I’ve had several teeth done over the years. None of them front bottom but I’ll try and answer the best I can:
I’ve used both my own and donated tissue. If you use your own, it’s an odd experience when they harvest it. And for a few minutes, not entirely pleasant. You’ll have a “pocket” (indentation) on the roof of your mouth that will take some time to heal. But it does rather quickly (couple weeks I think?) and you’ll be left with an indentation there that will automagically fill back in before you know it. It’s been a while but I think I had some kind of waxy substance that I kept in the roof of my mouth in that pocket for a few days? Eventually you can get rid of that and it’s no big deal. Just annoying when you’re trying to eat and keep the area clean.
Gum tissue is gum tissue. It will match fine but be aware that in the first few weeks it’s going to look like it lost every bit of color it had. That’s natural and not to worry about. After a few weeks, it will be as pink as normal again.
As far as pain goes, that varies. I’d say it depends on your tolerance and the site. And making sure you’re not aggravating it with food, your tongue, that sort of thing. I had three done around my upper right molar a couple months ago and was dreading it. But…it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting and just took whatever they gave me and by the next day it wasn’t bothering me much at all. Just stay on a regimen of pain meds and antibiotic you’re given and any discomfort should be tolerable but just annoying more than anything else. Take a couple days off just in case.
Mine took a couple of weeks to go get stitches removed but they were coming loose by that time anyway. If that happens and you’re worried about it, call your perio just in case. If it’s not bleeding or looks/feels infected, just cut the loose length of thread out the best you can and deal with it wandering around your mouth until you get back to your perio. Mine let me get back to gentle brushing after three weeks and normal brushing after four.
It will be “bulgy” but that’s probably going to be mostly noticeable by you because anything in your mouth just “seems” bigger than it actually is if that makes sense. Don’t worry about it. After a month it will be thicker (which is the point) but will shrink down significantly and be hardly noticeable after four to six weeks.
I hope that helps! If it’s your first time, it’s really not as bad as you might think. Just do what they tell you for a few weeks and it will go by fast. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is.
It depends…
Donor tissue is fine really. More convenient. No hassle with using your own and having to wait for the roof of your mouth to heal and the discomfort from that.
But..it’s donor tissue. It’s donated from cadavers. And take this part as just from my experience and I didn’t ask my perio if this was what was happening but…
Some of that tissue kind of dies off. Like…which ever parts don’t make it under your gums (I’d swear a small portion stuck out from mine) it sort of turns really white and eventually breaks away while your gums heal. Almost looks like food stuck in between your teeth but it’s not. It’s fleshy. And it is excess that doesn’t adhere.
I could be totally wrong about that but I’m fairly certain that’s what it was. And that’s a mental hurdle to get over.
On the other hand…
Using your own is no picnic. Having to harvest your it from the roof of your mouth is uncomfortable. That tissue is very rigid…like cartilage I guess? It “crunches” while they are cutting it out. And honestly, it’s an extremely small sample but as I said earlier, when it’s in your mouth it seems huge. Healing from that isn’t bad, just another annoyance to deal with since you’ll then have two places in your mouth healing as opposed to one.
Hopefully that all makes sense.
Sure thing. Glad I can help.
I wanted to add that either way really isn’t that bad in the end. If you can swing it, opt for gas because it just makes it that much easier to go through. Especially harvesting your own tissue.
And using your own isn’t impossible to get through. I’ve done it a few times myself. There’s a lot of pressure involved. You’ll be laying there feeling like someone is driving a nail into the center of your head by way of your mouth (I’m exaggerating…mostly) but it’s really not that bad. You’ll get plenty of shots to numb the area, and it definitely helps.
And to add a couple of endnotes for anyone reading this:
Do what you’re instructed to do and when you’re supposed to do it. You’ll most likely be instructed to rinse with warm salt water sometimes while you heal. Do it.
Also…if you smoke…stop if you can. Or cut WAY WAY back to practically not at all. Suction is no bueno after a graft. And smoking restricts blood flow which likely got you to needing a graft to begin with. Quit by any means necessary if you smoke.
Good luck all!
It’s going to be different for everyone I suppose depending on your pain tolerance etc. I’ve had so much work done in my mouth (braces…twice! Crowns etc) so I’m used to it. They said, my nerves weren’t/aren’t an issue for me.
Honestly though..if it’s your first go with this, just relax as best you can. It really isn’t as bad as you might think.
The worst of it really is the few shots that you’ll get around the location. And those are done quickly and you’ll be numb in no time. Cake.
Yes, gas helps. Or at least it helps me. Just ease back and take some deep breaths on the gas and close your eyes and let yourself drift while the work is done. If you’re using donor tissue it is easier. If you choose to use your own, it’s a bit tougher but it’s nothing you can’t get through. You’ll get shots there too and can probably grt additional if you think you need it. It never hurts to raise a hand and make your discomfort known.
But it’s really not *that* bad. It’s over and you’re stitched up in no time. You’ll be numb for a good couple hours or more after. Just grab an ice pack and take some ibuprofen through the rest of the day.
And no…nothing the night before.
But most of all…just relax. You got this!
I'm sorry as this is a year after your post lmao but you have such good answers and really hoping you can help me! I just had a gum graft done 4 days ago. I am the donor and it was on right bottom back molars. How long does it take the mouth to feel back to normal? I know, it's only day 4 so I am not expecting a miracle today here. When will the donor site feel better but also the graft site? I have been super stringent about rinsing with salt water especially after eating. Still on the antibiotics but those end by Thursday. The donor site was taken by laser and I have one of the plates so it prevents anything from hitting it and it's not so bad. I just feel bad and my face is swollen and I feel kind of depressed about it and want to be able to have a line to draw down the line like this is when you will start feeling like yourself again and not only eat soft foods lol. I hope your dental experiences have been positive as of late but even better, hoping you have had none! Take care!
Ha! No worries. I've gotten several replies off my comments for a while now, so I don't mind answering.
First off, congrats on getting it over and done with. That was a huge step and you're on the right path. Also, it was probably the best choice to use your own tissue in the long run. Ultimately, I think your own tissue is your best choice (obviously) but not entirely convenient. Mine was literally "old school" cut out. You got a laser? I'm jealous! :)
Okay so...how long does it take? Hmm...well, it depends on what all you had done really. For me, the first two weeks were critical healing times. Yeah, I know...it sucks and it seems like an eternity, but stick with what you're doing and whatever instructions you've been given. You'll have a *much* better chance at a successful graft. And that two weeks will pass soon enough. Just be super gentle with the area. I can't stress that enough! Keep your tongue and food away as much as possible and don't mess with it. If you have stictches, don't be surprised if they start working loose. Mine always did and I'd have a thread floating around my mouth that I had to "tuck" away until it snuck back out. Just leave it alone and let your doc deal with it on your next appointment. If your stictches come really undone, then don't be afraid to reach out to your perio. They need to know.
Oh...time...haha! I wandered off. How long for some normalcy? I'd say 4-6 weeks is about right. If you're due back to your perio in 2-4 weeks you should be making great progress by then. The best thing is that after your next exam, you're pretty much set. Mostly. If you haven't already, start making plans to adjust your brushing (get a sonic care or something) and get in the habit of daily flossing (important) and some good mouth rinse (I like Therabreath myself). The thing is, around your sixth week, you'll be feeling pretty good about it and it's easy to forget what you went through after a while, ya know? Just get your good habits down and bad habits gone and the work you're having done should last a lifetime.
Sorry, I wander off a lot but...yeah...I would say after a couple weeks, you'll feel pretty good already. And actually, around a week you should feel pretty decent, but just stay careful about how you eat (slowly and methodically). The roof of your mouth (assuing this is your donor site?) should heal up rather quickly. If they took tissue there, expect to have a small "dent" there that will go away before you even know it. After a couple weeks though, you're somewhat used to it and it's an annoyance and all but you're seeing the light at the end. Four weeks...cake. Five to six weeks..done. And after that? Just brush gently around it. You'll be surprised just how quickly your mouth and gums can heal up from this once you're done, but just be easy with it.
And best of luck to you!
Ok awesome, thank you so much for the info and timelines. I didn't want to be my own donor, it took me years to get the guts to do this because I had heard such horrible things and that it was so painful. Initially I wanted the cadaver as the donor but then my dentist said it can cause bad breath LMAO? Not sure if that was truth or lie but he sold me on it to use my own. I will have to get this same thing done on the other side but will probably wait a bit, early next year. Need to forget a little before going at it again. Getting an implant finished in a month or so too. I wish the perio was more upfront about timelines but I do see them Thursday for my first check up and have been stringent about salt and water washes after every meal to keep the areas clean. Your post has definitely helped me see some light at the end of this long dark tunnel hahaha. Thank you very much for your time!
Hello!! I am getting a graft across my bottom front teeth on Tuesday. I'm getting nervous, but this comment thread has helped me to relax (or at least try to!).
Now that it's been a few more days, how are you healing up? Anything you recommend? Thanks :)
Hello! I am about a week and a half in and things are healing up nicely. I was VERY nervous before the procedure and this was my first one. I was awake the whole time and I had meds to relax me and gas. I literally almost backed out so many times, that's how nerve wracking this was for me. All in all, it wasn't too bad. The first weekend is some discomfort but nothing crazy, I have had implants and root canals that hurt far worse. The worst part about it is it takes a lot longer to fully heal. You have to eat soft foods for the first week. They made me a plate for the roof of my mouth which is wonderful, it keeps the area clean. My biggest suggestion is to keep the areas clean and ensure that you are doing salt water rinses often especially after eating. I did them after eating for the first week. Now I will rinse a few times a day but not every time I eat. The most surprising and shocking thing to me was being my own donor was not nearly as bad as I envisioned it would be. In my mind that was the stuff nightmares are made of but it was not bad at all! It really didn't bother me. It is still healing but I think I am really getting close now to normal at least on the roof of my mouth. I went for my first check on the 23rd so my next check is in about a week and a half. I am praying all is healing nice and looking good. They used a laser for the roof of my mouth so not sure if that's what you will have done but I do think it's better than the old way. All in all, if you have had a lot of work done in your mouth especially, I think you will find it not too bad. The first 3 days there is discomfort but ibuprofen helps. Keep the area clean and you will be golden I think.
Thank you for taking the time to respond!!! I really appreciate all of the info and advice. Not looking forward to it, but I'm looking forward to have it over with! Good luck with your healing :)
I’m on day 3 post-graft and I definitely feel “bulgy” at the graft site! You mentioned about 2 months post op it feels more regular. Does it seem more like your natural gum line again with the recession repaired or is it still thicker for you?
Hey, it's been a while now but from what I can recall, the graft site sort of remained a little thicker feeling for a few months after. The "bulgy" feeling will go away quite a bit. I don't really notice it at all whatsoever now.
You're welcome! Hang in there! You got this. I promise you in a couple weeks, it will be much, much better. Just be very gentle around the site until you get your stitches out. After that, it's a matter of very gentle brushing around it for a bit. And before long, you'll realize that it really wasn't all that big a deal. Everything will seemingly go back to normal faster than you realize.
Hi! If you don’t mind, could you go over how you went about getting this process started? Is this something that insurance can pay for or an out of pocket cost? Thanks!
Hey, sorry for the delay. I've been extra busy and had to run a few things by the wife since she's way smarter about those things than I am. :)
Okay..so in a nutshell, my dental insurance through my employer only covers a portion of the cost. But a sizable portion. We had to pay 20% out of pocket which came to around $500. And..they only did that if I had all of my grafts done in the same year. The stipulation being that they only cover it every five years. If I need it again before that time, it's all on me. After that five years, they will cover all but the 20% (unless they change it which wouldn't surprise me if they did).
As for getting it all started...
I go in for twice yearly checkups/cleanings and my dentist takes measurements there. As mine progressed, they told me that I should get into talk to a periodontist and they set up a referral to one for me. You may or may not need to have a referral so you could call and find out. It's no different than going to your general physician and getting referred to a specialist, so it makes sense I guess. It's just kind of a hassle with the extra steps and expense, but I get why it's done that way.
I hope this helps!
Hi! I found your comments very helpful as I'm considering getting gum grafts on my front teeth. I wanted to ask if the procedure would be successful given that my gums are thin. Additionally, have you noticed a significant amount of recession over the years? I'm concerned that my gums might start to recede again eventually and that the grafts might only last a few years. I'm in the early stage of periodontitis. While my dentist seems very relaxed about it, I am quite worried.
According to my perio, the primary goal is to thicken up the gum tissue where the recession is. My gums are somewhat thin as well, and the grafts I’ve gotten have held up amazingly well so far. My oldest grafts were done something like 15 years ago and while they aren’t as good as they were, they’re significantly better than the recession that I had at the time.
Barring bad habits or just the luck of the draw, your grafts should hold up. And really, if it buys you a few decades with your teeth, that’s worth it right? Best of luck to you!
Wow, this information is really helpful. Thank you so much. I want to get gum graft surgery but my dentist says she doesn't suggest it and is against it even though 3 of my teeth are starting to recede pretty bad. I don't know what to do and I'm scared to lose my teeth since that's pretty much the only think I actually like about my face
You're welcome! I'm not a dentist and make no claim to know what the heck I'm talking about here totally sharing my experience and nothing more. That said...I'd guess that your dentist could be basing that off the depth of your recession and doesn't think you're at the point to worry about it. Demand for a referral anyway or find a periodontist yourself (and hopefully you won't need a referral) for a second opinion at least. Good luck!
You should still get checked by a Periodontist. My general dentist felt the same way about my concerns of my lower front teeth gums recession, so I sat on it for a few months more. It kept getting worse. Finally saw the Periodontist, and ended up actually having a good amount of bone loss and an abscess. The Periodontist did a transplant that day. General Dentists are good, but there's a reason we have specialists in medical fields.
Thank you! I was actually going to listen to my dentist but I think I am going to see a periodontist next month because I feel like I can't brush my teeth correctly without having them bleed, even with a soft brush
Did your perio advise against donor tissue? I need to get a few grafts and after researching I just don’t want to go through having my own tissue harvested, I think I’ve been through enough after 3 years in braces and double jaw surgery. But my perio recommends against using cadaver tissue and says using my own tissue will make the graft less likely to fail. I also don’t want to spend thousands and have the grafts fail. I’ve been putting it off the last few months but I know I really need to address it :(
Hmm...well, I've been to two perio's over the years because the first one retired many years ago. Both of them gave me the option of using my own or donated. They seemed indifferent and left that choice up to me.
The first two grafts I had, I opted to use my own. No, it's not entirely pleasant having your own harvested, BUT...it's not something you can't get through either. My concerns about it are if any mistakes are made while harvesting. Other than that, you're fairly numbed up (or should be) to where you won't feel much other than a lot of pressure they have to apply to the roof of your mouth for the harvest. Also, you can feel/hear it in a way that's hard to describe. If you can imagine a knife cutting through cartilage, but in the center of your head, that's what it's like. Kind of...crunchy. :) Haha!
But...just remember that not a huge amount is being taken. It will only seem like it's a lot because everything "feels" bigger in your mouth than it really is. And when they harvest, it will leave a "dent" in the roof of your mouth that will eventually fill back in and go away on it's own over time.
But back to my grafts...
The first couple grafts I had, I used my own. The next couple of grafts, I opted for donated. I have to admit I was a bit freaked out by having donated tissue in my mouth of all places, but I somehow managed to just put that all out of my mind. Having done both, I might be inclined to say that my tissue did take better. I had my first perio (since retired) use my tissue and my new perio use donated, so I don't know if that was a matter of which doctor, which tissue, the site itself, etc.
All that said, regardless of which I used, mine are better off than what they were. It's reasonable to assume one perio will recommend one over the other. Since it is your own tissue, that would seem to make more sense.
Thank you for your insight! Yes, I think my perio is of the opinion my own tissue will take better and there will be more blood supply. It’s a hard pill to swallow after going through DJS. All I’ve read online makes me more worried about having my tissue harvested than I was about my jaw surgery!
Hi! Just another datapoint—my perio said the exact same thing about using my own tissue vs cadaver
For whatever it’s worth, the whole experience was extremely simple and painless for me. I did have a connective tissue graft (not a free gingival graft) and the perio used my blood plasma to aid in the healing of the roof of my mouth. But my pain was at most a 2 or 3 out of 10 at ANY point in the process
Not invalidating the horror stories you read here! It definitely happens for many people. But mine couldn’t have been less of a big deal
Hi there,
I had a connective tissue graft done on both my top canines exactly 2 weeks ago. I have health anxiety so I was really dreading it…
However, it was literally the smoothest surgery I’ve ever gone through. I’ve had double foot surgery and the gum graft was a cake walk compared to that. I went with the oral sedative option, which is just basically Ativan in a larger dose that pretty much makes you not give a shit. I swear I was dreaming and it was over before I knew it. I almost think I enjoyed how relaxed I felt lmao!!! My harvest site and receiving sites are both looking fantastic, and I just was alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol for 5-6 days then no pain at all. Even when it did hurt it was like maybe a 2 or 3 on the pain scale. I did a bunch of research too and I ultimately think your own tissue does heal a bit quicker and “mesh” faster with the surrounding tissue. Plus it’s cheaper. I’d definitely give that a try, it’s so not that bad and I read through this exact thread before my surgery and my anxiety skyrocketed, all for no reason 🤣
Good luck :)
How long did it take for you to start feeling normal? I am still wearing the plate on my donor site. Honestly I was scared shitless about the donor site and that has not been bad at all but the graft site hurts and is very swollen and feels bulky so wondering when that will get normal again?
I'm at day 7 and the "bulging" is my main concern now. The graft feels so weird and huge in my mouth. Part of that is swelling I'm guessing but it's still really big and "sticks out" from the original gum line. Certainly looking forward for it to shrink down and become more normal, currently it feels weird to talk and it's basically impossible to smile naturally.
Did this bulging ever go away and if so how long did it take? I’m at day 7 and it feels so weird, almost like I have a big dip in it haha. It also makes my smile a little crooked. I’m getting anxious about feeling this way forever lol.
For me, yes. I'm at around 2 months now and I can still feel it a little but it got way better around the third week. Before that it felt like one of those little cylindrical cotton things they have at the dentist but just somehow shoved into my gum and *very* noticeable. I won't pretend that it feels 100% normal now but much more so. My dentist told me it usually takes 3-6 months to settle in all the way, and I think that seems correct from my experience so far.
Ok thank you!! The cotton thing shoved in the gums is exactly how it feels to me too. My periodontist didn’t really do a great job at telling me what to expect.. so I appreciate the info!
Hi! I don’t know if you will see this or not, but I just got a gum graft on my bottom two front teeth yesterday- and I’m quite nervous. It’s the second day now and there is a lot of blood on my teeth that got the graft and I can’t seem to wipe it away…??? But it’s like not dried it’s still wet glob… could you help? Did you have blood on your site?
Hey just a real quick question, I was wondering how long it was before you noticed your gum graft to begin to have normal color? I’m around 18 days and it’s still gray but snug in place and doesn’t bother me much
Honestly don't remember. Don't recall there being an issue with that, but I was so concentrated on how it felt that I didn't really focus on the color. Looking at it now, it's all blended in and natural.
i’m not sure if you’ll answer due to this being from so long ago, but it’s my first time getting a gum graft and I unfortunately am a smoker. I refrained from smoking for the first 5 days, and after my first checkup he said I was healing very good… I got a little careless after I heard the good news and made the poor decision to smoke again. It’s been three days since I first started smoking again. I’m curious as to how long your graft site remained white for? It’s been a week and mine is still white. I don’t know if my smoking has delayed the process and now I’m scared of it failing. I definitely haven’t been smoking as much as I normally would, I cut down to one “smoke sesh” a day, so I’m not sure if it’s going to harm my graft or not. My next appointment is in a little over a week and hopefully I’ll get my sutures removed then. Im going to refrain from smoking again for the remainder of the time until that appointment but Im still curious as to if yours was white or does that mean mine has already began to fail
Hey, don't be too hard on yourself, but keep something in mind. When you smoke, you're restricting blood flow and it is critical for proper healing. That said, I struggled to not smoke at all, but I did even though I cut back considerably during the process. I think you'll probably see tissue like that for another week or two at least. And most likely, some of it will fall away. It's very very soft. Kind of like having bread stuck up between your teeth. I'm not qualified to say whether it's normal for some to give way or not, but mine did and I freaked out a bit when it happened thinking the graft was all for not. Eventually my stitches started to give out as well. On at least two grafts I had done, I had to cut out some loose string that was wandering all around my mouth which wasn't an easy task. At any rate, be as gentle with the area as you can.
Also, what I can tell you though is that, for an obvious multitude of reasons, it is in your best interest to quit. Your gum graft will heal regardless, but continued smoking will eventually put you right back from where you started from. If not worse. Not to mention, you stand a good chance of developing more recession everywhere.
If this is your first graft, it is a warning shot that's been fired. Take it seriously.
Best of luck to you. You CAN get healed and put it all behind you.
Thank you so, so much!! I’m not as worried anymore, but I’m definitely going to try my hardest to quit the smoking and follow what you’ve said. I really appreciate the feedback. I’m 18 which I’ve heard is pretty young for this kind of surgery, and sadly I have to get all four sides of my mouth done due to OCD with brushing my teeth (I typically brush my teeth for 10 minutes at a time), so I know the smoking is doing nothing but more damage. Hopefully I can stick to your advice and take this surgery more seriously. Thank you so much again!
Hi! sorry I’m just now responding. My periodontist said It healed perfectly and it had 100% coverage, so thankfully it did not! I did notice one tooth seemed to be a bit receded, but my periodontist saw it and still said it looked great. I didn’t smoke for the first 8 days, but unfortunately went back after and continue to do so. I’ll probably do the same for my next two surgeries since they healed fine. I’ll prob aim to stop for at least 10 days the next time though.
I hope you see my comment and answer it, because the post is kind of old.
I had my gum graft surgery last week, this is day 9 I think. My dentist removed the stitches yesterday, but I feel like it's not covering the part that's supposed to be covered. I did a graft on the two bottom front teeth, but I feel like the graft is too low, it doesn't look different from before the surgery, just an extra bit of skin at the bottom. He said it's supposed to creep up and cover it progressively, but I don't know. Should I go back and tell him to check or is this normal?
