Free gingival grafts have excellent success rates as an effective treatment for gum recession or to restore and supplement otherwise insufficient gum tissue, helping improve the appearance of the gum line while helping to reduce the risks of gum disease. It usually takes a week or two to recover from free gingival grafts, though the affected oral tissues don’t completely heal for a bit longer. Free gingival grafts use tissue harvested from the palate of the patient to supplement their gums, which means there are two surgical sites that both need to heal. Your periodontist will make sure you know just what to do to help your grafts heal painlessly and comfortably, but it can be helpful to understand what to expect as you plan and prepare.
What Should I Expect on the Day of My Procedure?
The free gingival graft procedure is often used to repair the effects of advanced gum disease and may be one of many procedures recommended by your periodontist. On the day of your procedure, your dentist will anesthetize your oral tissues, ensuring that the treatment areas are thoroughly numb before harvesting keratinized tissue from your palate, suturing the palate back together, and stitching the harvested tissue to the affected area of your gums. For basic procedures, you should expect that each graft will take about an hour, though this timeline is extended when multiple areas are being treated or when clinical needs are complex. After surgery, your periodontist will dress the surgical sites, protecting the dressing with gauze. While you can remove this protective gauze after about an hour, the surgical dressing should stay in place until it falls out naturally or is removed by your dentist at your follow-up appointment. On the day of your procedure, your periodontist will monitor your surgical site until it’s safe for you to go home, making sure bleeding is controlled and you feel comfortable, and if you chose sedation for your procedure, you’ll need to get a ride home and take the day off to recuperate from sedation.
What Kind of Healing Timeline Should I Expect?
Your periodontist will provide thorough post-surgical guidelines; following these closely will reduce the risk of infection and help your oral tissues heal painlessly and completely. You should expect to see your periodontist about a week after your procedure, for a checkup. When included as part of a comprehensive treatment of periodontal disease, your periodontist may want to see you for routine follow-up appointments, ensuring that your gum disease is under control, before releasing you back to your general dentist. For the first day or two after your procedure, you should expect some discomfort, minor bleeding, and swelling. Make sure to rest and avoid exertion, and eat soft, cool foods like pudding or smoothies. Rinse the oral cavity with antibacterial mouthwash, and take any prescription medications as directed. Brush and floss the teeth, but avoid the area of the gum graft until your periodontist says it’s okay. While swelling may continue for a few days, bleeding should subside after the first day or two. You may also notice some bruising in the first few days; this is normal, and shouldn’t last more than a week. As you become more comfortable, introduce additional soft foods, like eggs and pasta, into your diet. By the second week, swelling and bruising should be fading, and, as your comfort levels continue to improve, you can incorporate additional foods, taking care to avoid anything that might irritate your oral tissues. Once your periodontist gives you the go-ahead, you can reduce your medication dosage and resume normal brushing and flossing, usually by the end of the second week. With success rates well over 90%, this relatively brief healing period is a small price to pay for the protection, support, and aesthetics a healthy, supple gum line can provide.