When would a gum graft fail?

Smoking is one of the biggest causes of gum graft failure. It constricts the blood vessels in the gums which will harm the healing process of the gum tissue. It is best to avoid smoking while your graft is healing, and quitting altogether would be best for your oral health as well as your overall health.

When will I know if my gum graft failed?

Usually, you can tell you have a failed gum graft because you will have a large white patch of white tissue that has come off the tooth. Sometimes it may even look like the gum graft is falling off.

How common is it for a gum graft to fail?

Success or failure of graft will be determined by the periodontist or the operating surgeon. Failure happens in less than 2% of cases.

How do I know if my gum graft is healing?

For soft tissue “gum” grafts, the site(s) may appear white during the healing process (up to 2 weeks), this is normal and not a sign of infection. The tissue will change to a pink color as it heals.

What percentage of gum grafts are successful?

Recovery. The gum grafting procedure has a 90% success rate, therefore patients can feel confident the procedure will benefit them. Recovery from this procedure normally takes 4-6 weeks, during which patients will be asked not to brush or floss near the newly repaired area.

Gum graft failure

Why do my gum grafts keep failing?

Smoking is one of the biggest causes of gum graft failure. It constricts the blood vessels in the gums which will harm the healing process of the gum tissue. It is best to avoid smoking while your graft is healing, and quitting altogether would be best for your oral health as well as your overall health.

Why would a gum graft fail?

Rarely, a patient may develop an infection or the graft will fail to integrate with the existing gum tissue. If you notice any bleeding or other fluid oozing from your surgery site, let your doctor know right away so they can begin treatment for a possible infection. If your graft fails, you may require re-treatment.

How long does it take a gum graft to attach?

You should be fully healed from a gum graft in one to two weeks. You'll need to schedule a follow-up appointment with your periodontist a week or so after the procedure so that they can make sure you're healing properly and the graft is successful. After about two weeks, you should be able to brush and floss again.

What color should my gum graft be?

The graft color may change from pink to white. This is NORMAL. Then the color will change to red and then back to pink as the swelling decreases. It is recommended that you do not look at the site until after the first post-op appointment.

What happens when dental bone graft fails?

If left untreated, the bone graft will fail, and there is a possibility that the infection can develop and spread within the mouth and eventually infect other parts of the body. If an infection does occur, then depending on the level of infection, several treatment options are available.

What happens if a gum graft moves?

During healing, sometimes due to severe swelling and/or loosening of the sutures, the graft may move and surgery will not be successful. In such cases, it is necessary to wait until the maturation of the surrounding tissues is complete and try again.

How many gum grafts can be done at once?

The main advantage of using donor tissue for gum grafts is there's no limit in how many areas can be treated at once. Autografts, on the other hand, can only address a few areas at a time due to the invasive nature of tissue harvesting. The two types of donor grafts available are allografts and xenografts.

How long does roof of mouth take to heal after gum graft?

The palate takes longer to heal than the gum graft and spans from six to eight weeks following the surgery. For the first few days you will experience a burning sensation and it will take about 14 days before the discomfort will stop.

Does gum graft shrinkage?

Unlike the literature, we found that the shrinkage of vertical and horizontal dimensions of the grafts were almost equal. We observed that graft shrinkage occurs concurrently in the vertical and horizontal dimensions for a period of 90 days.

What does healing gum tissue look like?

Once the clot forms, your body will start building granulation tissue to cover the wound. This tissue often appears a creamy white color and consists of collagen, white blood cells, and blood vessels.

Are antibiotics necessary after gum graft?

Your dentist may prescribe you some antibiotics to take for the first week to 10 days of your recovery. Infection is a very big concern when dealing with the mouth, and a gum graft does open the door for such an infection. The antibiotics will help keep you healthy while you heal.

How long does a stitched gum take to heal?

If you were given stitches, they would begin to dissolve or be removed during this time. Within 14-21 days, the hole will close, and your gums will heal. Keep in mind that large teeth, like the back teeth and wisdom teeth removal, takes the longest to heal.

How do I know if my gum graft is infected?

How can I speed up gum healing?

What is the fastest way to heal a gum graft?

Does tissue grow back after gum graft?

Once the areas are numb, a small piece of gum tissue is gently taken from around the necks of the teeth on the roof of the mouth (palate). This area heals like a scrape and grows back leaving sufficient gum tissue there.

When can I brush teeth after gum graft?

Protection of the gum graft is VERY IMPORTANT to ensure a successful “take” of the procedure. CARE OF MOUTH: DO NOT brush or floss in the graft site for TEN days after surgery. Then you may begin gentle brushing with a soft toothbrush for another two to four days and finally return to normal brushing.

Why can't you drink alcohol after gum graft?

We do ask that you refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol as these activities will interfere with blood clotting and healing of the grafted site.

Can gum graft surgery be repeated?

If the gum tissue is on top of deteriorated bone, then you may need a bone graft below the soft-tissue graft. This will involve doing two grafts. Depending on your specific situation, you may be able to do both at the same time. This will involve doing the bone graft first and anchoring the new bone in place.

Is gum graft surgery worth it?

Gum grafting is a highly safe and effective procedure; it has been tested and proven successful in treating countless cases of receding and thinning gums due to aggressive brushing and gum disease. Still, complications and infections may occur, especially without proper post-op care.