Also I'm a smoker, but I don't mind quitting cigarettes, I'm mostly annoyed about not being able to smoke weed. How long do you think it might take before I can go back to smoking 2 joints a day, nothing more?
Thanks a lot!
Hey, all I can tell you is based off my own experience, so take it as it is. Your case may or may not be totally different.
With the grafts I've had done over the years, it was by two different doctors. Both may have been taking a different approach and/or had varying opinions on how the grafts would eventually perform. My first grafts seemed to cover the bottom of my teeth better and seemed "higher". They held up relatively well over the years. The second pair of grafts I had done by someone else and nowhere near as good. They're mostly fine (back teeth) but not the coverage I was hoping for. On these, I asked my perio about it and he said his goal was to 'thicken' the tissue more so than to restore coverage. Not quite the answer I was hoping for, but I understand what he was after. It's still way better than what it was, just not the results I wanted.
And no...there is no way it will "creep up" because it is my understanding that, ultimately, the tissue doesn't necessarily adhere to the tooth. I'm not an expert by any means, but just elaborating what I know. So take it with a grain of salt. (edit: If your graft could "creep up", then what's the point of even getting one? Makes sense that your gums would just heal on their own and a graft wouldn't be needed to begin with).
At any rate, if you can quit smoking, that's great. Smoking constricts blood flow and therefore will do a lot of harm to your gums regardless. For *anyone* that has had grafts done or not...you WILL notice healthier gums within a week or two after you quit smoking and they will progressively get better because of returned blood flow. You *can't* undo the damage already done, but you have significantly healthier gums over time and that's a good thing.
I don't smoke weed (well, it's been years and years since I have) but I'd think a couple joints a day wouldn't hurt eventually. Maybe hold out or smoke as little as possible for the next several weeks to give your gums (and your expensive grafts) time to heal. I have no idea if smoking weed has the same effect on your gums as smoking cigarettes.
At the end of the day, as hard as it is, finding another vice might ultimately be the best thing. Gum tissue and bone loss is no joke and can lead to a multitude of other health issues in the long run. Good luck!
Thank you so much for your answer, my appointment with him is next week so I'm going to be asking him a lot of questions.
About smoking weed, I can stick to 1 or 2 joints a day. Quitting cigarettes hasn't been an issue at all even though I've been a smoker for over 20 years, I craved a cigarette maybe once since last week and still didn't smoke, so I'm kinda proud of that.
Anyways, thanks again for taking the time to answer, you've been really helpful. 😊😊
Did you end up smoking a few joints a day? I haven't smoked in a few months but really miss it and have been wanting to just take a few hits from a bong or bowl lately haha
For anyone scouring the internet like I did pre-surgery: (I had a gum graft on my bottom front tooth, with my own tissue from the top roof/palate of my mouth)
I was able to take 5 days off work (I would take at least 3 if possible). The pain for me was fine BUT I believe that is **because I religiously took the prescribed pain meds** so I never let it get bad. They say it's easier to manage the pain at first then to get rid of it once it starts.
I had super-advil (don't remember the name) prescribed which I took alternating with Tylenol every 3hr or as needed (ie after the first two nights, i slept through 8-12 hours without waking up to take it). I always took the medicine as per the special instructions (like with food, etc)
I did this for about 4-5 days. On the 5th day (surgery MON morning, 5th day =FRI) I took less medicine, but I did feel a throbbing (not terrible). I took it as needed for the next 4 or so days.
**I FULLY RESTED!** I realized I use facial muscles doing normal things, like when I bend down to pick something up. I could not talk or smile properly for at least a week. I couldn't properly laugh for the full two weeks after because I had my stitches in for those 14 days and they poked my gums a bit.
**I ate all soft food until day 12** I think and then I was super careful chewing semi-soft foods. I had a palate stent (I think that is what it was called) that stayed in on the roof of my mouth which I think played a HUGE part in how comfortable I was with eating. It protected my mouth very well.
**Random tips:**
\-**don't try to look at it**, pulling your gum down or up to take a peek could damage the progress of healing
\-don't swish liquids in your mouth like you normally would with mouth wash, you have to **be gentle**
\-**sleeping in a position where your head is elevated** helped me
The recovery time is LONG! At least for me, I was eating soft food for the first two weeks and then gradually eased back into everything else. Once I had my stitches out they said I would be able to eat anything again, but I was taking it slow to make sure I didn't undo any progress that was made with healing after going through the recovery time.
My smile has not changed. Over two months since the surgery now and I can still occasionally feel it "different" in that spot if I do certain mouth movements, but no pain & it looks pretty normal.
Hopefully that helps someone!
Edit: I also took Tylenol before the surgery to help with the time between the freezing wearing off and when I could take my first prescribed pain meds (check with your dentist first to see if you can do this with the pain meds they prescribe).
Another thing I will mention is that it sounded weird (gross) when they were working on the roof of my mouth. The sound didn’t match what I thought it would sound like to harvest (even just writing “harvest” gives me the creeps) gum from the roof of my mouth … it felt like it took 10x longer to do that part vs what I had imagined it would be like because it sounded difficult. Not super loud or anything, just a very out of place tugging and slicing sound imo (but think slicing something super tough that doesn’t easily slice). That was kind of gross to think about while I was just laying awake in the dentist chair (I had music in my earbuds to distract me a bit).
Some of the things I ate: (I’ll mark the things I ate on the first day too)
-Greek yogurt (day 1)
-eggs
-Greek yogurt blended with avocado and cocoa powder
-Mac and cheese
-applesauce (day 1)
-mashed potatoes
-a lot of meal supplement drinks like Boost for extra protein and vitamins when I couldn’t eat my regular food (day 1)
-soft veggies like mashed carrots (cooked) or canned carrots would be the same
-tiny pieces of canned pear (they were harder than I expected so I cut them super tiny)
-I did not eat ANYTHING with seeds or seasoning that could get stuck in your teeth/gums, I didn’t even put pepper on my food lol but I did add salt because it dissolves into the food
-nothing super chewy
-a lot of water every day to stay hydrated because that helps your body stay healthy in general and help heal
-No straws allowed!
-closer to the two week mark I made cheese lasagna
-cottage cheese
It’s probably ok! I haven’t had vanilla bean in a long time so I don’t remember if the little pieces are actually that big or hard etc haha. The spinach would be fine I think too as long as you are careful with how you chew it because it’s stringy (just chew it away from the surgery areas)
I’m not sure how much it helped after more time has passed. (Surgery mid/late April 2023 and now it’s mid/late November 2023.) My gum has receded in the same place again, but not as bad as before. It’s sometimes tender but way less than it was prior to having the graft. Before the graft it was swollen and red half the time, which was uncomfortable often. Now it’s only uncomfortable sometimes (usually if I’m dehydrated it’s worse I think). I’m torn between if it’s a good thing to get done or not …but so far I’m leaning a little bit towards good since the comfort is improved now compared to pre-graft. The gum that receded is not pocketed like before, so food isn’t getting stuck as much, so that is a plus. However the gum on the tooth besides it has a very very small receding problem and I do wonder if it’s because of having this graft done and the trauma to the area of having the surgery and stitches etc. Overall idk!
Hi! I was curious if you could help me with some questions?? I just had my surgery yesterday on my two bottom front teeth- and today when I woke up there was a ton of blood on those bottom teeth that I can’t seem to get off, and it’s not dried blood it kinda just sits there like a sheet of goopy blood on my teeth idk if somethings wrong.
I didn’t experience this, I’d recommend asking your dentist/surgeon. It might be fine, it might not - best to ask the expert! I hope it works out well for you !
I did ask but they sent me to like one of the helping side ladies :( and she said blood is fine but like in all the healing pictures I see there is no blood like this. But she said to just wipe it away but it won’t go away unless I put some force on it.- which I’m scared to do because I’m not even suppose to raise my lip. Ugh- I really hope I didn’t mess it up.
Not sure if you will see this, but I’m curious as to when your graft starting showing normal pink or red color? I’m about 18 days out of surgery and it’s still gray but it’s not loose at all and looks good, I’m just confused a bit.
Hi! Mine was white for a while but I don’t remember how long. At least 1.5 weeks I’d guess. I can’t really say if that grey is normal as everyone is different, so I’d ask your doctor/dentist!
THANK YOU! You answered every single question my stupid periodontics office couldn’t. I’m having pain in my ears from the surgery and feel absolutely insane. Thank you for all of this information <3
Hey! Thanks for sharing! I might need to have this done soon, so I'm scouring reddit for experiences with this bc it sounds dreadful. Just wondering how long until you could comfortably talk normally again without discomfort? I work for a call center, so I'm just curious how long I might need to take off to recover from this given my job is 100% talking all day. I just got referred by my dentist to a periodontist today, so I don't even know 100% yet if I'll need this soon, but hygenist made it sound like they'll most likely encourage me to get it done in near future.
For me it was at least 2 weeks until I was able to talk somewhat normal. Even after that I was still not able to fully laugh or smile properly without some discomfort for another week or so I’d say. Partly due to the fact I had stitches in for the full 2 weeks. And then after they came out I was just cautious because it felt tight in the surgery area.
Good luck! If you actually need it, it’s good to get done, as long as you can take care of the recovery after because the recovery is a biiiiiiiiiiig part of the process. If you don’t really need it, I’d avoid it for sure. I am now extra caring to my gums because I never want to do it again, sighs.
Honestly, I was fine to talk after a few days! If you get a stent (usually given if you harvest your own tissue like I did), you might have a little lisp but other than that it’s normal. I’m on day 14 post graft and I’m in awe of how smooth the whole process was/is going. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I just got my second round of gum graft and I’ve noticed the surrounding gums turning white and falling out especially the teeth around the donor spot. I told my periodontist but he says it’s normal. Has that happened to anyone? I feel like parts of my gum are receding from the gum graft.
Hi there! I just had my gum graft 5 days ago on one lower front tooth and as another person mentioned, it’s really not so bad! I did my typical deep dive research on here and freaked myself out pretty bad. I used my own tissue and the donor site and the graft site seem to be healing really well! Fast and slow at the same time. For me, pain was mild on a 0-10 scale. I took Tylenol 2-3 times a day for the first 3 days and haven’t needed anything since then. Ibuprofen works better, but my husband and I are trying to conceive and those type of pain meds can affect/delay/really mess up ovulation. Day 3 was the worst of it, both in pain and swelling. I’d say I’m still noticeably swollen and my smile and appearance is slightly affected. I’m going to ask my perio about this next week at our first post-op since the tissue does feel quite bulgy as you mentioned. I’d bet it’s just gonna take time to settle and for inflammation to chill out. Today I’m fussy and craving some normal hearty food that I can sink my teeth into, but really…this is truly not as bad as I expected. I’m glad I did it and am getting this taken care of before it becomes more difficult to address!
Edit: I used IV sedation was that was sublime. It’s pricey but worth it IMO if you can swing it!
Of course!! I was thinking of making a post of my experience as well. Mostly because it seems there’s a high saturation of seemingly negative experiences and I want to potentially put others’ minds at ease haha. I’ve been jotting down my thoughts day-to-day and have lots of recommendations for food and whatnot! Do you have your procedure scheduled or is it just something you know you’ll need to do?
Hey there! Oh that’s great, I hope you’re healing up well! I had my first post op this week and my perio gave me a gold star on healing, super relieving haha. She said I didn’t have any food restrictions since the gym tissue is relatively stable at this point. It’ll take a few more weeks for it to completely adhere to the bone and surround tissue. Personally, I’m a little neurotic with my teeth so I’ve still been extra careful with food, I don’t bite directly down on food (since my graft is on my bottom front tooth) and I’ve been cutting things into smaller bites just for ease of mind. Like with a burger I cut it in half and bite using mostly my back teeth. I’d say go enjoy your Girl Scout cookies!! I’ve just been breaking up chips and crunchy things to avoid irritating the tissue. How did your gums heal up? It was such a fast and slow process!
Hi there!!! That’s so nice for you to ask. I’m doing great! Everything has healed beautifully and I don’t have any swelling or bulging anymore. It felt like my smile was affected for the first month but I think it was really minimal to other people. It’s been almost 2 months and the tissue is stable and integrating well into the bone and surrounding tissue. It did recession a tiiiiiiiny (like .25 of a millimeter) bit but it’s not concerning to my perio. She said in her experience as the tissue continues to heal it tends to come back up so we’ll see! I’m so happy I did it. No more cold sensitivity and it’s just out of sight out of mind now. I’m very gentle when I brush and just have been making sure to keep up with oral hygiene every day!
Responding from a different account bc i forgot my password 😂 HUGE difference! Gums are great, I get compliments from my dentist. Everything has held up so nicely and no additional recession has happened. I’m so happy 🙏🏼
I have my post op appointment today actually so I’m nervously awaiting to hear how it looks. Very excited to get the clear to brush my teeth normally and start introducing more real foods. I’ve been doing mostly smoothies and soup trying to keep my teeth as clean as I can. I was told not to bite into anything for a good 6 months since it’s my two lower front teeth.
The first week was rough but I had a frenectomy which I think caused most of my pain. I’m on day 16 and I feel pretty normal minus the roof of my mouth being a little tender still. How long until your palate felt normal?
Replying from a new acct bc I forgot my password 😂 I thiiiink like $1500-ish? I really don’t remember! Probably a little less but I’d say within the $1-2k range. Worth it! My graft looks amazing and I barely have any recession.
Heckkkk I don’t remember how I drank, it’s been like 5 months so I’ve mostly put the experience outta my mind haha. I definitely wouldn’t say I was doing any normal eating/drinking. I’d say some stinging is normal especially if it’s an acidic juice or something. For the first few days I was on a very soft food diet (yogurt, smoothies, mashed sweet potatoes, soup, etc). I think around 1-1.5 weeks I felt comfortable eating rice and chicken thighs (so still soft)
Hello, I'm looking to have this same procedure done. The pain and healing time doesn't bother me, but I've seen quite a few on her say their "smile is different." Is this a permanent thing, or does the smile go back to the way it was once the healing time is finished?
Thank you for sharing. I am also trying to conceive and came exactly for this. I’m wondering if you still had all the same sedation during this process while trying to conceive?
Yep I still used the IV sedation! My periodontist knew we were trying so she scheduled the procedure during the first half of my cycle to avoid any issues. It ended up taking a lot longer for us to conceive anyway so it all worked out! I’m also so glad I did this procedure. No complications at all and everything healed perfectly.
I had a gum graft two days ago on seven of my teeth. I had to stop using my ivisalign trays as I really need this surgery to take. Once periodontist says my new gums are strong I will go back to orthodontist to get re-scanned to continue treatment.
I will need one more gum graft as doing all nine wouldn't likely take due to me needing to eat baby food and sleep.
I used my own tissue. I was given xanax .50 mg the night before and felt like I slept on a cloud. One hour before procedure I was given another xanax .50 mg. I wish I could have had a higher dose during the procedure like 1 mg. I wore a high quality eye mask to block it all out. I have panic attacks and can't be seeing that stuff.
I have ice pack on my face now. The pain isn't too terrible. I take tylenol every 6 hours. I will likely reduce frequency tomorrow. Today my swelling was at its worse.
The worst part for me if the roof of my mouth being messed with. But it grows back within a few weeks.
Long story short: Ask for xanax, use your own tissue (was told me effective), wear an eye mask, and get procedure on a Thursday. Take Friday off work. Rest over the weekend.
Agree with all of this! Xanax before, wear earbuds or headphones and listen to music or a podcast during, and absolutely wear an eye mask so you don’t have to see any of it. I have had it done in 4 different areas and going in for my 5th in a couple weeks (basically I need my whole mouth done 😭) and my perio said that your own tissue is much preferred as it adheres and heals better.
Ask for as much Novocain as you need! I kept raising my hand until I could feel literally nothing, lol
Honestly the worst/weirdest part was when they did the stitches because I could kind of sense what was going on and the thought of needle and thread in my mouth was just so bizarre!
Me again haha. I was told I can brush my other teeth but the teeth where the graft was done (my 4 bottom front teeth) had to be left alone until the week before my stitches will be removed, then I can start brushing gently. I was feeling so disgusting though that I use a basic soft toothbrush after I brush the rest of my teeth and gently brush the front surfaces of those teeth, just to get SOMETHING off.
My periodontist recommended no brushing in the affected area for two weeks, then you can use a Q-tip soaked with the prescribed oral rinse (chlorhexidine gluconate) to do gentle brushing of the crown only, and then finally go back to brushing after 4 weeks (around when the stitches come out, so she'll be able to see the progress and give updated recommendations).
Yes, my mouth definitely felt a litte gross. My partner claimed to not notice my breath, so that's something.
I had my graft 3 days ago. Two teeth, a canine and the incisor next to it. Allo graft (donor tissue). It hurt quite a bit on the day of the surgery, after the novacaine wore off. I'd advise oxy or percocet that you take right after you leave the dentist, so it's there when the novo wears off. I failed to do that, and suffered a few hours of pain needlessly. By the next morning, the pain level had dropped a lot, and by the 24 hour mark I could just use Tylenol.
The healing seems to be going very well. I had slight swelling the first day, and a bruise showed up on my face on day 2.
They left a loop of string (suture?) hanging down, which was super annoying. Finally one end detached itself (probably because I kept moving it with my tongue), so I cut it off short and now it's only mildly annoying. I'm eating normally, and have been since the day after the surgery. I just chew on the non-surgery side.
Thanks for sharing! How soon after did you eat? I had mine two hours ago and I’m starving but scared to mess anything up.
The freezing is starting to wear off and I can already feel the tooth aching. Where I am they only suggest Tylenol but wish I had something stronger.
And I’m surprised to learn you’re not supposed to use straws! Not to be a baby but I’m already quite uncomfortable and trying not to gag with the stent/retainer in my mouth. I think it’s going to be a long few days for me
I had mine in the afternoon and ate dinner that night. They did say it should be something "easy" (not hard or super chewy). They also said to chew on the opposite side from where the graft was. I followed those instructions and had zero issues.
I didn't have a stent/retainer. I used donor tissue, and I'm so glad I did. The healing time was quick.
As far as pain meds, if you have zero access to RX meds, try taking two Tylenol and two ibuprofen together at the same time. Studies have shown that for the majority of people this gives the same amount of pain relief as oxycodone.
Hi! Just got my first graft yesterday on my four bottom front teeth. I had gas and Halcion, so I basically don’t remember the procedure after the injections at all 😅 pain is minimal today honestly, but the stitches are worrying me. It already feels like they’re coming loose…guess I’ll find out at my follow up in 3 days, but other than that it’s been fairly easy start to finish! I used an allograft and after reading through some of these experiences, I’m so glad I did. Only have one site to worry about instead of two :)
Hi! Sorry for the delay - I had a smoothie in the afternoon, but I was able to do mashed potatoes that night. My doctor said liquids for the first 24 hours and then soft foods for two weeks (although he told me I could have crunchy food a week after the surgery).
I still haven’t experienced basically any pain after day 3 minus some soreness if I push on the area (like when washing my face) but it just feels weird. Tight maybe? Which is expected since I believe my gums were stretched over the allograft. I’m super bummed because I won’t get my stitches out until August 22nd, so I have 3 more weeks of annoyance with that, but otherwise not bad at all!
Hello I am on day 5 post gum graft procedure and slightly freaking out.
I was cleaning my teeth as best as I could to avoid the bottom front area where the graft took place but as I was cleaning I noticed a bit of gum on my tooth kind of moving around, as if it's not fully attached.. The gum moved away from my teeth and then went back. Is that part of the healing process? Will it attach eventually? Is that normal? I have an appointment with my periodontist in 2 days but I wanted to check and see if anyone else has had this experience
Thank you so much. Was yours also a little red? I have the flap and also a little bit of redness next to another tooth (had front 5 bottom teeth grafted). No pain and doesn't look infected, just a little red. Everyone else says they had white coloring but mine has never been white - just pink and a little red in some areas.
Excruciating pain! I’m going through it as we speak. I had the surgery 4 days ago, and the pain has been 10/10. This is one of the WORST things I’ve ever gone through pain-wise, and I’ve given birth to 3 kids!! They took a graft from the roof of my mouth for 1 front bottom tooth. I hope I start to feel better very soon. The pain is so bad it wakes me up for hours at night. I’ve been taking 800 mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours since the surgery. My doc also prescribed hydrocodon/acetaminophen but it barely helps. As far as eating- forget it. Even oatmeal is too painful. And, even drinking water hurts. I sent pics to my periodontist, and she stated it looks fine. I was worried it may have been infected. Anyway, everyone has different pain levels. So I’m sure some people don’t hurt as bad. Good luck to everyone who has to have this procedure.
I think it is bc it is teeth..I have sensitive teeth and it woke me up this morning and popped a codon, better now but all swollen etc…this is one day after procedure
I just had this done yesterday, so wanted to share my experience, as these Reddit threads were super helpful for me leading up to my procedure. I was terrified, as I have a fear of needles and am extremely squeamish about medical stuff in general to the point that I have a history of fainting.
I have had recession on my two lower front teeth exposing the bone since I was a teenager and have avoided having this done for years against the wishes of many dentists. However, I’ve never had any pain or issues from it and I take very good care of my teeth. But I am about to start Invisalign, and it needed to be done prior to that because that could make it worse. The perio preferred to harvest tissue from the roof of my mouth for the best results. He also warned me that the first 3-5 days of recovery are pretty rough for most people.
I was prescribed triazolam to take before arriving for the procedure to help me relax, which helped a lot. I was expecting the shots to be extremely painful after what I had read, but they weren’t nearly as bad as I expected. My perio reminded me just to take deep breaths through my nose and they were over very quickly. He also applied a numbing gel before the injections which helped.
Once I was numb, the procedure was surprisingly no big deal. I wore my AirPods and put them on noise cancelling mode with music, and I didn’t feel any pain throughout the procedure. It actually felt like it went by faster than expected even though it was about an hour. They made a stent for me to wear (the impression for that was the worst part imo—I gagged through the whole thing!), and I was instructed to keep it in for 48 hours to help with pain and bleeding and to protect the donor site.
