need to be redone.
Post-surgical instructions. Your connective tissue grafts are very fragile and will not be 100% effective if disturbed. Please refrain from stretching your lips and cheeks to view or show the graft site. If your graft is disturbed in any way, you run the risk of having your graft fail.
After 24 Hours.
You may return to normal daily routine, but avoid strenuous activities such as heavy lifting, or exercise programs which elevate your heart rate for 1 week following surgery.
Signs of a failed soft tissue graft may include: Large patches of loose white tissue coming off your tooth. Persistent redness and/or swelling at the surgical site. Root re-exposure.
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.
The stability of the grafted tissue is very important for the newly forming and migrating vessels. During healing, sometimes due to severe swelling and/or loosening of the sutures, the graft may move and surgery will not be successful.
This white material is usually granulation tissue, a fragile tissue composed of blood vessels, collagen, and white blood cells. Granulation tissue is a normal part of your body's healing process and is not cause for concern.
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. Chewing should be done on the side opposite the surgical site.
Gum healing stage 2: healing of the palate
For the first few days you will experience a burning sensation and it will take about 14 days before the discomfort will stop. The healing period may last more than two months if there is swelling or if the tissue removal resulted to an exposed bone.