Lake Norman Oral & Facial Surgery • Dr. Raymond J. Haigney II • 9727 Northcross Center Ct. Huntersville, NC 28078 (704) 987-3132

9727 Northcross Center Ct. Huntersville, NC 28078 (704) 987-3132

Recovery from Gum Grafting

A gum graft huntersville nc is a treatment used to correct gum recession. Gum recession is a common dental problem in which the roots of your teeth have been exposed. Exposed roots lead to extreme sensitivity and are more prone to decay and bone loss.

Some dental offices have the training and technology to provide this service in their office but if they do not, they will refer you to a periodontist. Gum grafts are a quick procedure and you will be home recuperating within a few hours!

For the grafting, your doctor will harvest a small piece of tissue from the roof of your mouth or may even use donor tissue that has previously been harvested from a cadaver. The harvested tissue is placed over the recession site and stitched into place. Over the next week or so, the tissue will begin to integrate and your stitches will come out.

Recovering From Gum Graft Surgery

For the first day or two, it is ideal to stick to liquid foods such as soups, smoothies, and broths. After the first couple of days, you can begin to integrate soft foods into your diet. Some examples of ideal soft foods include but are not limited to:

  • Scrambled or soft boiled eggs
  • Yogurt and jell-O
  • Smooth soups with no grains
  • Cottage cheese
  • Ice cream
  • Applesauce
  • Soft cooked vegetables

Take care to avoid cold or hot foods and foods that could be crunchy or spicy or acidic for a couple of weeks. These foods could irritate and damage the graft site and prolong your healing.

Exercising and other strenuous activities should be avoided until you are released from care.

Your oral hygiene routine will require a few modifications as well! Brushing and flossing should be done regularly but as gently as possible avoiding the surgery site until it is healed. Your doctor may recommend that you rinse your mouth with antimicrobial mouthwash for a few weeks to prevent infection. This mouthwash should not contain alcohol since alcohol will irritate the surgery site. Your doctor may prescribe pain medications if you are unable to manage your pain with over-the-counter pain medications. It is also important that you stay away from aspirin products which could promote bleeding.

Possible Complications

On a rare occasion, a patient might develop an infection, experience prolonged bleeding and swelling, or even have a failed graft. If you notice that your graft is not healing well, it is important to get to your doctor as quickly as possible so that you can be treated for possible infection.

If the graft fails to integrate with the existing gum tissue, you may require another surgery.

After Gum Graft Surgery

Your doctor will have you come back after a week or two for a follow-up appointment. At this appointment, they will make sure that the graft is integrating and healing properly.

After a couple of weeks of healing time, you should be all right to brush and floss normally again. Depending on your individual overall health, the time it takes for your surgery site completely heals may take up to a month.

Once you are fully healed and back to normal, your doctor can perform gum contouring if needed.

More on Gum Grafting : How Long is Gum Grafting Healing Time?

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Patient Testimonial

"Words cannot express enough, how wonderful, caring and professional Dr. Haigney and his staff are! After being rushed to the Huntersville hospital with an orbital fracture, broken nose and other facial damage, Dr. Haigney rushed me into surgery (on his day off I must add) and corrected all my problems. I only wish all doctors cared as much about their patients and their recovery as Dr. Haigney and his staff did. Thank you so much for everything! Your attention and compassion has helped me make my recovery as comfortable as possible. 5 star service!"