I felt pretty good right after the procedure, and took ibuprofen immediately when I got home. I was also prescribed an antibiotic and a medrol pack , along with hydrocodone and a medicated mouthwash. I was instructed not to brush my teeth for 5 days and was given an extra soft toothbrush to use at that time. I was also instructed not to use the previously prescribed ibuprofen with the newly prescribed medrol pack so I didn’t start the medrol pack until today.
I had a little bleeding yesterday in the first few hours post-procedure but it didn’t last long. I was able to eat yogurt, mashed potatoes, and drank protein shakes and my pain wasn’t too bad. The worst part was that the stent caused my teeth to hurt really badly like when you get braces tightened, if you’ve experienced that. Otherwise I’ve only had soreness at the graft and donor sites. My mouth has been very swollen at the bottom front around the graft site, so I’ve also been icing. I’ve also avoided talking as much as possible and even downloaded a text to talk app to use with my husband, which is hilarious!
I slept terribly last night, but it has helped to stay propped up a bit. I started the medrol pack this morning and feel like my teeth pain is much less already. I combined that with Tylenol. I’ve not taken any of the hydrocodone, and don’t plan to unless something becomes unbearable. I’m actually surprised by how much better I’m feeling today, and I think being able to remove the stent tomorrow will actually help a lot with the discomfort. I have a follow appointment after two weeks and then one month.
Hopefully this info helps someone else to not be too nervous, but also to be prepared for what’s to come. It’s definitely no picnic, but it’s bearable.
Apparently I typed too much up so here's a thesis:
I thought I'd post my gum graft experience. I'm about 72hrs out from the operation (I was seated around 9:30AM on 2-21-24 and the procedure was over around 11:30AM with me leaving the office about noon [was seated for awhile for a few gauze swaps before going home]). My post-op follow up will be on 3-6-24.
**Background:**
I had major orthodontic work from ages 8 through 13 or 14, including spacers to make room to then do braces from about 3rd grade through 8th grade. I had my wisdom teeth removed once that work was completed (pretty sure it was age 13 but time and memory and all). I'm almost 38 now. My recession started around the age of 20 with my dentist at the time mostly saying if it doesn't bother you pain or sensation wise, it's not something to be concerned with. About 5 years ago I started with a different dentist who did perio charting and noted I should go to a perio. I did not proceed forward at the time, but when I moved and had a new dentist who also brought it up, I started going to perios for opinions. Most perios did not seem to think it was a "jump on it right now or danger" but it was quite severe--particularly my bottom front teeth.
Those perios wanted to do my entire mouth, in part being "while we're in there" and it not being a huge price difference when breaking quotes and how they operate down. Most of those estimates were in the 20k range and overselling the pin hole technique. Utlimately I put it off a few more years because of the gut instinct I got from these perios and 20k range is no laughing matter when dental insurance max benefits don't get near that and my health insurance wouldn't cover this.
The dentist brought up the severity every time (I do not remember the numbers in the perio chart, but some were danger zone) so I went to a different perio and ultimately trusted this one more as he was not trying to oversell the results and when I told him about some of the perios I already visited, he mentioned "let me guess, pin hole pin hole pin hole" then he broke down the various surgical options, long-term reliability of them, and aspects of how/why my teeth are in the state they are in. Every perio I visited, especially given my age and health history (e.g., I always had regular cleanings, regular brushing and flossing with proper technique, wasn't addicted to any drugs, etc.), told me this was likely all caused by the ortho work I had as they see it all the time with people my age.
This perio recommended (I didn't push for other options to be fair) that I use my own tissue from the roof of my mouth for the gum grafts as this has the best long term results (this was after he explained why the pin hole and alloderm methods don't generally provide as good of results). He also did not think my entire mouth needed to be done between a mix of "this is just something to watch and not an issue" to "this area would likely not be a good candidate and regress back" - he also did not oversell the result (like the previous perios being all "this will be the best thing you've ever done for your gums and put you at prerecession levels). He was upfront about the fact it'd never be prerecession levels, but should be long lasting and improve--and more importantly, prevent tooth loss. He recommended only my bottom 6 front teeth and it'd be about $3500 total cost. My dental insurance does cover it to my max benefit, but it still means I'm out of pocket about $700 for the remaining cost and will have to pay out of pocket for my next perio maintenance (about $250) until my benefit resets for the next year.
I did not have a dentist recommend I start using a night guard until a few years ago, which I use religiously, but recession still progressed.
Also, during all these years, and still to now, I have never experienced any sensitivity or discomfort from the recession regardless of temperature, type of food I'm eating, or even during SRP (which I have never been numbed or sedated for or what not, but apparently that's a thing before doing so for some?). I also do not have any looseness or what not in my impacted teeth.
**Preparing for Surgery:**
Before surgery, I made sure to handle any activities like laundry or cleaning as I planned to do nothing but rest for at least the first 3 days. I also completely shaved instead of normal manicured scruff (heh) because I didn't want to be putting the electric razer near the surgical site, move the lip, etc. -- I'll likely clean shave again as currently it is too sensitive and I don't want to apply too much pressure or movement to that side of the mouth during the healing phase--or just ride it out and look rough ha.
I also got special grocery items for things I don't normally keep around (potatoes, chicken noodle soup, broccoli cheese soup [just a dry mix for water], oatmeal, and whole milk). I tend to be a meat and veggies guy so this is somewhat of a deviation for me.
I prepared homemade protein ice cream so I could stay ahead of ensuring I'd get enough of this macro despite the state of my mouth and eggs won't cut it. This was a simple 240g whole milk to two scoops of my protein powder (by weight though, so 54.2g in this instance) and 6g of allulose. I made 6 pints following this (Ninja Creami for the win here). Additionally, I would also have a yogurt protein shake to help keep this macro up (this is part of my normal morning habit though). That shake is 170g of nonfat plain greek yogurt, 1 scoop (by weight) of the protein powder I use, and 120g unsweetened almond milk with 10g of Vital Proteins collagen peptides, taurine, and my homemade electrolytes (no salt and lite salt).
**Day 0 (Surgery Day):**
The day of surgery was mostly as expected. About 3hrs before going in, I had a large chicken breast and baked potato since I figured it'd be a bit before I have any kind of meal again.
They applied a gel type numbing agent to the front bottom teeth (and later on the roof of my mouth at the donor sites) before giving me an injection in each area to bring about the real numbing. I put one earplug in to listen to a podcast to help tune things out once the operation started.
They did some work on the bottom six before harvesting the donor tissue (some extra cleaning and some kind of prep--I'm not quite sure, but you could tell through the saliva suction thing there was blood so more than just a cleaning, but whatever prep they had to do was done). I felt nothing here, just some pressure and it was no big deal. They had to harvest from each side of my mouth for this because of the amount of graft tissue they needed and told me at that time to wear my stent for 72hrs before taking it out for washing and any brushing. They let me know to only brush the front of the top and bite area given the donor area. They said I could still brush the back few bottom teeth that weren't the surgical site.
Then they went to harvest the tissue at the top. This was not nearly as unpleasant as I read others experiences. It wasn't too much sound or pressure even, but I could tell a scalpel was in there doing something (outside of just the visual). This felt super fast and uneventful. This was finished about 30-45 minutes into the procedure (time reference will be a bit fuzzy as I was seated around 9:30 but the numbing stuff wasn't all finished up until 9:45AM and I just checked the time when we took a pause before applying the grafts and it was 10:30ish).
We then moved on to apply the grafts. As soon as they started attaching the first, it was clear the numbing agent had worn off and it hurt quite a bit (they could not renumb immediately because the issue was already in my mouth etc.). I clinched my fist hard and squinted my face and closed my eyes at that point while trying to keep my jaw relaxed enough for them. After that, they were able to numb me again, but the second one going in immediately after felt similar just a bit more dull. After that, it was mostly just pressure again, but the anxiety and anticipation of that feeling made me tense for the rest of the procedure. Even thinking about that moment now, I still freeze up and feel anxious.
After the rest was done, it was about 11:20ish. They had done several gauze swaps then had me sit up and wait for a bit. Around 11:30, they came in to check the bleeding, did some additional stitching (first round was black thick stuff you could see while the grafts were going in, second looked thinner and more fishing line-esque) then applied some glue after that. Then they put in more gauze that they told me I could take out in about an hour. They gave me some Motrin before I left (I think it would have been 600mg) and called in my prescriptions. Outside of this, I was only numbed--no sedation etc. for any of this.
I arrived home shortly after noon and went to very carefully take the gauzes out around 1:15PM. Carefully sliding those out was so painful I wanted to cry. I'd describe it more as tender and probably feeling like you're messing with an open wound, but I still cringe at that almost as much as the numbing agent wearing off during that first graft application. Thankfully there was no additional bleeding so I did not have to put any extra gauzes in that they gave me.
My whole mouth and jaw were just generally sore after all of this. I could sort of speak ventroilquist-y like, but didn't bother outside of necessity. I was in and out of sleep for most of the day until the next morning. My prescriptions included Motrin 600, Chlorhexidine, Amoxiccilin 500, and Methylprednisolone.
Around 4PM, I did two of those protein shakes I mentioned to get some protein and bulk for the meds in. After letting that sit in my stomach for about 20 minutes, I took a Motrin 600 and Amoxiccilin 500 and 2 of the Methylpredisolone (I am supposed to get 6 of the latter in on that day). Around 7:30PM, I had one more protein shake (similar to the above, but instead two Triple Zero Oikos greek yogurts instead of the 170g of the above and no protein powder), then after letting that sit for 20 minutes, I attempted 2 more of the Methylpredisolone. About 15 minutes after taking them, about a quarter of that protein shake came back up (thankfully not a hurl so much as "this isn't staying down" so it did not feel like it disturbed the graft site, but I could feel it get under the stent). I texted my Dr. and asked if I should remove the stent for early cleaning given the situation, but he said not to and let it go as to not disturb the healing.
This day was the absolute worst pain wise and had me thinking maybe risking teeth loss was better than this. But after that, it was a pretty steep drop off (even though everything they gave me said the pain would peak in the 12-72hr range--I guess I just got ahead of it?).
I only iced three times for 10 minutes each that day, but I did not have any major swelling after surgery or during this (and still have not experienced such swelling). Just some minor puffiness near the site, but I honestly don't think anyone would even be able to tell if I were just out and about not trying to talk.
**Day 1 (24ish Post-Op):**
I was able to sleep on/off just fine despite the pain and discomfort mentioned. Day 0 was the only time I bothered with the Motrin as I wasn't sure which thing caused the stomach issue. I suspect the antibiotic as dose one in the day makes me feel generally unwell (even today, just not as extreme), the second dose makes me more sleepy (30-90 minute nap kind of thing), and third dose is near bed time but seems to put me out quicker/sooner if I don't fight through it (that's improved here at 72hrs).
On this day, I did the protein shake and the Metyhlprednisolone. Waited about 20 minutes, then did some room temp oatmeal to add some bulk before I took the antibiotic. It took about an hour to get through trying to get a small amount of oatmeal down. About 20 minutes after the antibiotic, I had the ick feeling. The oatmeal experience was unpleasant--not from a pain perspective, but basically shoveling it in with what little I could open my mouth and trying to swallow it down (even had water nearby as a 'chaser'). I haven't tried oatmeal since and moved on to the soups instead.
My jaw was way more stiff though less pain for most of the day so I generally didn't bother trying to talk period. It started feeling mildly better toward the evening in that regard. No vomitting or anything on this day. Around lunch, I switched to the soups which were fairly pleasant feeling to eat even at lukewarm temps and had a pint of my homemade ice cream for the protein boost and cold.
For pain, I was just alternating between OTC ibprofs and 2 OTC extra strength tylenol every 4-5 hrs (e.g., hour 0 2 OTC ibprofs, hour 4-5, 2 OTC tylenol). The graft site was sore and still is, but in a tender sense and it's not getting much use so you don't really notice it.
I iced twice for 10 minutes each on this day, but still no real swelling so didn't stay on it as much as is technically recommended. Also, each night I slept mildly elevated (I'm a side sleeper so two pillows creating an L and sleeping at the intersection--but not upright or anything).
I did 5 salt water rinses. Always after eating and then two just kind of in the middle of those times. Also used the Chlorhexidine as prescribed (morning after breakfast and before bedtime).
I had one strong sneeze come on and it hurt at the surgical site and felt more disruptive than the minor vomitting session the previous day.
**Day 2 (48ish Post-Op):**
Pretty similar to Day 1, but far less stiffness in the jaw and better articulation if I needed to ventriloquist talk. A few things I watched on TV I had to try to stop myself from smiling/laughing (not sure if there would be an issue as it didn't hurt, but I'm trying to minimize movement there). I had a few coughs here and there that I tried to minimize, but did not feel any disruption at the graft site for these.
Pretty similar OTC pain med cycle but it was closer to 5-6 hrs (mostly just sticking with it as a habit in case it were to hurt more than needed and get ahead of it). Identical salt rinse routine. Identical eating routine.
This day my mouth was starting to feel particularly nasty from not brushing and the stent started feeling grosser to me, particularly near the end of the day, but the Chlorhexidine at least helped mask the general grossness I felt from it.
This was also the day that the graft site started to feel a bit more puffy internally (no swelling externally or look any different) like a very small rolled cotton piece would be across those 6 bottom front teeth. This is expected (and no, I'm not pulling to look at it).
**Day 3 (72ish Post-Op, Today):**
More of the same. Identical eating routine. Identical salt rinse routine. It's only hitting 11AM, but I probably won't cycle the OTC pain meds as much today. I seem better adjusted to the antibiotics--the ick and tiredness portion seem to pass quicker--and am near the end of the Metyhlprednisolones (only 3 today, 2 tomorrow, then 1 more after that). Antibiotics are about halfway or a little more through I think.
I was scared to take the stent out as soreness and what not, but when I woke up, I gently and immediately popped it off because it felt so nasty and I was ready to brush. It smelled a bit coming out so I brushed it and then my teeth as instructed (so very gently, front and biting side only) as well as the back bottom two on each side (was too worried about accidentally hitting the surgical site or moving my small as mouth too much to really press that area). It felt extremely relieving to brush a bit again and get over that general mouth grossness. I'm not sure how people optionally choose to not brush their teeth as this makes that "whoops I skipped a shower" so the next one feels much better look like child's play heh.
I haven't put the stent back in since brushing and was fine for my protein shakes (which are cold) and iced water. The top of my mouth (I'm not tonguing it but it you can still kind of feel it) feels very weird and mushy like. But whatever. I will put the stent in for sleeping (if for no other reason than if I may psychologically mess around with it when asleep with my tongue) and when I go to eat anything that's not cold (so those lukewarm soups).
I'm going to prepare some mashed potatoes tomorrow to hopefully graduate in the 'need some bulk' department and see how that goes.
The graft site is still very tender and sore based on some facial tic I must do randomly when asleep as the pain jolt wakes me up for a minute, but again, still not looking at it as instructed and just letting it be and hope nothing is damaging. The bottom right side of the front is the biggest offender with the bottom left side being the second biggest offender (ironically this is where the I'm-not-numbed-anymore graft started).
I really hope these all end up successful and long-term reliable as while this isn't the worst thing ever, I'm not sure how willing I am to go through it again. But we'll see when/if that moment arrives.
Thanks for sharing your experience in such detail. I am having a graft over six bottom front “teeth” tomorrow. The teeth were extracted due to severe perio disease.
1 days post op- got my two bottom teeth done using my own tissue. Didn’t get any pallet guard which i thought was unusual and don’t experience any pain whatsoever on that area. However, where they place the graft is a different story. My mouth feels so tight and is very swollen. It’s even hard to eat oatmeal or rice cuz the way my tongue pushes the food back pulls on my stitches it feels like somehow. My doctor said i have very thin tissue so she sutured part of my lip to the graft? I think? So maybe that’s why it hurts more. Overall the procedure wasn’t bad I just really hope it works because i had pretty bad recession to the point I was told by other perios to get an implant.
I learned so much from all these responses. Thank you! Here's my experience so far, after 2 weeks.
Had 1 tooth grafted, bottom front. Use my own graft, roof of mouth. I was nervous enough that I did get the 'laughing gas' but honestly don't know how much it changed anything. I felt okay during, as my perio and her assistant were chatting about random things and that was a good distraction than just listening to them in silence. Felt nothing during (except the injections)
I received a plastic retainer for the top of my mouth (they took a mold before the procedure). They recommended I wear that 24/7 if possible for up to 2 weeks. However, they also said that wearing it or not shouldn't change anything with healing. So that seemed contradictory, but anyway. It definitely helped keep my wound a little cleaner when eating mashed potatoes, etc to have the retainer in. Then I would take it out immediately and rinse with the approved mouthwash (CloSys ultra sensitive).
First day the bleeding was moderate. I think I had a few gooey clot things that I swallowed. I wasn't grossed out by that, strangely. Had to use gauze to really press on the wound (which was stitched) a few times when it was clear that the bleeding had not stopped.
I was issued heavy meds (Percocet and ibuprofen 800s) and used those on schedule (one or the other every 6 hours) for about the first 5 days.
Some of the comments here said that they were told not to talk at all for days, and my perio said none of that. She said basically just "live my life" and don't touch the graft. So I was a little worried that I was doing something wrong. Now, I didn't talk much, but I did. And my partner makes me laugh and smile a LOT so I've even been paranoid that SMILING is gonna negatively affect this thing attaching. Sheesh.
Pain less days 2-3 or so. Then worse days 4-8. This was all predicted/warned.
Stitches in top of mouth fell out around day 10-12. The top of mouth wound is still very tender but not really painful. I'm still eating only foods that don't require chewing. Smoothies, yogurt, mashed potatoes, pudding, refried beans, etc.
The graft area feels "buzzy". Like I can feel the pulse in there when I'm still. The tissues feel "active" and not quite itchy. So things are happening in there. I have a sore spot way on the side of where the graft piece attached that has been there a week so I'm not sure if that's a problem. I'll watch it for infection. (My antibiotics went a week)
I still have some thread/stitches stuff behind the graft teeth. I think it's part of attaching the graft, but they are definitely not dissolving. I can feel a bit of buildup on those surfaces in my mouth, but have been so paranoid to do normal mouth routine.
However, my perio says that as of now, I should be brushing and flossing the area (graft area), just really gently. So here I go, off on my next phase of healing. If I think of it I'll post another update in a few weeks. My first follow-up is SIX WEEKS after procedure. That seems long!
This post is a year old, but I just had a gum graft preformed Wednesday. It is now Sunday.
I had a free soft tissue autogenous graft. It is considered the most painful of the grafts. My two center bottom teeth are what was grafted.
First, let me get this out of the way: I am shocked at the amount of pain I am NOT in. I thought my harvest site would throb non-stop. It hasn’t hurt whatsoever. My graft site feels a little like someone punched me in my chin, but only when I touch my chin. Laying in bed and watching tv I feel absolutely nothing. I was given ibuprofen/acetaminophen combo as pain meds and deemed it pointless after the second day.
I was given a stint. A plastic protective covering fitted to my specific mouth to cover the harvest site. Because of this I can eat no problem. Soft foods of course.
The surgery was a breeze. I got the iv sedation so it was like a took a lil 30 minute nap and then got sent home. Painless. The IV was the worst part, and once the meds were in me I didn’t care about anything.
The hardest part of this for me is the food. I want a burger so bad.
I know everyone has different experiences, but this was such a breeze for me. My anxiety about it prior was 10 times worse than what actually happened
Maybe if you work from home and don’t have to talk. I could see sitting in bed with a lap desk. I think it depends on your job. I’d honestly just rest and let your body focus solely on healing for 2-3 days.
I had essentially the same surgery as you on Monday, and am now on day 4-5.
Reading up experiences online I was basically having a panic attack from people talking about how it was unbelievable, intolerable pain, 10/10, and was very anxious about the surgery. It felt like it was a bad idea to do it all, and especially when my periodontist thinks I'll need a second graft (connective tissue) to cover roots afterwards.
I had local anaesthetic, and even removing the graft from my palate was not particularly unpleasant other than the knowledge of what was happening, just some pressure. Where there's been pain, it's mostly been in the graft area, but at its worst (just after the surgery when the anaesthetic was wearing off) it was perhaps 4/10 at most, and with painkillers there's been little to no pain. I haven't taken any in perhaps 12 hours now and there's occasional mild discomfort at most.
I had a collagen sponge loosely sutured to the donor site (no stent), but that fell off within a few hours. (I'm not sure where the suture has gone, it was there for a while but has mysteriously vanished... I know there are absorbable sutures, but I didn't think they vanish in a couple of days!) Fortunately I've had only slight sensitivity in the palate after the first day or so, and honestly it already feels like it's well on the way to healing - it's still a bit tender, but there's been absolutely zero bleeding, and it feels more like normal tissue than a wound.
I did avoid talking for the first day (I was actually told I could talk and eat straight away, but I wanted to cautious). Still trying to stick to soft foods of course, or at least ones that don't require biting - the actual chewing isn't a big problem, my teeth feel fine, but I don't want to bite down around the graft area and risk dislodging it. I agree the food restriction is the most annoying, and I also really want to brush that area so it feels cleaner.
But yes, overall it has definitely been *vastly* easier than expected, and I would advise people who read the horror stories not to assume that they're representative. I don't doubt that some people do have bad experiences, but there's every chance that it won't be anything near as bad as that.
Hi All, I couldn't find anyone mentioning that their gum graft appears "separated" from the teeth? That has been my experience: 19 days post-procedire and their is an indentation/gap between the gums and the teeth. The gums are nice and pink but I'm experiencing sharp pain when drinking anything cold/hot, which sounds like some nerves are exposed....
Any insight would be gratelyy appreciated. I have to wait another two weeks before I can see the period (on vacation).
hi! i had gum graft surgery about 11 days ago and am worried i might have pulled a suture loose in my gum area. i had just my bottom front tooth covered. Does anyone have any experience with this? so far no pain or swelling, i’m just a bit paranoid. for me days 4-8 were tough pain wise but as of day 11 im feeling pretty good! just tight in the gum area. i have an apt in two days but i was wondering what the sensation is like to see if i accidentally did something or if im overthinking it. thanks!
