5 Tips for a Fast and Easy Post-Gum Graft Recovery

Healthy gum tissue is essential to oral health. Our gums help hold our teeth in place and protect the roots from trauma and bacteria. Receding gums can be caused by a variety of factors, including periodontal disease, aging, jawbone loss, poor dental hygiene, and trauma (sometimes due to aggressive brushing).

Recessed gums are not only unattractive, they can make your teeth more sensitive to hot and cold, as they leave the sensitive root of the tooth exposed. This can make eating uncomfortable for many patients in Los Angeles. More important, recessed gums expose the roots of the teeth to trauma and decay, thereby increasing your risk of eventual tooth loss.

Do Gums Grow Back?

Unfortunately, there is no technique for stimulating gum tissue to regenerate on its own.

If you have recessed gums, you have only two alternatives:

1. Live with the discomfort, increased risk of tooth loss, and the “long-in-the-tooth,” aged appearance caused by gum recession, or

2. Repair gum loss with traditional gum grafting or a less invasive, virtually pain-free method, such as RejuvaGum Lift™ with platelet-rich fibrin (PRP).

Both LA gum grafting procedures are simple and straightforward. However, traditional gum grafting requires a graft of gum to be taken from the roof of your mouth and then stitched to your gum line, which can be a very painful procedure.

RejuvaGum Lift uses the healing powers of growth factors in your own blood to create bio-compatible gel membranes that are inserted into small incisions in your gum and positioned so that they fill out the recesses, providing excellent root coverage. Performed under anesthesia, the procedure is virtually painless, with most patients in Los Angeles reporting that they don’t even need painkillers postoperatively. PRP not only provides a pain-free graft, the growth factors also promote healing, which means you’ll be getting back to your normal activities much sooner.

Make Your Post-Gum Graft Recovery Easier

Whether you choose gum grafting or a painless gum grafting alternative, you will probably have some swelling post-procedure, which can generally be controlled with ice packs over the first 24 hours. Any pain can be managed with over-the-counter medication.

You can also use these five tips to speed recovery:

Avoid Exertion

Give yourself a little time off and allow your body to heal by refraining from exercise and other strenuous activities for the first several days after surgery.

Stick to a Liquid Diet

Vitamin-rich and well-blended soups and smoothies can help make a liquid diet delicious and appealing for the first two days after your surgery. Be sure to blend thoroughly and not include any ingredients that contain small particles, such as berries, which have small seeds that could get lodged in your wounds. Serve at room temperature to avoid the shock of cold or hot temperatures. After two days, you can add in soft foods, such as yogurt or cottage cheese.

Rinse Your Mouth Clean

For the first 24 hours, you should not rinse your mouth at all. After that time, please add 1 teaspoon of sea salt to an 8-oz. glass of room-temperature water and rinse with this mixture after every meal or snack.

Eat Vitamins A and C

Both of these vitamins have been shown to control inflammation and aid in healing. Vitamin A-rich foods include carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, kale, and spinach. Vitamin C-rich foods include papaya, citrus, strawberries, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and bell peppers. Be sure these fruits and vegetables are well blended and strained of any seeds or pulp. Learn more about good sources of vitamin A at WebMD.com.

Treat Your Gums to Tea (Bags)

If your gums are slightly bleeding or sore, steep and cool black tea bags, then place them on your gums. The tannic acid in black tea promotes coagulation and also has some antiseptic qualities.

Smile Confidently!

Once you have repaired and rejuvenated your recessed gums in Los Angeles, you will wonder why you took so long to do so. Your smile will be brighter, your teeth safer, and your mouth healthier.

If you suffer from receding gums, please learn more about gum grafting and the groundbreaking RejuvaGum Lift by contacting Dr. Alexandre-Amir Aalam and Dr. Alina Krivitsky at the Center for Advanced Periodontal and Implant Therapy in Los Angeles at (310) 299-8329 or through our online contact form. We are the only trained and certified periodontists in the United States to use advanced PRP techniques to enhance healing of oral surgery and to offer the RejuvaGum Lift.

Next, read The Truth About How You May Be Causing Your Gum Recession

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