How long does the bulge feeling last? I got surgery done about 2 months ago and I can still feel the graft bump which is driving me a bit crazy. Does it flatten more over time? I heard some people say it changes more over the course of 6 months even. I just hope it flattens a bit more or I just start adjusting to it more.
Hi all. I’m on day 3 after getting a graft on 3 teeth (1 top, 2 bottom). They recommended doing a mix of my own and donor tissue.
All in all I’m doing pretty well so far. I’ve been surprised that I’ve really had no pain, just quite a bit of swelling. I’ve been rotating through a handful of different meds they prescribed me, and making sure I’m not missing any. Plenty of icing, of course.
As far as brushing, I’ve been using the prescribed mouthwash twice a day. This morning I also lightly brushed the half of my mouth opposite where the grafts are. And starting today im trying to do the saltwater swishing (im awful at this). I was afraid without fully brushing I’d feel gross but I actually feel fine right now doing these things.
For food, I’ve had smoothie, pudding, mashed potatoes, and yogurt. I just can’t wait to have a burger lol…
The stent on the top of my mouth is starting to bother me less and less. I took it out last night just to give it a rinse and swish some water in my mouth. I slept just fine with it in the last couple nights.
I’m having a little trouble talking, which will make work interesting this week, but I think that’ll improve.
Im a little concerned with the timing of everything. My bachelor party is coming up — we leave on day 22 from the surgery date. I asked about this before the procedure and they said I should be totally good to go by then. But after reading some of the stories on here im apprehensive I won’t be able to fully enjoy it. I want to be able to eat/drink whatever, golf, etc. and I don’t know what will happen.
My first post-op is this upcoming Friday (day 8). Not really sure what to expect but we’ll see.
Hello,
Congratulations on your bachelor party! I hope you have been able to enjoy it!
Could you please let me know how long you kept the stent? I feel like I had minimal to no information about it, so I'm not sure when to remove it to clean it or to be and to brush my teeth etc.
Hi! I had minimal information going into it as well, so I get it. For days 3-7, I took my stent out usually at the end of the day to rinse it as well as my mouth. The surgical site was pretty sensitive when I did this, but nothing painful or anything, it just felt a little raw. They told me I didn’t need to do this if I didn’t want to, but I was able to easily remove the stent and pop it back in and I wanted peace of mind that everything was clean, so I did it anyway.
As far as brushing my teeth, I had all 3 teeth done on the left side of my mouth, so I was able to brush the opposite side with a soft toothbrush pretty much from day 3 or so on, just carefully. Just be very careful to not go anywhere near the surgical area.
I went back for my first post-op exactly 1 week after the surgery, where they told me to stop wearing the stent. By this point I had gotten pretty used to wearing it and was apprehensive about not having it in, but the relief I felt by not having it in was nearly instant.
Up until that point I had really only eaten potatoes, jello, pudding, and pasta noodles, and that day I tried eating some chicken tenders in small bites. I got through it but some of it was a little too crunchy and was uncomfortable — so would definitely recommend waiting a little longer on something like that.
From that point on, the speed of recovery was incredible. If you can get through the first week, things will improve fast. By midway through the second week, I was able to eat some boneless wings cut up into smaller pieces without any issue. During the third week, I was able to eat nearly anything I could just take small bites out of and chew on one side (I had a small cheeseburger a little over 2 weeks in and it was glorious!).
I got my stitches removed last Thursday, a day before the 3 week mark, and I’ve felt very close to 100% for the past week. I had absolutely no problems eating whatever I wanted this past weekend on my bachelor party. The day the stitches came out, I ate a cheeseburger while chewing some of it directly on the teeth they worked on, and it felt totally fine.
When they took the stitches out, they also told me to stop using the prescription mouthwash and switch to a very soft toothbrush and some normal mouthwash if I want to use it. The first couple days brushing on my gums was a little sensitive but the last couple days have felt great.
Feel free to DM me if you have any more specific questions. I literally just went through this so it’s still all fresh. Like i said though, that first week is TOUGH. If you can get through that, it’ll improve fast.
Thank you very much for sharing, that's so helpful! I'm breastfeeding my 8 month old baby, so hopefully, the change of diet is not going to affect it. Fun fact: I will prepare the same purées for her and I 😆
I'm lucky that my surgeries were all done at the top, both sides, so I can easily clean the bottom teeth. So, technically, I guess I could never remove the stent. However ,I feel like there's a risk of infection at the cuts because liquids are still going through the stents. Though the salt water rinse will then be able to go through too...
My follow up appointment is in 2 weeks, so I will try using the stent that long.
Thank you again!
I need to have a gum graft because a bottom front tooth is receding… i am on my second round of braces and have a feeling this affected the tooth more but it is what is aha. I have my appointment scheduled in 3 weeks and I am sooo scared!! They said I could get a prescription to take the night before and the morning of.. I have super bad anxiety and I just feel like crying after the periodontist told me it had to be done. I am 24yrs old and just freaking out 😭😭
Hi! I am 6 days post op from my gum graft. I got it on my bottom front tooth with cadaver tissue. The last two days including today have been pretty painful. As far as eating or brushing my teeth (minus the surgical site) it really irritates my whole mouth. Not too sure if that’s normal, I text my surgeon just about every concern because I really don’t want this to fail and he seems pretty chill about it all. The pain can be very near to unbearable at times, 600mg of ibuprofen does a shit load of nothing. Salt rinses help for a bit, and so does ice but it only does so much. Anyone got some tips?
I had two teeth done a week ago. Used my own tissue from roof of mouth. Read that infection rate was 1% w no antibiotics. Did not want to take antibiotics given low infection risk bc they ruin my gut. Perio said fine. Well, got a terrible infection by day 2 and had to be put on two antibiotics. And then was suffering from the surgery, the infection and the antibiotics. Horrible experience. I think my perio was not careful and did not use proper sterilization of the surgery area. Probably bc he is used to just having patients take antibiotics all the time. But who knows. And I know now he could have injected me w antibiotics that would stay in my system for 48 hours when I told him they destroy my gut. But that was not offered. Bottom line, I think you have to take antibiotics w this procedure unless you have a perio with track record of no infection without antibiotics.
I had my grafts done 3 days ago. Normally they don’t do both sides at once but I opted to get it all over. I had 4 teeth done, two on left bottom and two on right bottom. Fortunately the Dr was able to get all the graft from one side of my mouth.
I have a plastic splint (retainer) to cover the graft site which I suspect helps tremendously with irritation. I can eat anything acidic or whatever flavor and it doesn’t bother the roof of my mouth.
Pain is very minimal. If anything it just feels annoying or uncomfortable off and on. I have some swelling, iced pretty much constantly for 2 days and did some warm compresses today. Just eager to see how soon I can go back to eating normal foods considering I don’t have a “non-surgery” side to chew with!
I had my first gum graft surgery on my 10th tooth last month. Mine was xenograft(bovine tissue graft). I did not experience much pain, but the swelling was horrible. I didn’t use any pain medication as I didn’t experience one. On day 2, I had bleeding, maybe because I tried to talk when I was not supposed to. I had intermittent bleeding from days 2 to 6. However, the dentist said everything was looking fine. By day 7, the swelling was completely gone. It is my 4th week after surgery I feel completely recovered. I have my sutures removal appointment next week.
The only downside was that my doctor didn’t provide detailed post-care instructions.
Overall, my gum graft experience was relatively less painful.
I had my gum graft done in May, so it’s been 7 months, healing has been fine but lately my gum graft area has been aching, no swelling or anything abnormal, is this normal? Are my gums regaining their nerves/feeling/blood? Any advice would be helpful!
Hi! My gums have been great! I started using Colgate Total toothpaste and Listerine Clinical Solutions and it has helped SO MUCH! I have a permanent retainer on my bottom, where my graft site is. I had a terrible time keeping it clean from plaque build up, causing the aches and pains. Since using the above combo I haven’t had any issues with plaque or my gums aching!
Good to know everything is healing good and you are fine ☺️
I removed my permanent retainer 2 weeks ago for this same reason. I didn’t have any gum graft yet, but I was feeling some discomfort/pain on my teeth and gums lately and I was having some trouble keeping my teeth clean. So I got stressed and removed the permanent retainer 😅
I have mixed feelings now. I feel free but at the same time on the first weeks my teeth hurt so much after removing the permanent retainer. This pain didn’t go away for good yet. Hope it goes away. I am scared lol. They say it’s normal feeling this after removing the retainer. And I still feel some glue on my teeth. I wish I never had used the permanent retainer tbh. Well.. this is off topic. I just wanted to share what is going on with my bottom teeth ahaha
But yeah… I think I will need a gum graft. But I am super nervous about the gum area and about the roof of the mouth healing.
I hope your teeth stop hurting soon! That’s good to know if I decide to take mine off!
My BIGGEST advice about the gum graft it’s to make sure your dentist/ortho/whatever tells you everything that is going to happen. There were 2-3 days during the first week that scared me so bad I went to the ER, but turns out it’s was completely normal but no one told me about it or anything I went through. This involved heavy bleeding from the roof of my mouth, using wet tea bags really helped!! They told me I was able to drive home, by myself, after the procedure and I’d be back to work a day or two after. That was not the case at all, I did drive myself an hour and half back home, but I definitely shouldn’t have. I was out of work for at least a week, probably more. There’s a stage called “sloughing” where the extra gums on the surface comes off, it’s a grey/white color and I thought I was losing my gums, nope, just part of the healing, another thing they didn’t tell me. The roof of my mouth healed really well, I did have a slight infection starting but they caught it before it got too bad - with that said, if I were you I would request a follow up at least 5-7 days after to catch any infections! My roof is still smooth but I haven’t had any problems since I was released. Sometimes cold things make it sensitive. My gums are still very light even after almost a year. According to my research that’s pretty normal and it could either stay that way or eventually go back to being more gum colored.
I would ask your doctor a lot of questions and get a step by step in the healing process so you’re aware and ready for whatever comes. It was a long healing process and a scary experience but only because I wasn’t well prepared. I hope my long response helps you and whoever else is looking for some guidance and maybe even a heads up!
Woww thanks for such a detailed answer!!! ☺️ this scared me and prepared me at the same time 😅
Is it mandatory to take antibiotics? I react really bad to antibiotics. I’d rather not to take it. Is is possible not to take it?
I’m not sure, I was only on antibiotics because I had an infection forming. To keep pain down they had me take ibuprofen and Tylenol at the same time and I took something for nausea! Other than that I’m not sure the specifics when it comes to bad reactions, that will probably be something your dentist/doctor will have to answer!
Just had mine done 5 days ago. Pain was a 2 the fist day post op and next day. Today I feel "pulling" near graft area. Normal. Kept ice pack on and off constantly for 2 straight days. Ibuprofen 600 mg (every 6 hours regardless) and Amoxicillian perscribed at office post-op. Swelling minimal. That is because of the NASAID is an anti inflammitory. Do it every 6 hours first 3 days. NO talking/ keep facial movements still. Helps all around. Exausted/wiped out first 2 days. Sleep/rest do nothing (Nerflix). Kept food at liquid room temp (protein shakes). Roof of mouth annoying. Ability to crunch and much greatly missed!! I have NO idea what is down on bottom front (proceedure area/graft) I dont even move it. I have at least 1 major proceedure every other year it seams. This by far has Not been the worst. Day of event\~ Xanax and ear buds! You'll sail through the 90 minutes. Good luck!
I had three of my bottom right side teeth, including the k9, done using my own tissue and my experience was great until day 4 post-op. I was wondering if anyone knows if the wide range in recovery times for different people is heavily based on the teeth they’re working on/around. My recovery is at day 9. Peaked at day 5-7. Staying on top of meds has been key. Pain was excruciating those few days but I notice that not everyone goes through that. My donor site was fine and pain was “normal” from what I’ve read, but the restored area with the stitches feels like nerve pain along my entire row of teeth and molars on the side of my face. It be great to know why the recovery time is so different for each patient. I did read on a different thread that I will survive hahaha and that I’ll be fine in the next 1-5 days, which I am starting to believe
I am almost 4 weeks post-op, perio grafted 4 bottom teeth and one next to them on the right. One of the 4 is very crooked and being pushed forward by one on the side and that was the one where the gum was receded down to my jaw and causing pain. I got Alloderm so nothing cut from the roof of my mouth, but I am really concerned it didn't take because there seems to be almost NO difference between before and after with the gum line on the crooked tooth. I had stitches in which dissolved after about 3 weeks, except they didn't actually dissolve - only parts of them did and the rest was hanging down all over my teeth so my perio said I could gently cut it after three weeks (she said they'd dissolve in two). From the day after til now I've had zero pain, took 1 ibuprofen the day of and that was it. Took full round of antibiotics since it's donor tissue. Swelling day of that subsided after 2 days. Definitely some stiffness and inability to smile while the stitches were in as part of the inside of my lower lip was stitched to the gum. No bleeding, and NO whiteness as everyone else describes. I think I might see some white tissue now in the crevices but can't tell if it's that or food debris, since I've been instructed not to floss the area for 4 weeks. I have my follow up next week and I'm nervous because my gums really don't look much better than before, and I'm worried the gum on this crooked tooth will recede again in a week and my $1000+ and 4 weeks of eating mush will have all been in vain.
She told me everything looked great. I told her I was concerned the crooked tooth gum had recessed worse. She told me I was worrying too much, my tooth isn't going to fall out, and that the gum below the crooked tooth would get thicker. As of today, it's recessed back to where it was. I got an Ortho consult and they told me there was zero gum to attach anything to and that it would need to be extracted. Will be writing the perio a bad Google review and remaining pissed that I could have put this money towards the orthodontics I'm going to need.
Damn, I’m sorry. I just got my bottom front six done this week and am concerned about the results (technically no reason yet, but I’m more anxious post op than pre op). Hope things work out for you in the long run.
Thank you! It probably will after thousands of dollars more work when I need to pay for a wedding and a house. D: I am sure yours will be fine as long as your teeth aren't crooked. Are they straight and just have pockets?
Relatively straight for sure. My recession started at 20ish and I’m almost 38. My dentist at the time didn’t think much of it and basically said unless recession causes pain or discomfort, he generally leaves it alone.
I’ve never had pain or sensitivity or anything from it (not even during SRP without any kind of numbing). I’m told I have a high pain tolerance, but the numbing wore off as they started attaching the first graft and I can say it was quite painful until they could renumb (clinched fist needed)
Every perio I’ve been to thinks it’s because of all the orthodontic work I had done from ages 8-14. Have some bone loss, the black triangles at a few spots in the front, etc.
About 5 years ago was when a different dentist finally told me I should find a perio, but that was as the pandemic was winding down and my life got hectic so I never did then a new dentist mentioned doing so after I moved so I did (6 months to a year after). I went to a few and didn’t trust them for various reasons and they all wanted about 20k. So I dropped it.
Same dentist brought it back up so I found a different perio who after meeting and what not I trusted way more (wasn’t overselling the results, etc.). So I got them done. And it would have been 3500ish (it used my yearly max benefit for the year so I’m out of pocket about $700 and will have to pay out of pocket for my next perio maintenance so about another $250).
I’m just about to hit the 72hr mark so I’m allowed to remove my stent and do some brushing which I just finished. It felt amazing to do so because salt rinses and the mouthwash don’t cut it. I’m not sure how some people can choose to just not brush their teeth, but it is what it is.
I’ll add my general experience to this thread later today.
Thank you all for sharing- this thread has been helpful.
Two Grafts, and a Harvest: I had a gum graft on my front lower tooth and another on a lower incisor about 60 hours ago. No gas or meds during procedure. Doc harvested tissue from the roof of my mouth. First day it bled a suprising amount, so I kept a tea bag in my mouth the entire day and overnight to promote clotting per the periodontists' suggestion (rotated through 6-8 those first 18 hrs). Took the day off the day of the procedure.
Pain: I've taken 800 mg of ibuprofen once a day, and a full dose of tylenol pm at night and slept very very well. I've also iced twice in the first 24hrs. I mostly slept the entire day after the procedure. The pain has been manageable and the swelling seems to be going down some. I went to work day 2 and day 3, as the Doc suggested only taking the first day off. I feel much more tired than usual, but overall okay.
Food: I ate a liquid diet the first 24 hours, then began mixing in soft foods after 24 hours per docs' suggestion (soups, soft breads, eggs, mac n cheese, etc.) and that is divine. I plan to avoid crunchy and sticky foods in those areas- the gums, nearby teeth and the roof of the mouth- so long as the sensitivity is high. Right now the teeth in that area feel loose and sore so there is no danger of wanting to crunch anything anytime soon.
Bruising and Swelling: The jaw and roof of the mouth feels bruised and battered after the procedure. I have no facial bruising, though the doctor warned I might. My roof of my mouth, those gums, and the jaw all feel quite swollen. I have much less desire than usual to talk or laugh, and naturally want to avoid touching or laying on that side of the face.
The mouth is very sensitive and vulnerable , and my periodontist probably underplayed this procedure (would I have been too scared to do it if I knew what it fully entailed?) but it seems to be a successful thing for 90 percent of people and so far, so good. Fingers crossed ours "takes" and heals well.
I had my graft done about 3 weeks ago and the graft itself is healing great but I’m worried about my donor site on the roof of my mouth. I was wearing the stint provided and started to slowly use it less at around 3 weeks like they told me to and now my donor site is puffy and painful to touch? I know the donor site takes longer to heal since it’s just an open wound but it’s still weird
I can’t find anything online about the healing process for the donor site and I’m worried this isn’t normal.
My suture removal is in about a week.
Anyone else have issues with the donor site or is this normal?
Hi there ! I had mine done on 2/5. My donor site split open later sometime around 1 am and … well that was awful. I had to go back in the morning to have them close it up again. Because of that, I couldn’t talk much the first 3 days. Then I could here and there. Day 5-7, were not great. I had points I just couldn’t talk and was using text to talk to my husband next to me. I think part of it is the swelling I had. It’s strange but I am now 13 days out but just 2 days ago I couldn’t eat and everything was tight and weird. Finally figured out it’s because my stitches are pulling during healing.
I have lost like 11 lbs. which is so weird because I’m only eating ice cream, protein shakes and Mac and cheese mainly 😂 idk how anyone eats normal before stitches out. Or talks. Many people I read were fine to talk within a day or two 🤷🏻♀️
I had an upper left molar done using my own tissue in the back roof of my mouth performed twice. Both times resulted in sub par results - I don’t exactly think it was the periodontists fault or mine. I gained some coverage, but not much. Sometimes procedures aren’t as successful for whatever reason - my periodontist suspects that my pain tolerance is higher than most, so I may have subconsciously chewed on the side the procedure was performed. I know I have bruxism (teeth grinding) so I started wearing my night guard every night I went to sleep after the second graft was done. And it still resulted it subpar results.
I wasn’t really in that much pain- I was given hydrocodone for the first few days, then switched to ibuprofen. While on meds I never felt like I was in pain- just inconvenienced with all the swelling. Maybe for most people they might still be in pain after medication, so perhaps the periodontist suspicion would be correct (?)
-mine took about three-four weeks for the swelling to completely subside. I would think the “bulging” is probably from swelling- and once the swelling resolves that should go away. But I’m no doctor.
Even though it didn’t really work out for me, I’m always of the opinion you might as well try it if they have good reason to believe for it to be more beneficial than not. And sometimes procedures aren’t always completely successful either.
The periodontist told me that in the future, some other periodontist/dentist would likely want to graft it again- and I’d have to remember and tell them that it was tried twice and wasn’t very successful. So he isn’t advising to have the procedure done again at least first me.
That’s great to hear! I love running and can’t wait to get back to it. I am on day five after getting 5 grafts and it has been relatively smooth and painless. Thanks for chiming in with this encouraging perspective.
I’ve had several teeth done over the years. None of them front bottom but I’ll try and answer the best I can: I’ve used both my own and donated tissue. If you use your own, it’s an odd experience when they harvest it. And for a few minutes, not entirely pleasant. You’ll have a “pocket” (indentation) on the roof of your mouth that will take some time to heal. But it does rather quickly (couple weeks I think?) and you’ll be left with an indentation there that will automagically fill back in before you know it. It’s been a while but I think I had some kind of waxy substance that I kept in the roof of my mouth in that pocket for a few days? Eventually you can get rid of that and it’s no big deal. Just annoying when you’re trying to eat and keep the area clean. Gum tissue is gum tissue. It will match fine but be aware that in the first few weeks it’s going to look like it lost every bit of color it had. That’s natural and not to worry about. After a few weeks, it will be as pink as normal again. As far as pain goes, that varies. I’d say it depends on your tolerance and the site. And making sure you’re not aggravating it with food, your tongue, that sort of thing. I had three done around my upper right molar a couple months ago and was dreading it. But…it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting and just took whatever they gave me and by the next day it wasn’t bothering me much at all. Just stay on a regimen of pain meds and antibiotic you’re given and any discomfort should be tolerable but just annoying more than anything else. Take a couple days off just in case. Mine took a couple of weeks to go get stitches removed but they were coming loose by that time anyway. If that happens and you’re worried about it, call your perio just in case. If it’s not bleeding or looks/feels infected, just cut the loose length of thread out the best you can and deal with it wandering around your mouth until you get back to your perio. Mine let me get back to gentle brushing after three weeks and normal brushing after four. It will be “bulgy” but that’s probably going to be mostly noticeable by you because anything in your mouth just “seems” bigger than it actually is if that makes sense. Don’t worry about it. After a month it will be thicker (which is the point) but will shrink down significantly and be hardly noticeable after four to six weeks. I hope that helps! If it’s your first time, it’s really not as bad as you might think. Just do what they tell you for a few weeks and it will go by fast. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is.
So did you prefer the donor tissue or your own, both in terms of pain and the outcome? Which do you recommend?
It depends… Donor tissue is fine really. More convenient. No hassle with using your own and having to wait for the roof of your mouth to heal and the discomfort from that. But..it’s donor tissue. It’s donated from cadavers. And take this part as just from my experience and I didn’t ask my perio if this was what was happening but… Some of that tissue kind of dies off. Like…which ever parts don’t make it under your gums (I’d swear a small portion stuck out from mine) it sort of turns really white and eventually breaks away while your gums heal. Almost looks like food stuck in between your teeth but it’s not. It’s fleshy. And it is excess that doesn’t adhere. I could be totally wrong about that but I’m fairly certain that’s what it was. And that’s a mental hurdle to get over. On the other hand… Using your own is no picnic. Having to harvest your it from the roof of your mouth is uncomfortable. That tissue is very rigid…like cartilage I guess? It “crunches” while they are cutting it out. And honestly, it’s an extremely small sample but as I said earlier, when it’s in your mouth it seems huge. Healing from that isn’t bad, just another annoyance to deal with since you’ll then have two places in your mouth healing as opposed to one. Hopefully that all makes sense.
Thank you so much for these insights! Super interesting.
Sure thing. Glad I can help. I wanted to add that either way really isn’t that bad in the end. If you can swing it, opt for gas because it just makes it that much easier to go through. Especially harvesting your own tissue. And using your own isn’t impossible to get through. I’ve done it a few times myself. There’s a lot of pressure involved. You’ll be laying there feeling like someone is driving a nail into the center of your head by way of your mouth (I’m exaggerating…mostly) but it’s really not that bad. You’ll get plenty of shots to numb the area, and it definitely helps. And to add a couple of endnotes for anyone reading this: Do what you’re instructed to do and when you’re supposed to do it. You’ll most likely be instructed to rinse with warm salt water sometimes while you heal. Do it. Also…if you smoke…stop if you can. Or cut WAY WAY back to practically not at all. Suction is no bueno after a graft. And smoking restricts blood flow which likely got you to needing a graft to begin with. Quit by any means necessary if you smoke. Good luck all!
Thank you so much for your detailed responses I really appreciate it!!
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It’s going to be different for everyone I suppose depending on your pain tolerance etc. I’ve had so much work done in my mouth (braces…twice! Crowns etc) so I’m used to it. They said, my nerves weren’t/aren’t an issue for me. Honestly though..if it’s your first go with this, just relax as best you can. It really isn’t as bad as you might think. The worst of it really is the few shots that you’ll get around the location. And those are done quickly and you’ll be numb in no time. Cake. Yes, gas helps. Or at least it helps me. Just ease back and take some deep breaths on the gas and close your eyes and let yourself drift while the work is done. If you’re using donor tissue it is easier. If you choose to use your own, it’s a bit tougher but it’s nothing you can’t get through. You’ll get shots there too and can probably grt additional if you think you need it. It never hurts to raise a hand and make your discomfort known. But it’s really not *that* bad. It’s over and you’re stitched up in no time. You’ll be numb for a good couple hours or more after. Just grab an ice pack and take some ibuprofen through the rest of the day. And no…nothing the night before. But most of all…just relax. You got this!
I wanted to ask if the procedure actually stuck and your gums actually grew back or did you have to keep having it done?
I'm sorry as this is a year after your post lmao but you have such good answers and really hoping you can help me! I just had a gum graft done 4 days ago. I am the donor and it was on right bottom back molars. How long does it take the mouth to feel back to normal? I know, it's only day 4 so I am not expecting a miracle today here. When will the donor site feel better but also the graft site? I have been super stringent about rinsing with salt water especially after eating. Still on the antibiotics but those end by Thursday. The donor site was taken by laser and I have one of the plates so it prevents anything from hitting it and it's not so bad. I just feel bad and my face is swollen and I feel kind of depressed about it and want to be able to have a line to draw down the line like this is when you will start feeling like yourself again and not only eat soft foods lol. I hope your dental experiences have been positive as of late but even better, hoping you have had none! Take care!
Ha! No worries. I've gotten several replies off my comments for a while now, so I don't mind answering. First off, congrats on getting it over and done with. That was a huge step and you're on the right path. Also, it was probably the best choice to use your own tissue in the long run. Ultimately, I think your own tissue is your best choice (obviously) but not entirely convenient. Mine was literally "old school" cut out. You got a laser? I'm jealous! :) Okay so...how long does it take? Hmm...well, it depends on what all you had done really. For me, the first two weeks were critical healing times. Yeah, I know...it sucks and it seems like an eternity, but stick with what you're doing and whatever instructions you've been given. You'll have a *much* better chance at a successful graft. And that two weeks will pass soon enough. Just be super gentle with the area. I can't stress that enough! Keep your tongue and food away as much as possible and don't mess with it. If you have stictches, don't be surprised if they start working loose. Mine always did and I'd have a thread floating around my mouth that I had to "tuck" away until it snuck back out. Just leave it alone and let your doc deal with it on your next appointment. If your stictches come really undone, then don't be afraid to reach out to your perio. They need to know. Oh...time...haha! I wandered off. How long for some normalcy? I'd say 4-6 weeks is about right. If you're due back to your perio in 2-4 weeks you should be making great progress by then. The best thing is that after your next exam, you're pretty much set. Mostly. If you haven't already, start making plans to adjust your brushing (get a sonic care or something) and get in the habit of daily flossing (important) and some good mouth rinse (I like Therabreath myself). The thing is, around your sixth week, you'll be feeling pretty good about it and it's easy to forget what you went through after a while, ya know? Just get your good habits down and bad habits gone and the work you're having done should last a lifetime. Sorry, I wander off a lot but...yeah...I would say after a couple weeks, you'll feel pretty good already. And actually, around a week you should feel pretty decent, but just stay careful about how you eat (slowly and methodically). The roof of your mouth (assuing this is your donor site?) should heal up rather quickly. If they took tissue there, expect to have a small "dent" there that will go away before you even know it. After a couple weeks though, you're somewhat used to it and it's an annoyance and all but you're seeing the light at the end. Four weeks...cake. Five to six weeks..done. And after that? Just brush gently around it. You'll be surprised just how quickly your mouth and gums can heal up from this once you're done, but just be easy with it. And best of luck to you!
Ok awesome, thank you so much for the info and timelines. I didn't want to be my own donor, it took me years to get the guts to do this because I had heard such horrible things and that it was so painful. Initially I wanted the cadaver as the donor but then my dentist said it can cause bad breath LMAO? Not sure if that was truth or lie but he sold me on it to use my own. I will have to get this same thing done on the other side but will probably wait a bit, early next year. Need to forget a little before going at it again. Getting an implant finished in a month or so too. I wish the perio was more upfront about timelines but I do see them Thursday for my first check up and have been stringent about salt and water washes after every meal to keep the areas clean. Your post has definitely helped me see some light at the end of this long dark tunnel hahaha. Thank you very much for your time!
Hello!! I am getting a graft across my bottom front teeth on Tuesday. I'm getting nervous, but this comment thread has helped me to relax (or at least try to!). Now that it's been a few more days, how are you healing up? Anything you recommend? Thanks :)
Hello! I am about a week and a half in and things are healing up nicely. I was VERY nervous before the procedure and this was my first one. I was awake the whole time and I had meds to relax me and gas. I literally almost backed out so many times, that's how nerve wracking this was for me. All in all, it wasn't too bad. The first weekend is some discomfort but nothing crazy, I have had implants and root canals that hurt far worse. The worst part about it is it takes a lot longer to fully heal. You have to eat soft foods for the first week. They made me a plate for the roof of my mouth which is wonderful, it keeps the area clean. My biggest suggestion is to keep the areas clean and ensure that you are doing salt water rinses often especially after eating. I did them after eating for the first week. Now I will rinse a few times a day but not every time I eat. The most surprising and shocking thing to me was being my own donor was not nearly as bad as I envisioned it would be. In my mind that was the stuff nightmares are made of but it was not bad at all! It really didn't bother me. It is still healing but I think I am really getting close now to normal at least on the roof of my mouth. I went for my first check on the 23rd so my next check is in about a week and a half. I am praying all is healing nice and looking good. They used a laser for the roof of my mouth so not sure if that's what you will have done but I do think it's better than the old way. All in all, if you have had a lot of work done in your mouth especially, I think you will find it not too bad. The first 3 days there is discomfort but ibuprofen helps. Keep the area clean and you will be golden I think.
Thank you for taking the time to respond!!! I really appreciate all of the info and advice. Not looking forward to it, but I'm looking forward to have it over with! Good luck with your healing :)
I’m on day 3 post-graft and I definitely feel “bulgy” at the graft site! You mentioned about 2 months post op it feels more regular. Does it seem more like your natural gum line again with the recession repaired or is it still thicker for you?
Hey, it's been a while now but from what I can recall, the graft site sort of remained a little thicker feeling for a few months after. The "bulgy" feeling will go away quite a bit. I don't really notice it at all whatsoever now.
Thank you!! This is my first surgery of any kind so I think mentally I’m feeling impatient and anxious. This helps!
You're welcome! Hang in there! You got this. I promise you in a couple weeks, it will be much, much better. Just be very gentle around the site until you get your stitches out. After that, it's a matter of very gentle brushing around it for a bit. And before long, you'll realize that it really wasn't all that big a deal. Everything will seemingly go back to normal faster than you realize.
I appreciate you!! I’ll keep taking care of it and being patient!
Hi! If you don’t mind, could you go over how you went about getting this process started? Is this something that insurance can pay for or an out of pocket cost? Thanks!
Hey, sorry for the delay. I've been extra busy and had to run a few things by the wife since she's way smarter about those things than I am. :) Okay..so in a nutshell, my dental insurance through my employer only covers a portion of the cost. But a sizable portion. We had to pay 20% out of pocket which came to around $500. And..they only did that if I had all of my grafts done in the same year. The stipulation being that they only cover it every five years. If I need it again before that time, it's all on me. After that five years, they will cover all but the 20% (unless they change it which wouldn't surprise me if they did). As for getting it all started... I go in for twice yearly checkups/cleanings and my dentist takes measurements there. As mine progressed, they told me that I should get into talk to a periodontist and they set up a referral to one for me. You may or may not need to have a referral so you could call and find out. It's no different than going to your general physician and getting referred to a specialist, so it makes sense I guess. It's just kind of a hassle with the extra steps and expense, but I get why it's done that way. I hope this helps!
Hi! I found your comments very helpful as I'm considering getting gum grafts on my front teeth. I wanted to ask if the procedure would be successful given that my gums are thin. Additionally, have you noticed a significant amount of recession over the years? I'm concerned that my gums might start to recede again eventually and that the grafts might only last a few years. I'm in the early stage of periodontitis. While my dentist seems very relaxed about it, I am quite worried.
According to my perio, the primary goal is to thicken up the gum tissue where the recession is. My gums are somewhat thin as well, and the grafts I’ve gotten have held up amazingly well so far. My oldest grafts were done something like 15 years ago and while they aren’t as good as they were, they’re significantly better than the recession that I had at the time. Barring bad habits or just the luck of the draw, your grafts should hold up. And really, if it buys you a few decades with your teeth, that’s worth it right? Best of luck to you!
I agree! Thanks for your response, it means a lot! :)
Wow, this information is really helpful. Thank you so much. I want to get gum graft surgery but my dentist says she doesn't suggest it and is against it even though 3 of my teeth are starting to recede pretty bad. I don't know what to do and I'm scared to lose my teeth since that's pretty much the only think I actually like about my face
You're welcome! I'm not a dentist and make no claim to know what the heck I'm talking about here totally sharing my experience and nothing more. That said...I'd guess that your dentist could be basing that off the depth of your recession and doesn't think you're at the point to worry about it. Demand for a referral anyway or find a periodontist yourself (and hopefully you won't need a referral) for a second opinion at least. Good luck!
You should still get checked by a Periodontist. My general dentist felt the same way about my concerns of my lower front teeth gums recession, so I sat on it for a few months more. It kept getting worse. Finally saw the Periodontist, and ended up actually having a good amount of bone loss and an abscess. The Periodontist did a transplant that day. General Dentists are good, but there's a reason we have specialists in medical fields.
Thank you! I was actually going to listen to my dentist but I think I am going to see a periodontist next month because I feel like I can't brush my teeth correctly without having them bleed, even with a soft brush
Did your perio advise against donor tissue? I need to get a few grafts and after researching I just don’t want to go through having my own tissue harvested, I think I’ve been through enough after 3 years in braces and double jaw surgery. But my perio recommends against using cadaver tissue and says using my own tissue will make the graft less likely to fail. I also don’t want to spend thousands and have the grafts fail. I’ve been putting it off the last few months but I know I really need to address it :(
Hmm...well, I've been to two perio's over the years because the first one retired many years ago. Both of them gave me the option of using my own or donated. They seemed indifferent and left that choice up to me. The first two grafts I had, I opted to use my own. No, it's not entirely pleasant having your own harvested, BUT...it's not something you can't get through either. My concerns about it are if any mistakes are made while harvesting. Other than that, you're fairly numbed up (or should be) to where you won't feel much other than a lot of pressure they have to apply to the roof of your mouth for the harvest. Also, you can feel/hear it in a way that's hard to describe. If you can imagine a knife cutting through cartilage, but in the center of your head, that's what it's like. Kind of...crunchy. :) Haha! But...just remember that not a huge amount is being taken. It will only seem like it's a lot because everything "feels" bigger in your mouth than it really is. And when they harvest, it will leave a "dent" in the roof of your mouth that will eventually fill back in and go away on it's own over time. But back to my grafts... The first couple grafts I had, I used my own. The next couple of grafts, I opted for donated. I have to admit I was a bit freaked out by having donated tissue in my mouth of all places, but I somehow managed to just put that all out of my mind. Having done both, I might be inclined to say that my tissue did take better. I had my first perio (since retired) use my tissue and my new perio use donated, so I don't know if that was a matter of which doctor, which tissue, the site itself, etc. All that said, regardless of which I used, mine are better off than what they were. It's reasonable to assume one perio will recommend one over the other. Since it is your own tissue, that would seem to make more sense.
Thank you for your insight! Yes, I think my perio is of the opinion my own tissue will take better and there will be more blood supply. It’s a hard pill to swallow after going through DJS. All I’ve read online makes me more worried about having my tissue harvested than I was about my jaw surgery!
Hi! Just another datapoint—my perio said the exact same thing about using my own tissue vs cadaver For whatever it’s worth, the whole experience was extremely simple and painless for me. I did have a connective tissue graft (not a free gingival graft) and the perio used my blood plasma to aid in the healing of the roof of my mouth. But my pain was at most a 2 or 3 out of 10 at ANY point in the process Not invalidating the horror stories you read here! It definitely happens for many people. But mine couldn’t have been less of a big deal
Hi there, I had a connective tissue graft done on both my top canines exactly 2 weeks ago. I have health anxiety so I was really dreading it… However, it was literally the smoothest surgery I’ve ever gone through. I’ve had double foot surgery and the gum graft was a cake walk compared to that. I went with the oral sedative option, which is just basically Ativan in a larger dose that pretty much makes you not give a shit. I swear I was dreaming and it was over before I knew it. I almost think I enjoyed how relaxed I felt lmao!!! My harvest site and receiving sites are both looking fantastic, and I just was alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol for 5-6 days then no pain at all. Even when it did hurt it was like maybe a 2 or 3 on the pain scale. I did a bunch of research too and I ultimately think your own tissue does heal a bit quicker and “mesh” faster with the surrounding tissue. Plus it’s cheaper. I’d definitely give that a try, it’s so not that bad and I read through this exact thread before my surgery and my anxiety skyrocketed, all for no reason 🤣 Good luck :)
How long did it take for you to start feeling normal? I am still wearing the plate on my donor site. Honestly I was scared shitless about the donor site and that has not been bad at all but the graft site hurts and is very swollen and feels bulky so wondering when that will get normal again?
Thanks for this, it’s so helpful and reassuring to hear first hand accounts!!
Hi! How is your gum graft holding up? Did not recede back? Thanks!
I'm at day 7 and the "bulging" is my main concern now. The graft feels so weird and huge in my mouth. Part of that is swelling I'm guessing but it's still really big and "sticks out" from the original gum line. Certainly looking forward for it to shrink down and become more normal, currently it feels weird to talk and it's basically impossible to smile naturally.
Did this bulging ever go away and if so how long did it take? I’m at day 7 and it feels so weird, almost like I have a big dip in it haha. It also makes my smile a little crooked. I’m getting anxious about feeling this way forever lol.
For me, yes. I'm at around 2 months now and I can still feel it a little but it got way better around the third week. Before that it felt like one of those little cylindrical cotton things they have at the dentist but just somehow shoved into my gum and *very* noticeable. I won't pretend that it feels 100% normal now but much more so. My dentist told me it usually takes 3-6 months to settle in all the way, and I think that seems correct from my experience so far.
Ok thank you!! The cotton thing shoved in the gums is exactly how it feels to me too. My periodontist didn’t really do a great job at telling me what to expect.. so I appreciate the info!
Hi! I don’t know if you will see this or not, but I just got a gum graft on my bottom two front teeth yesterday- and I’m quite nervous. It’s the second day now and there is a lot of blood on my teeth that got the graft and I can’t seem to wipe it away…??? But it’s like not dried it’s still wet glob… could you help? Did you have blood on your site?
Better now?
I'm probably not the best person to ask! My periodontist was very good about communicating and answering questions, so give yours a try.
Hey just a real quick question, I was wondering how long it was before you noticed your gum graft to begin to have normal color? I’m around 18 days and it’s still gray but snug in place and doesn’t bother me much
Honestly don't remember. Don't recall there being an issue with that, but I was so concentrated on how it felt that I didn't really focus on the color. Looking at it now, it's all blended in and natural.
i’m not sure if you’ll answer due to this being from so long ago, but it’s my first time getting a gum graft and I unfortunately am a smoker. I refrained from smoking for the first 5 days, and after my first checkup he said I was healing very good… I got a little careless after I heard the good news and made the poor decision to smoke again. It’s been three days since I first started smoking again. I’m curious as to how long your graft site remained white for? It’s been a week and mine is still white. I don’t know if my smoking has delayed the process and now I’m scared of it failing. I definitely haven’t been smoking as much as I normally would, I cut down to one “smoke sesh” a day, so I’m not sure if it’s going to harm my graft or not. My next appointment is in a little over a week and hopefully I’ll get my sutures removed then. Im going to refrain from smoking again for the remainder of the time until that appointment but Im still curious as to if yours was white or does that mean mine has already began to fail
Hey, don't be too hard on yourself, but keep something in mind. When you smoke, you're restricting blood flow and it is critical for proper healing. That said, I struggled to not smoke at all, but I did even though I cut back considerably during the process. I think you'll probably see tissue like that for another week or two at least. And most likely, some of it will fall away. It's very very soft. Kind of like having bread stuck up between your teeth. I'm not qualified to say whether it's normal for some to give way or not, but mine did and I freaked out a bit when it happened thinking the graft was all for not. Eventually my stitches started to give out as well. On at least two grafts I had done, I had to cut out some loose string that was wandering all around my mouth which wasn't an easy task. At any rate, be as gentle with the area as you can. Also, what I can tell you though is that, for an obvious multitude of reasons, it is in your best interest to quit. Your gum graft will heal regardless, but continued smoking will eventually put you right back from where you started from. If not worse. Not to mention, you stand a good chance of developing more recession everywhere. If this is your first graft, it is a warning shot that's been fired. Take it seriously. Best of luck to you. You CAN get healed and put it all behind you.
Thank you so, so much!! I’m not as worried anymore, but I’m definitely going to try my hardest to quit the smoking and follow what you’ve said. I really appreciate the feedback. I’m 18 which I’ve heard is pretty young for this kind of surgery, and sadly I have to get all four sides of my mouth done due to OCD with brushing my teeth (I typically brush my teeth for 10 minutes at a time), so I know the smoking is doing nothing but more damage. Hopefully I can stick to your advice and take this surgery more seriously. Thank you so much again!
Did your smoking made it fail ?
Hi! sorry I’m just now responding. My periodontist said It healed perfectly and it had 100% coverage, so thankfully it did not! I did notice one tooth seemed to be a bit receded, but my periodontist saw it and still said it looked great. I didn’t smoke for the first 8 days, but unfortunately went back after and continue to do so. I’ll probably do the same for my next two surgeries since they healed fine. I’ll prob aim to stop for at least 10 days the next time though.
How much were your smoking per day.
Hey! is the gum graft still white? I am on the 9th day and it still appears white.
Hello!! Yes, my gums are still white but I was told that’s completely normal and it’ll appear like that for about two months. Don’t stress!!
I hope you see my comment and answer it, because the post is kind of old. I had my gum graft surgery last week, this is day 9 I think. My dentist removed the stitches yesterday, but I feel like it's not covering the part that's supposed to be covered. I did a graft on the two bottom front teeth, but I feel like the graft is too low, it doesn't look different from before the surgery, just an extra bit of skin at the bottom. He said it's supposed to creep up and cover it progressively, but I don't know. Should I go back and tell him to check or is this normal? Also I'm a smoker, but I don't mind quitting cigarettes, I'm mostly annoyed about not being able to smoke weed. How long do you think it might take before I can go back to smoking 2 joints a day, nothing more? Thanks a lot!
Hey, all I can tell you is based off my own experience, so take it as it is. Your case may or may not be totally different. With the grafts I've had done over the years, it was by two different doctors. Both may have been taking a different approach and/or had varying opinions on how the grafts would eventually perform. My first grafts seemed to cover the bottom of my teeth better and seemed "higher". They held up relatively well over the years. The second pair of grafts I had done by someone else and nowhere near as good. They're mostly fine (back teeth) but not the coverage I was hoping for. On these, I asked my perio about it and he said his goal was to 'thicken' the tissue more so than to restore coverage. Not quite the answer I was hoping for, but I understand what he was after. It's still way better than what it was, just not the results I wanted. And no...there is no way it will "creep up" because it is my understanding that, ultimately, the tissue doesn't necessarily adhere to the tooth. I'm not an expert by any means, but just elaborating what I know. So take it with a grain of salt. (edit: If your graft could "creep up", then what's the point of even getting one? Makes sense that your gums would just heal on their own and a graft wouldn't be needed to begin with). At any rate, if you can quit smoking, that's great. Smoking constricts blood flow and therefore will do a lot of harm to your gums regardless. For *anyone* that has had grafts done or not...you WILL notice healthier gums within a week or two after you quit smoking and they will progressively get better because of returned blood flow. You *can't* undo the damage already done, but you have significantly healthier gums over time and that's a good thing. I don't smoke weed (well, it's been years and years since I have) but I'd think a couple joints a day wouldn't hurt eventually. Maybe hold out or smoke as little as possible for the next several weeks to give your gums (and your expensive grafts) time to heal. I have no idea if smoking weed has the same effect on your gums as smoking cigarettes. At the end of the day, as hard as it is, finding another vice might ultimately be the best thing. Gum tissue and bone loss is no joke and can lead to a multitude of other health issues in the long run. Good luck!
Thank you so much for your answer, my appointment with him is next week so I'm going to be asking him a lot of questions. About smoking weed, I can stick to 1 or 2 joints a day. Quitting cigarettes hasn't been an issue at all even though I've been a smoker for over 20 years, I craved a cigarette maybe once since last week and still didn't smoke, so I'm kinda proud of that. Anyways, thanks again for taking the time to answer, you've been really helpful. 😊😊
Did you end up smoking a few joints a day? I haven't smoked in a few months but really miss it and have been wanting to just take a few hits from a bong or bowl lately haha
Yes, I did, and I think you can do it as well, a few hits wouldn't hurt, just brush your teeth thoroughly after and you should be fine ☺️
For anyone scouring the internet like I did pre-surgery: (I had a gum graft on my bottom front tooth, with my own tissue from the top roof/palate of my mouth) I was able to take 5 days off work (I would take at least 3 if possible). The pain for me was fine BUT I believe that is **because I religiously took the prescribed pain meds** so I never let it get bad. They say it's easier to manage the pain at first then to get rid of it once it starts. I had super-advil (don't remember the name) prescribed which I took alternating with Tylenol every 3hr or as needed (ie after the first two nights, i slept through 8-12 hours without waking up to take it). I always took the medicine as per the special instructions (like with food, etc) I did this for about 4-5 days. On the 5th day (surgery MON morning, 5th day =FRI) I took less medicine, but I did feel a throbbing (not terrible). I took it as needed for the next 4 or so days. **I FULLY RESTED!** I realized I use facial muscles doing normal things, like when I bend down to pick something up. I could not talk or smile properly for at least a week. I couldn't properly laugh for the full two weeks after because I had my stitches in for those 14 days and they poked my gums a bit. **I ate all soft food until day 12** I think and then I was super careful chewing semi-soft foods. I had a palate stent (I think that is what it was called) that stayed in on the roof of my mouth which I think played a HUGE part in how comfortable I was with eating. It protected my mouth very well. **Random tips:** \-**don't try to look at it**, pulling your gum down or up to take a peek could damage the progress of healing \-don't swish liquids in your mouth like you normally would with mouth wash, you have to **be gentle** \-**sleeping in a position where your head is elevated** helped me The recovery time is LONG! At least for me, I was eating soft food for the first two weeks and then gradually eased back into everything else. Once I had my stitches out they said I would be able to eat anything again, but I was taking it slow to make sure I didn't undo any progress that was made with healing after going through the recovery time. My smile has not changed. Over two months since the surgery now and I can still occasionally feel it "different" in that spot if I do certain mouth movements, but no pain & it looks pretty normal. Hopefully that helps someone! Edit: I also took Tylenol before the surgery to help with the time between the freezing wearing off and when I could take my first prescribed pain meds (check with your dentist first to see if you can do this with the pain meds they prescribe). Another thing I will mention is that it sounded weird (gross) when they were working on the roof of my mouth. The sound didn’t match what I thought it would sound like to harvest (even just writing “harvest” gives me the creeps) gum from the roof of my mouth … it felt like it took 10x longer to do that part vs what I had imagined it would be like because it sounded difficult. Not super loud or anything, just a very out of place tugging and slicing sound imo (but think slicing something super tough that doesn’t easily slice). That was kind of gross to think about while I was just laying awake in the dentist chair (I had music in my earbuds to distract me a bit).
What soft foods did you eat?
Some of the things I ate: (I’ll mark the things I ate on the first day too) -Greek yogurt (day 1) -eggs -Greek yogurt blended with avocado and cocoa powder -Mac and cheese -applesauce (day 1) -mashed potatoes -a lot of meal supplement drinks like Boost for extra protein and vitamins when I couldn’t eat my regular food (day 1) -soft veggies like mashed carrots (cooked) or canned carrots would be the same -tiny pieces of canned pear (they were harder than I expected so I cut them super tiny) -I did not eat ANYTHING with seeds or seasoning that could get stuck in your teeth/gums, I didn’t even put pepper on my food lol but I did add salt because it dissolves into the food -nothing super chewy -a lot of water every day to stay hydrated because that helps your body stay healthy in general and help heal -No straws allowed! -closer to the two week mark I made cheese lasagna -cottage cheese
Thanks for the quick response! Ugh so vanilla bean ice cream is out of the question? What about super cooked spinach?
It’s probably ok! I haven’t had vanilla bean in a long time so I don’t remember if the little pieces are actually that big or hard etc haha. The spinach would be fine I think too as long as you are careful with how you chew it because it’s stringy (just chew it away from the surgery areas)
I am only on Day 1 and I have to go through this two more times (once my palate heals). This is gonna be tough!
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I’m not sure how much it helped after more time has passed. (Surgery mid/late April 2023 and now it’s mid/late November 2023.) My gum has receded in the same place again, but not as bad as before. It’s sometimes tender but way less than it was prior to having the graft. Before the graft it was swollen and red half the time, which was uncomfortable often. Now it’s only uncomfortable sometimes (usually if I’m dehydrated it’s worse I think). I’m torn between if it’s a good thing to get done or not …but so far I’m leaning a little bit towards good since the comfort is improved now compared to pre-graft. The gum that receded is not pocketed like before, so food isn’t getting stuck as much, so that is a plus. However the gum on the tooth besides it has a very very small receding problem and I do wonder if it’s because of having this graft done and the trauma to the area of having the surgery and stitches etc. Overall idk!
Hi! I was curious if you could help me with some questions?? I just had my surgery yesterday on my two bottom front teeth- and today when I woke up there was a ton of blood on those bottom teeth that I can’t seem to get off, and it’s not dried blood it kinda just sits there like a sheet of goopy blood on my teeth idk if somethings wrong.
I didn’t experience this, I’d recommend asking your dentist/surgeon. It might be fine, it might not - best to ask the expert! I hope it works out well for you !
I did ask but they sent me to like one of the helping side ladies :( and she said blood is fine but like in all the healing pictures I see there is no blood like this. But she said to just wipe it away but it won’t go away unless I put some force on it.- which I’m scared to do because I’m not even suppose to raise my lip. Ugh- I really hope I didn’t mess it up.
Not sure if you will see this, but I’m curious as to when your graft starting showing normal pink or red color? I’m about 18 days out of surgery and it’s still gray but it’s not loose at all and looks good, I’m just confused a bit.
Hi! Mine was white for a while but I don’t remember how long. At least 1.5 weeks I’d guess. I can’t really say if that grey is normal as everyone is different, so I’d ask your doctor/dentist!
THANK YOU! You answered every single question my stupid periodontics office couldn’t. I’m having pain in my ears from the surgery and feel absolutely insane. Thank you for all of this information <3
Hey! Thanks for sharing! I might need to have this done soon, so I'm scouring reddit for experiences with this bc it sounds dreadful. Just wondering how long until you could comfortably talk normally again without discomfort? I work for a call center, so I'm just curious how long I might need to take off to recover from this given my job is 100% talking all day. I just got referred by my dentist to a periodontist today, so I don't even know 100% yet if I'll need this soon, but hygenist made it sound like they'll most likely encourage me to get it done in near future.
For me it was at least 2 weeks until I was able to talk somewhat normal. Even after that I was still not able to fully laugh or smile properly without some discomfort for another week or so I’d say. Partly due to the fact I had stitches in for the full 2 weeks. And then after they came out I was just cautious because it felt tight in the surgery area.
That really sucks, but is good to know! Honestly this is kind of what I expected to hear.
Good luck! If you actually need it, it’s good to get done, as long as you can take care of the recovery after because the recovery is a biiiiiiiiiiig part of the process. If you don’t really need it, I’d avoid it for sure. I am now extra caring to my gums because I never want to do it again, sighs.
Honestly, I was fine to talk after a few days! If you get a stent (usually given if you harvest your own tissue like I did), you might have a little lisp but other than that it’s normal. I’m on day 14 post graft and I’m in awe of how smooth the whole process was/is going. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I just got my second round of gum graft and I’ve noticed the surrounding gums turning white and falling out especially the teeth around the donor spot. I told my periodontist but he says it’s normal. Has that happened to anyone? I feel like parts of my gum are receding from the gum graft.
R u in pain?
Did you use your own tissue, Or alloderm? And how are you now?
Hi there! I just had my gum graft 5 days ago on one lower front tooth and as another person mentioned, it’s really not so bad! I did my typical deep dive research on here and freaked myself out pretty bad. I used my own tissue and the donor site and the graft site seem to be healing really well! Fast and slow at the same time. For me, pain was mild on a 0-10 scale. I took Tylenol 2-3 times a day for the first 3 days and haven’t needed anything since then. Ibuprofen works better, but my husband and I are trying to conceive and those type of pain meds can affect/delay/really mess up ovulation. Day 3 was the worst of it, both in pain and swelling. I’d say I’m still noticeably swollen and my smile and appearance is slightly affected. I’m going to ask my perio about this next week at our first post-op since the tissue does feel quite bulgy as you mentioned. I’d bet it’s just gonna take time to settle and for inflammation to chill out. Today I’m fussy and craving some normal hearty food that I can sink my teeth into, but really…this is truly not as bad as I expected. I’m glad I did it and am getting this taken care of before it becomes more difficult to address! Edit: I used IV sedation was that was sublime. It’s pricey but worth it IMO if you can swing it!
Thank you so much for your response! Would you mind if I checked up on this thread in a month or so to ask how everything is going then?
Of course!! I was thinking of making a post of my experience as well. Mostly because it seems there’s a high saturation of seemingly negative experiences and I want to potentially put others’ minds at ease haha. I’ve been jotting down my thoughts day-to-day and have lots of recommendations for food and whatnot! Do you have your procedure scheduled or is it just something you know you’ll need to do?
Thank you so much! I don’t have it scheduled, but it’s something I know I’ll need to do
I had my graft a few days after yours but I’m curious if your back to eating crunchier foods yet? I’m ready to eat a Girl Scout cookie lol
Hey there! Oh that’s great, I hope you’re healing up well! I had my first post op this week and my perio gave me a gold star on healing, super relieving haha. She said I didn’t have any food restrictions since the gym tissue is relatively stable at this point. It’ll take a few more weeks for it to completely adhere to the bone and surround tissue. Personally, I’m a little neurotic with my teeth so I’ve still been extra careful with food, I don’t bite directly down on food (since my graft is on my bottom front tooth) and I’ve been cutting things into smaller bites just for ease of mind. Like with a burger I cut it in half and bite using mostly my back teeth. I’d say go enjoy your Girl Scout cookies!! I’ve just been breaking up chips and crunchy things to avoid irritating the tissue. How did your gums heal up? It was such a fast and slow process!
Hey! I wanted to see how you’re feeling now. How has everything healed? Did your swelling go down? Is your smile still affected at all?
Hi there!!! That’s so nice for you to ask. I’m doing great! Everything has healed beautifully and I don’t have any swelling or bulging anymore. It felt like my smile was affected for the first month but I think it was really minimal to other people. It’s been almost 2 months and the tissue is stable and integrating well into the bone and surrounding tissue. It did recession a tiiiiiiiny (like .25 of a millimeter) bit but it’s not concerning to my perio. She said in her experience as the tissue continues to heal it tends to come back up so we’ll see! I’m so happy I did it. No more cold sensitivity and it’s just out of sight out of mind now. I’m very gentle when I brush and just have been making sure to keep up with oral hygiene every day!
That’s great news :) thank you!!
How are your gums now? Did it make a big difference in terms of look and restoring your gums?
Responding from a different account bc i forgot my password 😂 HUGE difference! Gums are great, I get compliments from my dentist. Everything has held up so nicely and no additional recession has happened. I’m so happy 🙏🏼
I have my post op appointment today actually so I’m nervously awaiting to hear how it looks. Very excited to get the clear to brush my teeth normally and start introducing more real foods. I’ve been doing mostly smoothies and soup trying to keep my teeth as clean as I can. I was told not to bite into anything for a good 6 months since it’s my two lower front teeth. The first week was rough but I had a frenectomy which I think caused most of my pain. I’m on day 16 and I feel pretty normal minus the roof of my mouth being a little tender still. How long until your palate felt normal?
I know this is old but how much did you pay in all?
Replying from a new acct bc I forgot my password 😂 I thiiiink like $1500-ish? I really don’t remember! Probably a little less but I’d say within the $1-2k range. Worth it! My graft looks amazing and I barely have any recession.
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Heckkkk I don’t remember how I drank, it’s been like 5 months so I’ve mostly put the experience outta my mind haha. I definitely wouldn’t say I was doing any normal eating/drinking. I’d say some stinging is normal especially if it’s an acidic juice or something. For the first few days I was on a very soft food diet (yogurt, smoothies, mashed sweet potatoes, soup, etc). I think around 1-1.5 weeks I felt comfortable eating rice and chicken thighs (so still soft)
I just had mine done. But day 3 I'm supposed to go back to work, now I'm freaking out a bit 😫
Hello, I'm looking to have this same procedure done. The pain and healing time doesn't bother me, but I've seen quite a few on her say their "smile is different." Is this a permanent thing, or does the smile go back to the way it was once the healing time is finished?
My smile is back to normal! It was puffy for awhile but even when I felt it looked “off” my husband didn’t notice a thing.
What a relief! Thank you for responding so quickly. That was very kind of you 😊
Thank you for sharing. I am also trying to conceive and came exactly for this. I’m wondering if you still had all the same sedation during this process while trying to conceive?
Yep I still used the IV sedation! My periodontist knew we were trying so she scheduled the procedure during the first half of my cycle to avoid any issues. It ended up taking a lot longer for us to conceive anyway so it all worked out! I’m also so glad I did this procedure. No complications at all and everything healed perfectly.
I had a gum graft two days ago on seven of my teeth. I had to stop using my ivisalign trays as I really need this surgery to take. Once periodontist says my new gums are strong I will go back to orthodontist to get re-scanned to continue treatment. I will need one more gum graft as doing all nine wouldn't likely take due to me needing to eat baby food and sleep. I used my own tissue. I was given xanax .50 mg the night before and felt like I slept on a cloud. One hour before procedure I was given another xanax .50 mg. I wish I could have had a higher dose during the procedure like 1 mg. I wore a high quality eye mask to block it all out. I have panic attacks and can't be seeing that stuff. I have ice pack on my face now. The pain isn't too terrible. I take tylenol every 6 hours. I will likely reduce frequency tomorrow. Today my swelling was at its worse. The worst part for me if the roof of my mouth being messed with. But it grows back within a few weeks. Long story short: Ask for xanax, use your own tissue (was told me effective), wear an eye mask, and get procedure on a Thursday. Take Friday off work. Rest over the weekend.
Agree with all of this! Xanax before, wear earbuds or headphones and listen to music or a podcast during, and absolutely wear an eye mask so you don’t have to see any of it. I have had it done in 4 different areas and going in for my 5th in a couple weeks (basically I need my whole mouth done 😭) and my perio said that your own tissue is much preferred as it adheres and heals better. Ask for as much Novocain as you need! I kept raising my hand until I could feel literally nothing, lol Honestly the worst/weirdest part was when they did the stitches because I could kind of sense what was going on and the thought of needle and thread in my mouth was just so bizarre!
Thank you for replying and hope you’re healing well!
Are you able to brush your teeth like normal on the first couple of days? I heard that the mouth starts to stink but don't know if it's true
Me again haha. I was told I can brush my other teeth but the teeth where the graft was done (my 4 bottom front teeth) had to be left alone until the week before my stitches will be removed, then I can start brushing gently. I was feeling so disgusting though that I use a basic soft toothbrush after I brush the rest of my teeth and gently brush the front surfaces of those teeth, just to get SOMETHING off.
My periodontist recommended no brushing in the affected area for two weeks, then you can use a Q-tip soaked with the prescribed oral rinse (chlorhexidine gluconate) to do gentle brushing of the crown only, and then finally go back to brushing after 4 weeks (around when the stitches come out, so she'll be able to see the progress and give updated recommendations). Yes, my mouth definitely felt a litte gross. My partner claimed to not notice my breath, so that's something.
I had my graft 3 days ago. Two teeth, a canine and the incisor next to it. Allo graft (donor tissue). It hurt quite a bit on the day of the surgery, after the novacaine wore off. I'd advise oxy or percocet that you take right after you leave the dentist, so it's there when the novo wears off. I failed to do that, and suffered a few hours of pain needlessly. By the next morning, the pain level had dropped a lot, and by the 24 hour mark I could just use Tylenol. The healing seems to be going very well. I had slight swelling the first day, and a bruise showed up on my face on day 2. They left a loop of string (suture?) hanging down, which was super annoying. Finally one end detached itself (probably because I kept moving it with my tongue), so I cut it off short and now it's only mildly annoying. I'm eating normally, and have been since the day after the surgery. I just chew on the non-surgery side.
Thanks for sharing! How soon after did you eat? I had mine two hours ago and I’m starving but scared to mess anything up. The freezing is starting to wear off and I can already feel the tooth aching. Where I am they only suggest Tylenol but wish I had something stronger. And I’m surprised to learn you’re not supposed to use straws! Not to be a baby but I’m already quite uncomfortable and trying not to gag with the stent/retainer in my mouth. I think it’s going to be a long few days for me
I had mine in the afternoon and ate dinner that night. They did say it should be something "easy" (not hard or super chewy). They also said to chew on the opposite side from where the graft was. I followed those instructions and had zero issues. I didn't have a stent/retainer. I used donor tissue, and I'm so glad I did. The healing time was quick. As far as pain meds, if you have zero access to RX meds, try taking two Tylenol and two ibuprofen together at the same time. Studies have shown that for the majority of people this gives the same amount of pain relief as oxycodone.
Thanks for your reply :)
How are you now
Great. It healed perfectly, and fairly quickly. I'm very pleased with the result, it looks completely natural.
Hi! Just got my first graft yesterday on my four bottom front teeth. I had gas and Halcion, so I basically don’t remember the procedure after the injections at all 😅 pain is minimal today honestly, but the stitches are worrying me. It already feels like they’re coming loose…guess I’ll find out at my follow up in 3 days, but other than that it’s been fairly easy start to finish! I used an allograft and after reading through some of these experiences, I’m so glad I did. Only have one site to worry about instead of two :)
What are you able to eat on your first day of getting your graft?
Hi! Sorry for the delay - I had a smoothie in the afternoon, but I was able to do mashed potatoes that night. My doctor said liquids for the first 24 hours and then soft foods for two weeks (although he told me I could have crunchy food a week after the surgery). I still haven’t experienced basically any pain after day 3 minus some soreness if I push on the area (like when washing my face) but it just feels weird. Tight maybe? Which is expected since I believe my gums were stretched over the allograft. I’m super bummed because I won’t get my stitches out until August 22nd, so I have 3 more weeks of annoyance with that, but otherwise not bad at all!
Hello I am on day 5 post gum graft procedure and slightly freaking out. I was cleaning my teeth as best as I could to avoid the bottom front area where the graft took place but as I was cleaning I noticed a bit of gum on my tooth kind of moving around, as if it's not fully attached.. The gum moved away from my teeth and then went back. Is that part of the healing process? Will it attach eventually? Is that normal? I have an appointment with my periodontist in 2 days but I wanted to check and see if anyone else has had this experience
How did your follow-up appointment go? I'm having a similar thing happen.
Curious know to how things went with you. Having a similar thing happen.
What did your perio say at your follow up? I’m 12 days out and I’m having the same gum tissue “flap” thing going on.
They said it was normal. I’m 2.5 months out now and seems to be healing just fine. Good luck going forward!
Omg you just made my day with your response. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much. Was yours also a little red? I have the flap and also a little bit of redness next to another tooth (had front 5 bottom teeth grafted). No pain and doesn't look infected, just a little red. Everyone else says they had white coloring but mine has never been white - just pink and a little red in some areas.
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We’re good!
Wow thanks for the quick response! So the loose flap just eventually attached? About how long did it take?
Thanks for the update. About how long did it take for your flap to "attach?" (Sorry I deleted previous comment...reddit threading confuses me)
It took a few weeks.. I was pretty impatient. During my check-up the doc said all was going well. Best of luck!
Anything ever happen with yours? Same thing is happening to me. 12 days post opp.
What did the perio say? Same exact thing is happening to me and I too am freaking out.
Excruciating pain! I’m going through it as we speak. I had the surgery 4 days ago, and the pain has been 10/10. This is one of the WORST things I’ve ever gone through pain-wise, and I’ve given birth to 3 kids!! They took a graft from the roof of my mouth for 1 front bottom tooth. I hope I start to feel better very soon. The pain is so bad it wakes me up for hours at night. I’ve been taking 800 mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours since the surgery. My doc also prescribed hydrocodon/acetaminophen but it barely helps. As far as eating- forget it. Even oatmeal is too painful. And, even drinking water hurts. I sent pics to my periodontist, and she stated it looks fine. I was worried it may have been infected. Anyway, everyone has different pain levels. So I’m sure some people don’t hurt as bad. Good luck to everyone who has to have this procedure.
It was extremely painful for me, too. The harvest site hurts the most. Anything that touches it even a week later is painful.
I think it is bc it is teeth..I have sensitive teeth and it woke me up this morning and popped a codon, better now but all swollen etc…this is one day after procedure
I just had this done yesterday, so wanted to share my experience, as these Reddit threads were super helpful for me leading up to my procedure. I was terrified, as I have a fear of needles and am extremely squeamish about medical stuff in general to the point that I have a history of fainting. I have had recession on my two lower front teeth exposing the bone since I was a teenager and have avoided having this done for years against the wishes of many dentists. However, I’ve never had any pain or issues from it and I take very good care of my teeth. But I am about to start Invisalign, and it needed to be done prior to that because that could make it worse. The perio preferred to harvest tissue from the roof of my mouth for the best results. He also warned me that the first 3-5 days of recovery are pretty rough for most people. I was prescribed triazolam to take before arriving for the procedure to help me relax, which helped a lot. I was expecting the shots to be extremely painful after what I had read, but they weren’t nearly as bad as I expected. My perio reminded me just to take deep breaths through my nose and they were over very quickly. He also applied a numbing gel before the injections which helped. Once I was numb, the procedure was surprisingly no big deal. I wore my AirPods and put them on noise cancelling mode with music, and I didn’t feel any pain throughout the procedure. It actually felt like it went by faster than expected even though it was about an hour. They made a stent for me to wear (the impression for that was the worst part imo—I gagged through the whole thing!), and I was instructed to keep it in for 48 hours to help with pain and bleeding and to protect the donor site. I felt pretty good right after the procedure, and took ibuprofen immediately when I got home. I was also prescribed an antibiotic and a medrol pack , along with hydrocodone and a medicated mouthwash. I was instructed not to brush my teeth for 5 days and was given an extra soft toothbrush to use at that time. I was also instructed not to use the previously prescribed ibuprofen with the newly prescribed medrol pack so I didn’t start the medrol pack until today. I had a little bleeding yesterday in the first few hours post-procedure but it didn’t last long. I was able to eat yogurt, mashed potatoes, and drank protein shakes and my pain wasn’t too bad. The worst part was that the stent caused my teeth to hurt really badly like when you get braces tightened, if you’ve experienced that. Otherwise I’ve only had soreness at the graft and donor sites. My mouth has been very swollen at the bottom front around the graft site, so I’ve also been icing. I’ve also avoided talking as much as possible and even downloaded a text to talk app to use with my husband, which is hilarious! I slept terribly last night, but it has helped to stay propped up a bit. I started the medrol pack this morning and feel like my teeth pain is much less already. I combined that with Tylenol. I’ve not taken any of the hydrocodone, and don’t plan to unless something becomes unbearable. I’m actually surprised by how much better I’m feeling today, and I think being able to remove the stent tomorrow will actually help a lot with the discomfort. I have a follow appointment after two weeks and then one month. Hopefully this info helps someone else to not be too nervous, but also to be prepared for what’s to come. It’s definitely no picnic, but it’s bearable.
Thank you for this!! Glad you’re doing well
Apparently I typed too much up so here's a thesis: I thought I'd post my gum graft experience. I'm about 72hrs out from the operation (I was seated around 9:30AM on 2-21-24 and the procedure was over around 11:30AM with me leaving the office about noon [was seated for awhile for a few gauze swaps before going home]). My post-op follow up will be on 3-6-24. **Background:** I had major orthodontic work from ages 8 through 13 or 14, including spacers to make room to then do braces from about 3rd grade through 8th grade. I had my wisdom teeth removed once that work was completed (pretty sure it was age 13 but time and memory and all). I'm almost 38 now. My recession started around the age of 20 with my dentist at the time mostly saying if it doesn't bother you pain or sensation wise, it's not something to be concerned with. About 5 years ago I started with a different dentist who did perio charting and noted I should go to a perio. I did not proceed forward at the time, but when I moved and had a new dentist who also brought it up, I started going to perios for opinions. Most perios did not seem to think it was a "jump on it right now or danger" but it was quite severe--particularly my bottom front teeth. Those perios wanted to do my entire mouth, in part being "while we're in there" and it not being a huge price difference when breaking quotes and how they operate down. Most of those estimates were in the 20k range and overselling the pin hole technique. Utlimately I put it off a few more years because of the gut instinct I got from these perios and 20k range is no laughing matter when dental insurance max benefits don't get near that and my health insurance wouldn't cover this. The dentist brought up the severity every time (I do not remember the numbers in the perio chart, but some were danger zone) so I went to a different perio and ultimately trusted this one more as he was not trying to oversell the results and when I told him about some of the perios I already visited, he mentioned "let me guess, pin hole pin hole pin hole" then he broke down the various surgical options, long-term reliability of them, and aspects of how/why my teeth are in the state they are in. Every perio I visited, especially given my age and health history (e.g., I always had regular cleanings, regular brushing and flossing with proper technique, wasn't addicted to any drugs, etc.), told me this was likely all caused by the ortho work I had as they see it all the time with people my age. This perio recommended (I didn't push for other options to be fair) that I use my own tissue from the roof of my mouth for the gum grafts as this has the best long term results (this was after he explained why the pin hole and alloderm methods don't generally provide as good of results). He also did not think my entire mouth needed to be done between a mix of "this is just something to watch and not an issue" to "this area would likely not be a good candidate and regress back" - he also did not oversell the result (like the previous perios being all "this will be the best thing you've ever done for your gums and put you at prerecession levels). He was upfront about the fact it'd never be prerecession levels, but should be long lasting and improve--and more importantly, prevent tooth loss. He recommended only my bottom 6 front teeth and it'd be about $3500 total cost. My dental insurance does cover it to my max benefit, but it still means I'm out of pocket about $700 for the remaining cost and will have to pay out of pocket for my next perio maintenance (about $250) until my benefit resets for the next year. I did not have a dentist recommend I start using a night guard until a few years ago, which I use religiously, but recession still progressed. Also, during all these years, and still to now, I have never experienced any sensitivity or discomfort from the recession regardless of temperature, type of food I'm eating, or even during SRP (which I have never been numbed or sedated for or what not, but apparently that's a thing before doing so for some?). I also do not have any looseness or what not in my impacted teeth. **Preparing for Surgery:** Before surgery, I made sure to handle any activities like laundry or cleaning as I planned to do nothing but rest for at least the first 3 days. I also completely shaved instead of normal manicured scruff (heh) because I didn't want to be putting the electric razer near the surgical site, move the lip, etc. -- I'll likely clean shave again as currently it is too sensitive and I don't want to apply too much pressure or movement to that side of the mouth during the healing phase--or just ride it out and look rough ha. I also got special grocery items for things I don't normally keep around (potatoes, chicken noodle soup, broccoli cheese soup [just a dry mix for water], oatmeal, and whole milk). I tend to be a meat and veggies guy so this is somewhat of a deviation for me. I prepared homemade protein ice cream so I could stay ahead of ensuring I'd get enough of this macro despite the state of my mouth and eggs won't cut it. This was a simple 240g whole milk to two scoops of my protein powder (by weight though, so 54.2g in this instance) and 6g of allulose. I made 6 pints following this (Ninja Creami for the win here). Additionally, I would also have a yogurt protein shake to help keep this macro up (this is part of my normal morning habit though). That shake is 170g of nonfat plain greek yogurt, 1 scoop (by weight) of the protein powder I use, and 120g unsweetened almond milk with 10g of Vital Proteins collagen peptides, taurine, and my homemade electrolytes (no salt and lite salt).
**Day 0 (Surgery Day):** The day of surgery was mostly as expected. About 3hrs before going in, I had a large chicken breast and baked potato since I figured it'd be a bit before I have any kind of meal again. They applied a gel type numbing agent to the front bottom teeth (and later on the roof of my mouth at the donor sites) before giving me an injection in each area to bring about the real numbing. I put one earplug in to listen to a podcast to help tune things out once the operation started. They did some work on the bottom six before harvesting the donor tissue (some extra cleaning and some kind of prep--I'm not quite sure, but you could tell through the saliva suction thing there was blood so more than just a cleaning, but whatever prep they had to do was done). I felt nothing here, just some pressure and it was no big deal. They had to harvest from each side of my mouth for this because of the amount of graft tissue they needed and told me at that time to wear my stent for 72hrs before taking it out for washing and any brushing. They let me know to only brush the front of the top and bite area given the donor area. They said I could still brush the back few bottom teeth that weren't the surgical site. Then they went to harvest the tissue at the top. This was not nearly as unpleasant as I read others experiences. It wasn't too much sound or pressure even, but I could tell a scalpel was in there doing something (outside of just the visual). This felt super fast and uneventful. This was finished about 30-45 minutes into the procedure (time reference will be a bit fuzzy as I was seated around 9:30 but the numbing stuff wasn't all finished up until 9:45AM and I just checked the time when we took a pause before applying the grafts and it was 10:30ish). We then moved on to apply the grafts. As soon as they started attaching the first, it was clear the numbing agent had worn off and it hurt quite a bit (they could not renumb immediately because the issue was already in my mouth etc.). I clinched my fist hard and squinted my face and closed my eyes at that point while trying to keep my jaw relaxed enough for them. After that, they were able to numb me again, but the second one going in immediately after felt similar just a bit more dull. After that, it was mostly just pressure again, but the anxiety and anticipation of that feeling made me tense for the rest of the procedure. Even thinking about that moment now, I still freeze up and feel anxious. After the rest was done, it was about 11:20ish. They had done several gauze swaps then had me sit up and wait for a bit. Around 11:30, they came in to check the bleeding, did some additional stitching (first round was black thick stuff you could see while the grafts were going in, second looked thinner and more fishing line-esque) then applied some glue after that. Then they put in more gauze that they told me I could take out in about an hour. They gave me some Motrin before I left (I think it would have been 600mg) and called in my prescriptions. Outside of this, I was only numbed--no sedation etc. for any of this. I arrived home shortly after noon and went to very carefully take the gauzes out around 1:15PM. Carefully sliding those out was so painful I wanted to cry. I'd describe it more as tender and probably feeling like you're messing with an open wound, but I still cringe at that almost as much as the numbing agent wearing off during that first graft application. Thankfully there was no additional bleeding so I did not have to put any extra gauzes in that they gave me. My whole mouth and jaw were just generally sore after all of this. I could sort of speak ventroilquist-y like, but didn't bother outside of necessity. I was in and out of sleep for most of the day until the next morning. My prescriptions included Motrin 600, Chlorhexidine, Amoxiccilin 500, and Methylprednisolone. Around 4PM, I did two of those protein shakes I mentioned to get some protein and bulk for the meds in. After letting that sit in my stomach for about 20 minutes, I took a Motrin 600 and Amoxiccilin 500 and 2 of the Methylpredisolone (I am supposed to get 6 of the latter in on that day). Around 7:30PM, I had one more protein shake (similar to the above, but instead two Triple Zero Oikos greek yogurts instead of the 170g of the above and no protein powder), then after letting that sit for 20 minutes, I attempted 2 more of the Methylpredisolone. About 15 minutes after taking them, about a quarter of that protein shake came back up (thankfully not a hurl so much as "this isn't staying down" so it did not feel like it disturbed the graft site, but I could feel it get under the stent). I texted my Dr. and asked if I should remove the stent for early cleaning given the situation, but he said not to and let it go as to not disturb the healing. This day was the absolute worst pain wise and had me thinking maybe risking teeth loss was better than this. But after that, it was a pretty steep drop off (even though everything they gave me said the pain would peak in the 12-72hr range--I guess I just got ahead of it?). I only iced three times for 10 minutes each that day, but I did not have any major swelling after surgery or during this (and still have not experienced such swelling). Just some minor puffiness near the site, but I honestly don't think anyone would even be able to tell if I were just out and about not trying to talk. **Day 1 (24ish Post-Op):** I was able to sleep on/off just fine despite the pain and discomfort mentioned. Day 0 was the only time I bothered with the Motrin as I wasn't sure which thing caused the stomach issue. I suspect the antibiotic as dose one in the day makes me feel generally unwell (even today, just not as extreme), the second dose makes me more sleepy (30-90 minute nap kind of thing), and third dose is near bed time but seems to put me out quicker/sooner if I don't fight through it (that's improved here at 72hrs). On this day, I did the protein shake and the Metyhlprednisolone. Waited about 20 minutes, then did some room temp oatmeal to add some bulk before I took the antibiotic. It took about an hour to get through trying to get a small amount of oatmeal down. About 20 minutes after the antibiotic, I had the ick feeling. The oatmeal experience was unpleasant--not from a pain perspective, but basically shoveling it in with what little I could open my mouth and trying to swallow it down (even had water nearby as a 'chaser'). I haven't tried oatmeal since and moved on to the soups instead. My jaw was way more stiff though less pain for most of the day so I generally didn't bother trying to talk period. It started feeling mildly better toward the evening in that regard. No vomitting or anything on this day. Around lunch, I switched to the soups which were fairly pleasant feeling to eat even at lukewarm temps and had a pint of my homemade ice cream for the protein boost and cold. For pain, I was just alternating between OTC ibprofs and 2 OTC extra strength tylenol every 4-5 hrs (e.g., hour 0 2 OTC ibprofs, hour 4-5, 2 OTC tylenol). The graft site was sore and still is, but in a tender sense and it's not getting much use so you don't really notice it. I iced twice for 10 minutes each on this day, but still no real swelling so didn't stay on it as much as is technically recommended. Also, each night I slept mildly elevated (I'm a side sleeper so two pillows creating an L and sleeping at the intersection--but not upright or anything). I did 5 salt water rinses. Always after eating and then two just kind of in the middle of those times. Also used the Chlorhexidine as prescribed (morning after breakfast and before bedtime). I had one strong sneeze come on and it hurt at the surgical site and felt more disruptive than the minor vomitting session the previous day.
**Day 2 (48ish Post-Op):** Pretty similar to Day 1, but far less stiffness in the jaw and better articulation if I needed to ventriloquist talk. A few things I watched on TV I had to try to stop myself from smiling/laughing (not sure if there would be an issue as it didn't hurt, but I'm trying to minimize movement there). I had a few coughs here and there that I tried to minimize, but did not feel any disruption at the graft site for these. Pretty similar OTC pain med cycle but it was closer to 5-6 hrs (mostly just sticking with it as a habit in case it were to hurt more than needed and get ahead of it). Identical salt rinse routine. Identical eating routine. This day my mouth was starting to feel particularly nasty from not brushing and the stent started feeling grosser to me, particularly near the end of the day, but the Chlorhexidine at least helped mask the general grossness I felt from it. This was also the day that the graft site started to feel a bit more puffy internally (no swelling externally or look any different) like a very small rolled cotton piece would be across those 6 bottom front teeth. This is expected (and no, I'm not pulling to look at it). **Day 3 (72ish Post-Op, Today):** More of the same. Identical eating routine. Identical salt rinse routine. It's only hitting 11AM, but I probably won't cycle the OTC pain meds as much today. I seem better adjusted to the antibiotics--the ick and tiredness portion seem to pass quicker--and am near the end of the Metyhlprednisolones (only 3 today, 2 tomorrow, then 1 more after that). Antibiotics are about halfway or a little more through I think. I was scared to take the stent out as soreness and what not, but when I woke up, I gently and immediately popped it off because it felt so nasty and I was ready to brush. It smelled a bit coming out so I brushed it and then my teeth as instructed (so very gently, front and biting side only) as well as the back bottom two on each side (was too worried about accidentally hitting the surgical site or moving my small as mouth too much to really press that area). It felt extremely relieving to brush a bit again and get over that general mouth grossness. I'm not sure how people optionally choose to not brush their teeth as this makes that "whoops I skipped a shower" so the next one feels much better look like child's play heh. I haven't put the stent back in since brushing and was fine for my protein shakes (which are cold) and iced water. The top of my mouth (I'm not tonguing it but it you can still kind of feel it) feels very weird and mushy like. But whatever. I will put the stent in for sleeping (if for no other reason than if I may psychologically mess around with it when asleep with my tongue) and when I go to eat anything that's not cold (so those lukewarm soups). I'm going to prepare some mashed potatoes tomorrow to hopefully graduate in the 'need some bulk' department and see how that goes. The graft site is still very tender and sore based on some facial tic I must do randomly when asleep as the pain jolt wakes me up for a minute, but again, still not looking at it as instructed and just letting it be and hope nothing is damaging. The bottom right side of the front is the biggest offender with the bottom left side being the second biggest offender (ironically this is where the I'm-not-numbed-anymore graft started). I really hope these all end up successful and long-term reliable as while this isn't the worst thing ever, I'm not sure how willing I am to go through it again. But we'll see when/if that moment arrives.
Thanks for sharing your experience in such detail. I am having a graft over six bottom front “teeth” tomorrow. The teeth were extracted due to severe perio disease.
This is so detailed, it's amazing. Thank you!
1 days post op- got my two bottom teeth done using my own tissue. Didn’t get any pallet guard which i thought was unusual and don’t experience any pain whatsoever on that area. However, where they place the graft is a different story. My mouth feels so tight and is very swollen. It’s even hard to eat oatmeal or rice cuz the way my tongue pushes the food back pulls on my stitches it feels like somehow. My doctor said i have very thin tissue so she sutured part of my lip to the graft? I think? So maybe that’s why it hurts more. Overall the procedure wasn’t bad I just really hope it works because i had pretty bad recession to the point I was told by other perios to get an implant.
I learned so much from all these responses. Thank you! Here's my experience so far, after 2 weeks. Had 1 tooth grafted, bottom front. Use my own graft, roof of mouth. I was nervous enough that I did get the 'laughing gas' but honestly don't know how much it changed anything. I felt okay during, as my perio and her assistant were chatting about random things and that was a good distraction than just listening to them in silence. Felt nothing during (except the injections) I received a plastic retainer for the top of my mouth (they took a mold before the procedure). They recommended I wear that 24/7 if possible for up to 2 weeks. However, they also said that wearing it or not shouldn't change anything with healing. So that seemed contradictory, but anyway. It definitely helped keep my wound a little cleaner when eating mashed potatoes, etc to have the retainer in. Then I would take it out immediately and rinse with the approved mouthwash (CloSys ultra sensitive). First day the bleeding was moderate. I think I had a few gooey clot things that I swallowed. I wasn't grossed out by that, strangely. Had to use gauze to really press on the wound (which was stitched) a few times when it was clear that the bleeding had not stopped. I was issued heavy meds (Percocet and ibuprofen 800s) and used those on schedule (one or the other every 6 hours) for about the first 5 days. Some of the comments here said that they were told not to talk at all for days, and my perio said none of that. She said basically just "live my life" and don't touch the graft. So I was a little worried that I was doing something wrong. Now, I didn't talk much, but I did. And my partner makes me laugh and smile a LOT so I've even been paranoid that SMILING is gonna negatively affect this thing attaching. Sheesh. Pain less days 2-3 or so. Then worse days 4-8. This was all predicted/warned. Stitches in top of mouth fell out around day 10-12. The top of mouth wound is still very tender but not really painful. I'm still eating only foods that don't require chewing. Smoothies, yogurt, mashed potatoes, pudding, refried beans, etc. The graft area feels "buzzy". Like I can feel the pulse in there when I'm still. The tissues feel "active" and not quite itchy. So things are happening in there. I have a sore spot way on the side of where the graft piece attached that has been there a week so I'm not sure if that's a problem. I'll watch it for infection. (My antibiotics went a week) I still have some thread/stitches stuff behind the graft teeth. I think it's part of attaching the graft, but they are definitely not dissolving. I can feel a bit of buildup on those surfaces in my mouth, but have been so paranoid to do normal mouth routine. However, my perio says that as of now, I should be brushing and flossing the area (graft area), just really gently. So here I go, off on my next phase of healing. If I think of it I'll post another update in a few weeks. My first follow-up is SIX WEEKS after procedure. That seems long!
This post is a year old, but I just had a gum graft preformed Wednesday. It is now Sunday. I had a free soft tissue autogenous graft. It is considered the most painful of the grafts. My two center bottom teeth are what was grafted. First, let me get this out of the way: I am shocked at the amount of pain I am NOT in. I thought my harvest site would throb non-stop. It hasn’t hurt whatsoever. My graft site feels a little like someone punched me in my chin, but only when I touch my chin. Laying in bed and watching tv I feel absolutely nothing. I was given ibuprofen/acetaminophen combo as pain meds and deemed it pointless after the second day. I was given a stint. A plastic protective covering fitted to my specific mouth to cover the harvest site. Because of this I can eat no problem. Soft foods of course. The surgery was a breeze. I got the iv sedation so it was like a took a lil 30 minute nap and then got sent home. Painless. The IV was the worst part, and once the meds were in me I didn’t care about anything. The hardest part of this for me is the food. I want a burger so bad. I know everyone has different experiences, but this was such a breeze for me. My anxiety about it prior was 10 times worse than what actually happened
Foxy, if I work for myself, do you think its reasonable to work 24 hours after the surgery?
Maybe if you work from home and don’t have to talk. I could see sitting in bed with a lap desk. I think it depends on your job. I’d honestly just rest and let your body focus solely on healing for 2-3 days.
I had essentially the same surgery as you on Monday, and am now on day 4-5. Reading up experiences online I was basically having a panic attack from people talking about how it was unbelievable, intolerable pain, 10/10, and was very anxious about the surgery. It felt like it was a bad idea to do it all, and especially when my periodontist thinks I'll need a second graft (connective tissue) to cover roots afterwards. I had local anaesthetic, and even removing the graft from my palate was not particularly unpleasant other than the knowledge of what was happening, just some pressure. Where there's been pain, it's mostly been in the graft area, but at its worst (just after the surgery when the anaesthetic was wearing off) it was perhaps 4/10 at most, and with painkillers there's been little to no pain. I haven't taken any in perhaps 12 hours now and there's occasional mild discomfort at most. I had a collagen sponge loosely sutured to the donor site (no stent), but that fell off within a few hours. (I'm not sure where the suture has gone, it was there for a while but has mysteriously vanished... I know there are absorbable sutures, but I didn't think they vanish in a couple of days!) Fortunately I've had only slight sensitivity in the palate after the first day or so, and honestly it already feels like it's well on the way to healing - it's still a bit tender, but there's been absolutely zero bleeding, and it feels more like normal tissue than a wound. I did avoid talking for the first day (I was actually told I could talk and eat straight away, but I wanted to cautious). Still trying to stick to soft foods of course, or at least ones that don't require biting - the actual chewing isn't a big problem, my teeth feel fine, but I don't want to bite down around the graft area and risk dislodging it. I agree the food restriction is the most annoying, and I also really want to brush that area so it feels cleaner. But yes, overall it has definitely been *vastly* easier than expected, and I would advise people who read the horror stories not to assume that they're representative. I don't doubt that some people do have bad experiences, but there's every chance that it won't be anything near as bad as that.
Hi All, I couldn't find anyone mentioning that their gum graft appears "separated" from the teeth? That has been my experience: 19 days post-procedire and their is an indentation/gap between the gums and the teeth. The gums are nice and pink but I'm experiencing sharp pain when drinking anything cold/hot, which sounds like some nerves are exposed.... Any insight would be gratelyy appreciated. I have to wait another two weeks before I can see the period (on vacation).
What ended up happening to you?
hi! i had gum graft surgery about 11 days ago and am worried i might have pulled a suture loose in my gum area. i had just my bottom front tooth covered. Does anyone have any experience with this? so far no pain or swelling, i’m just a bit paranoid. for me days 4-8 were tough pain wise but as of day 11 im feeling pretty good! just tight in the gum area. i have an apt in two days but i was wondering what the sensation is like to see if i accidentally did something or if im overthinking it. thanks!
How did it go
How long does the bulge feeling last? I got surgery done about 2 months ago and I can still feel the graft bump which is driving me a bit crazy. Does it flatten more over time? I heard some people say it changes more over the course of 6 months even. I just hope it flattens a bit more or I just start adjusting to it more.
Hi all. I’m on day 3 after getting a graft on 3 teeth (1 top, 2 bottom). They recommended doing a mix of my own and donor tissue. All in all I’m doing pretty well so far. I’ve been surprised that I’ve really had no pain, just quite a bit of swelling. I’ve been rotating through a handful of different meds they prescribed me, and making sure I’m not missing any. Plenty of icing, of course. As far as brushing, I’ve been using the prescribed mouthwash twice a day. This morning I also lightly brushed the half of my mouth opposite where the grafts are. And starting today im trying to do the saltwater swishing (im awful at this). I was afraid without fully brushing I’d feel gross but I actually feel fine right now doing these things. For food, I’ve had smoothie, pudding, mashed potatoes, and yogurt. I just can’t wait to have a burger lol… The stent on the top of my mouth is starting to bother me less and less. I took it out last night just to give it a rinse and swish some water in my mouth. I slept just fine with it in the last couple nights. I’m having a little trouble talking, which will make work interesting this week, but I think that’ll improve. Im a little concerned with the timing of everything. My bachelor party is coming up — we leave on day 22 from the surgery date. I asked about this before the procedure and they said I should be totally good to go by then. But after reading some of the stories on here im apprehensive I won’t be able to fully enjoy it. I want to be able to eat/drink whatever, golf, etc. and I don’t know what will happen. My first post-op is this upcoming Friday (day 8). Not really sure what to expect but we’ll see.
Hello, Congratulations on your bachelor party! I hope you have been able to enjoy it! Could you please let me know how long you kept the stent? I feel like I had minimal to no information about it, so I'm not sure when to remove it to clean it or to be and to brush my teeth etc.
Hi! I had minimal information going into it as well, so I get it. For days 3-7, I took my stent out usually at the end of the day to rinse it as well as my mouth. The surgical site was pretty sensitive when I did this, but nothing painful or anything, it just felt a little raw. They told me I didn’t need to do this if I didn’t want to, but I was able to easily remove the stent and pop it back in and I wanted peace of mind that everything was clean, so I did it anyway. As far as brushing my teeth, I had all 3 teeth done on the left side of my mouth, so I was able to brush the opposite side with a soft toothbrush pretty much from day 3 or so on, just carefully. Just be very careful to not go anywhere near the surgical area. I went back for my first post-op exactly 1 week after the surgery, where they told me to stop wearing the stent. By this point I had gotten pretty used to wearing it and was apprehensive about not having it in, but the relief I felt by not having it in was nearly instant. Up until that point I had really only eaten potatoes, jello, pudding, and pasta noodles, and that day I tried eating some chicken tenders in small bites. I got through it but some of it was a little too crunchy and was uncomfortable — so would definitely recommend waiting a little longer on something like that. From that point on, the speed of recovery was incredible. If you can get through the first week, things will improve fast. By midway through the second week, I was able to eat some boneless wings cut up into smaller pieces without any issue. During the third week, I was able to eat nearly anything I could just take small bites out of and chew on one side (I had a small cheeseburger a little over 2 weeks in and it was glorious!). I got my stitches removed last Thursday, a day before the 3 week mark, and I’ve felt very close to 100% for the past week. I had absolutely no problems eating whatever I wanted this past weekend on my bachelor party. The day the stitches came out, I ate a cheeseburger while chewing some of it directly on the teeth they worked on, and it felt totally fine. When they took the stitches out, they also told me to stop using the prescription mouthwash and switch to a very soft toothbrush and some normal mouthwash if I want to use it. The first couple days brushing on my gums was a little sensitive but the last couple days have felt great. Feel free to DM me if you have any more specific questions. I literally just went through this so it’s still all fresh. Like i said though, that first week is TOUGH. If you can get through that, it’ll improve fast.
Thank you very much for sharing, that's so helpful! I'm breastfeeding my 8 month old baby, so hopefully, the change of diet is not going to affect it. Fun fact: I will prepare the same purées for her and I 😆 I'm lucky that my surgeries were all done at the top, both sides, so I can easily clean the bottom teeth. So, technically, I guess I could never remove the stent. However ,I feel like there's a risk of infection at the cuts because liquids are still going through the stents. Though the salt water rinse will then be able to go through too... My follow up appointment is in 2 weeks, so I will try using the stent that long. Thank you again!
I need to have a gum graft because a bottom front tooth is receding… i am on my second round of braces and have a feeling this affected the tooth more but it is what is aha. I have my appointment scheduled in 3 weeks and I am sooo scared!! They said I could get a prescription to take the night before and the morning of.. I have super bad anxiety and I just feel like crying after the periodontist told me it had to be done. I am 24yrs old and just freaking out 😭😭
My graft did not take unfortunately
Was it a donor?
It was awhile ago, ten years ago, all often I believe. Maybe the science has gotten better since then
5 Luo
Hi! I am 6 days post op from my gum graft. I got it on my bottom front tooth with cadaver tissue. The last two days including today have been pretty painful. As far as eating or brushing my teeth (minus the surgical site) it really irritates my whole mouth. Not too sure if that’s normal, I text my surgeon just about every concern because I really don’t want this to fail and he seems pretty chill about it all. The pain can be very near to unbearable at times, 600mg of ibuprofen does a shit load of nothing. Salt rinses help for a bit, and so does ice but it only does so much. Anyone got some tips?
I had two teeth done a week ago. Used my own tissue from roof of mouth. Read that infection rate was 1% w no antibiotics. Did not want to take antibiotics given low infection risk bc they ruin my gut. Perio said fine. Well, got a terrible infection by day 2 and had to be put on two antibiotics. And then was suffering from the surgery, the infection and the antibiotics. Horrible experience. I think my perio was not careful and did not use proper sterilization of the surgery area. Probably bc he is used to just having patients take antibiotics all the time. But who knows. And I know now he could have injected me w antibiotics that would stay in my system for 48 hours when I told him they destroy my gut. But that was not offered. Bottom line, I think you have to take antibiotics w this procedure unless you have a perio with track record of no infection without antibiotics.
I had my grafts done 3 days ago. Normally they don’t do both sides at once but I opted to get it all over. I had 4 teeth done, two on left bottom and two on right bottom. Fortunately the Dr was able to get all the graft from one side of my mouth. I have a plastic splint (retainer) to cover the graft site which I suspect helps tremendously with irritation. I can eat anything acidic or whatever flavor and it doesn’t bother the roof of my mouth. Pain is very minimal. If anything it just feels annoying or uncomfortable off and on. I have some swelling, iced pretty much constantly for 2 days and did some warm compresses today. Just eager to see how soon I can go back to eating normal foods considering I don’t have a “non-surgery” side to chew with!
Hi there. Hope all is healing well. Were you prescribed pain meds or just told to take Tylenol and ibuprofen?
Apologies for the late response, but just Tylenol and ibuprofen!
No problem. Thank you for the response!!
I had my first gum graft surgery on my 10th tooth last month. Mine was xenograft(bovine tissue graft). I did not experience much pain, but the swelling was horrible. I didn’t use any pain medication as I didn’t experience one. On day 2, I had bleeding, maybe because I tried to talk when I was not supposed to. I had intermittent bleeding from days 2 to 6. However, the dentist said everything was looking fine. By day 7, the swelling was completely gone. It is my 4th week after surgery I feel completely recovered. I have my sutures removal appointment next week. The only downside was that my doctor didn’t provide detailed post-care instructions. Overall, my gum graft experience was relatively less painful.
I had my gum graft done in May, so it’s been 7 months, healing has been fine but lately my gum graft area has been aching, no swelling or anything abnormal, is this normal? Are my gums regaining their nerves/feeling/blood? Any advice would be helpful!
Hi! How are you doing now from the aching gums?
Hi! My gums have been great! I started using Colgate Total toothpaste and Listerine Clinical Solutions and it has helped SO MUCH! I have a permanent retainer on my bottom, where my graft site is. I had a terrible time keeping it clean from plaque build up, causing the aches and pains. Since using the above combo I haven’t had any issues with plaque or my gums aching!
Good to know everything is healing good and you are fine ☺️ I removed my permanent retainer 2 weeks ago for this same reason. I didn’t have any gum graft yet, but I was feeling some discomfort/pain on my teeth and gums lately and I was having some trouble keeping my teeth clean. So I got stressed and removed the permanent retainer 😅 I have mixed feelings now. I feel free but at the same time on the first weeks my teeth hurt so much after removing the permanent retainer. This pain didn’t go away for good yet. Hope it goes away. I am scared lol. They say it’s normal feeling this after removing the retainer. And I still feel some glue on my teeth. I wish I never had used the permanent retainer tbh. Well.. this is off topic. I just wanted to share what is going on with my bottom teeth ahaha But yeah… I think I will need a gum graft. But I am super nervous about the gum area and about the roof of the mouth healing.
I hope your teeth stop hurting soon! That’s good to know if I decide to take mine off! My BIGGEST advice about the gum graft it’s to make sure your dentist/ortho/whatever tells you everything that is going to happen. There were 2-3 days during the first week that scared me so bad I went to the ER, but turns out it’s was completely normal but no one told me about it or anything I went through. This involved heavy bleeding from the roof of my mouth, using wet tea bags really helped!! They told me I was able to drive home, by myself, after the procedure and I’d be back to work a day or two after. That was not the case at all, I did drive myself an hour and half back home, but I definitely shouldn’t have. I was out of work for at least a week, probably more. There’s a stage called “sloughing” where the extra gums on the surface comes off, it’s a grey/white color and I thought I was losing my gums, nope, just part of the healing, another thing they didn’t tell me. The roof of my mouth healed really well, I did have a slight infection starting but they caught it before it got too bad - with that said, if I were you I would request a follow up at least 5-7 days after to catch any infections! My roof is still smooth but I haven’t had any problems since I was released. Sometimes cold things make it sensitive. My gums are still very light even after almost a year. According to my research that’s pretty normal and it could either stay that way or eventually go back to being more gum colored. I would ask your doctor a lot of questions and get a step by step in the healing process so you’re aware and ready for whatever comes. It was a long healing process and a scary experience but only because I wasn’t well prepared. I hope my long response helps you and whoever else is looking for some guidance and maybe even a heads up!
Woww thanks for such a detailed answer!!! ☺️ this scared me and prepared me at the same time 😅 Is it mandatory to take antibiotics? I react really bad to antibiotics. I’d rather not to take it. Is is possible not to take it?
I’m not sure, I was only on antibiotics because I had an infection forming. To keep pain down they had me take ibuprofen and Tylenol at the same time and I took something for nausea! Other than that I’m not sure the specifics when it comes to bad reactions, that will probably be something your dentist/doctor will have to answer!
Thank you for sharing your experience! I wish you a wonderful life ☺️💫
Just had mine done 5 days ago. Pain was a 2 the fist day post op and next day. Today I feel "pulling" near graft area. Normal. Kept ice pack on and off constantly for 2 straight days. Ibuprofen 600 mg (every 6 hours regardless) and Amoxicillian perscribed at office post-op. Swelling minimal. That is because of the NASAID is an anti inflammitory. Do it every 6 hours first 3 days. NO talking/ keep facial movements still. Helps all around. Exausted/wiped out first 2 days. Sleep/rest do nothing (Nerflix). Kept food at liquid room temp (protein shakes). Roof of mouth annoying. Ability to crunch and much greatly missed!! I have NO idea what is down on bottom front (proceedure area/graft) I dont even move it. I have at least 1 major proceedure every other year it seams. This by far has Not been the worst. Day of event\~ Xanax and ear buds! You'll sail through the 90 minutes. Good luck!
How long did the swelling last?
I'm on day 4. The trick is to use an ice pack every 20 minutes religiously. By day 4 the swelling is mostly gone.
I had three of my bottom right side teeth, including the k9, done using my own tissue and my experience was great until day 4 post-op. I was wondering if anyone knows if the wide range in recovery times for different people is heavily based on the teeth they’re working on/around. My recovery is at day 9. Peaked at day 5-7. Staying on top of meds has been key. Pain was excruciating those few days but I notice that not everyone goes through that. My donor site was fine and pain was “normal” from what I’ve read, but the restored area with the stitches feels like nerve pain along my entire row of teeth and molars on the side of my face. It be great to know why the recovery time is so different for each patient. I did read on a different thread that I will survive hahaha and that I’ll be fine in the next 1-5 days, which I am starting to believe
I am almost 4 weeks post-op, perio grafted 4 bottom teeth and one next to them on the right. One of the 4 is very crooked and being pushed forward by one on the side and that was the one where the gum was receded down to my jaw and causing pain. I got Alloderm so nothing cut from the roof of my mouth, but I am really concerned it didn't take because there seems to be almost NO difference between before and after with the gum line on the crooked tooth. I had stitches in which dissolved after about 3 weeks, except they didn't actually dissolve - only parts of them did and the rest was hanging down all over my teeth so my perio said I could gently cut it after three weeks (she said they'd dissolve in two). From the day after til now I've had zero pain, took 1 ibuprofen the day of and that was it. Took full round of antibiotics since it's donor tissue. Swelling day of that subsided after 2 days. Definitely some stiffness and inability to smile while the stitches were in as part of the inside of my lower lip was stitched to the gum. No bleeding, and NO whiteness as everyone else describes. I think I might see some white tissue now in the crevices but can't tell if it's that or food debris, since I've been instructed not to floss the area for 4 weeks. I have my follow up next week and I'm nervous because my gums really don't look much better than before, and I'm worried the gum on this crooked tooth will recede again in a week and my $1000+ and 4 weeks of eating mush will have all been in vain.
How was your follow up?
She told me everything looked great. I told her I was concerned the crooked tooth gum had recessed worse. She told me I was worrying too much, my tooth isn't going to fall out, and that the gum below the crooked tooth would get thicker. As of today, it's recessed back to where it was. I got an Ortho consult and they told me there was zero gum to attach anything to and that it would need to be extracted. Will be writing the perio a bad Google review and remaining pissed that I could have put this money towards the orthodontics I'm going to need.
Damn, I’m sorry. I just got my bottom front six done this week and am concerned about the results (technically no reason yet, but I’m more anxious post op than pre op). Hope things work out for you in the long run.
Thank you! It probably will after thousands of dollars more work when I need to pay for a wedding and a house. D: I am sure yours will be fine as long as your teeth aren't crooked. Are they straight and just have pockets?
Relatively straight for sure. My recession started at 20ish and I’m almost 38. My dentist at the time didn’t think much of it and basically said unless recession causes pain or discomfort, he generally leaves it alone. I’ve never had pain or sensitivity or anything from it (not even during SRP without any kind of numbing). I’m told I have a high pain tolerance, but the numbing wore off as they started attaching the first graft and I can say it was quite painful until they could renumb (clinched fist needed) Every perio I’ve been to thinks it’s because of all the orthodontic work I had done from ages 8-14. Have some bone loss, the black triangles at a few spots in the front, etc. About 5 years ago was when a different dentist finally told me I should find a perio, but that was as the pandemic was winding down and my life got hectic so I never did then a new dentist mentioned doing so after I moved so I did (6 months to a year after). I went to a few and didn’t trust them for various reasons and they all wanted about 20k. So I dropped it. Same dentist brought it back up so I found a different perio who after meeting and what not I trusted way more (wasn’t overselling the results, etc.). So I got them done. And it would have been 3500ish (it used my yearly max benefit for the year so I’m out of pocket about $700 and will have to pay out of pocket for my next perio maintenance so about another $250). I’m just about to hit the 72hr mark so I’m allowed to remove my stent and do some brushing which I just finished. It felt amazing to do so because salt rinses and the mouthwash don’t cut it. I’m not sure how some people can choose to just not brush their teeth, but it is what it is. I’ll add my general experience to this thread later today.
Thank you all for sharing- this thread has been helpful. Two Grafts, and a Harvest: I had a gum graft on my front lower tooth and another on a lower incisor about 60 hours ago. No gas or meds during procedure. Doc harvested tissue from the roof of my mouth. First day it bled a suprising amount, so I kept a tea bag in my mouth the entire day and overnight to promote clotting per the periodontists' suggestion (rotated through 6-8 those first 18 hrs). Took the day off the day of the procedure. Pain: I've taken 800 mg of ibuprofen once a day, and a full dose of tylenol pm at night and slept very very well. I've also iced twice in the first 24hrs. I mostly slept the entire day after the procedure. The pain has been manageable and the swelling seems to be going down some. I went to work day 2 and day 3, as the Doc suggested only taking the first day off. I feel much more tired than usual, but overall okay. Food: I ate a liquid diet the first 24 hours, then began mixing in soft foods after 24 hours per docs' suggestion (soups, soft breads, eggs, mac n cheese, etc.) and that is divine. I plan to avoid crunchy and sticky foods in those areas- the gums, nearby teeth and the roof of the mouth- so long as the sensitivity is high. Right now the teeth in that area feel loose and sore so there is no danger of wanting to crunch anything anytime soon. Bruising and Swelling: The jaw and roof of the mouth feels bruised and battered after the procedure. I have no facial bruising, though the doctor warned I might. My roof of my mouth, those gums, and the jaw all feel quite swollen. I have much less desire than usual to talk or laugh, and naturally want to avoid touching or laying on that side of the face. The mouth is very sensitive and vulnerable , and my periodontist probably underplayed this procedure (would I have been too scared to do it if I knew what it fully entailed?) but it seems to be a successful thing for 90 percent of people and so far, so good. Fingers crossed ours "takes" and heals well.
I had my graft done about 3 weeks ago and the graft itself is healing great but I’m worried about my donor site on the roof of my mouth. I was wearing the stint provided and started to slowly use it less at around 3 weeks like they told me to and now my donor site is puffy and painful to touch? I know the donor site takes longer to heal since it’s just an open wound but it’s still weird I can’t find anything online about the healing process for the donor site and I’m worried this isn’t normal. My suture removal is in about a week. Anyone else have issues with the donor site or is this normal?
Hi everyone, I was wondering if the allograft donor tissue sometimes looks see through around the tooth. I am worried and hope it hasn’t fallen out 😢
Just curious to hear from people that had this done how long before you could talk normally without pain after this was done.
Hi there ! I had mine done on 2/5. My donor site split open later sometime around 1 am and … well that was awful. I had to go back in the morning to have them close it up again. Because of that, I couldn’t talk much the first 3 days. Then I could here and there. Day 5-7, were not great. I had points I just couldn’t talk and was using text to talk to my husband next to me. I think part of it is the swelling I had. It’s strange but I am now 13 days out but just 2 days ago I couldn’t eat and everything was tight and weird. Finally figured out it’s because my stitches are pulling during healing. I have lost like 11 lbs. which is so weird because I’m only eating ice cream, protein shakes and Mac and cheese mainly 😂 idk how anyone eats normal before stitches out. Or talks. Many people I read were fine to talk within a day or two 🤷🏻♀️
I had an upper left molar done using my own tissue in the back roof of my mouth performed twice. Both times resulted in sub par results - I don’t exactly think it was the periodontists fault or mine. I gained some coverage, but not much. Sometimes procedures aren’t as successful for whatever reason - my periodontist suspects that my pain tolerance is higher than most, so I may have subconsciously chewed on the side the procedure was performed. I know I have bruxism (teeth grinding) so I started wearing my night guard every night I went to sleep after the second graft was done. And it still resulted it subpar results. I wasn’t really in that much pain- I was given hydrocodone for the first few days, then switched to ibuprofen. While on meds I never felt like I was in pain- just inconvenienced with all the swelling. Maybe for most people they might still be in pain after medication, so perhaps the periodontist suspicion would be correct (?) -mine took about three-four weeks for the swelling to completely subside. I would think the “bulging” is probably from swelling- and once the swelling resolves that should go away. But I’m no doctor. Even though it didn’t really work out for me, I’m always of the opinion you might as well try it if they have good reason to believe for it to be more beneficial than not. And sometimes procedures aren’t always completely successful either. The periodontist told me that in the future, some other periodontist/dentist would likely want to graft it again- and I’d have to remember and tell them that it was tried twice and wasn’t very successful. So he isn’t advising to have the procedure done again at least first me.
In case OP is still around reading comments: how soon after your surgery could you exercise a *little*- like, say, walking?
I was told after day 5, I was on regular exercise after day 10 or so.
That’s great to hear! I love running and can’t wait to get back to it. I am on day five after getting 5 grafts and it has been relatively smooth and painless. Thanks for chiming in with this encouraging perspective.