How Long Does It Take Gum Grafting to Heal?
Having your gums recede is something that just happens with the process of aging. Gum grafting in newark ohio is the result of some of those cases being worse than others. Gum recession can and will change the perception of your smile taking teeth to gum ratio out of balance. More importantly it can have oral health implications. Receding gums exposes the root of the tooth. The root does not have the hard enamel surface of the exposed crown, resulting in enhanced sensitivity and bone loss. This can even result in the loss of that tooth. Gum grafts are recommended and are necessary. The recovery and healing process depend on your personal ability to recover, the amount of grafting being done, the source of the graft and your willingness to following recovery instructions.
Causes that Accelerate Gum Recession
Why gum grafting is necessary on some adults and not others can be the result of periodontal disease, or gum disease. This is most often the result of a buildup of plaque on the teeth infecting the gums. Poor oral hygiene has not kept up with the plaque. Smoking is hard on your gum tissue as is diabetes. Your genetic makeup can influence the health of your gums and even taking good care of your teeth can contribute to gum recession. By brushing too aggressively with a firm-bristle tooth brush will result in gum erosion.
The Gum Grafting Procedure
A reasonably simple process, the area of concern will initially be numbed with a local anesthetic. Then the dentist or periodontist has three sources for the tissue. They most often take tissue from your palette or the roof of your mouth. Sometimes there is excess soft tissue available in the gum itself and the third source might be a tissue bank. The tissue to be used is sutured into place, as is the source site. Your primary objective in healing is to protect the sutures.
The Recovery or Healing from Gum Grafting
In most cases you will only need to follow strict instructions for about a week. Usually that is when your follow-up examination will be scheduled to review the healing process. That first week you will NOT brush your teeth anywhere near the suture sites. You will experience some soreness for a day or two post-surgery. It will be very important to maintain a diet of very soft foods to minimize biting and chewing. It will be also suggested you monitor food and drink temperatures, favoring cold food and drink. In two weeks, you will be allowed to brush again and inside of a month you will be totally healed.
The Benefits of Gum Grafting
We mentioned the health implications in saving teeth through minimizing bone loss. There is the value of your smile that is often overlooked or taken for granted. Gum grafting puts your teeth to gum ration back in perspective. A healthy smile influences so much about your life. It is the foundation for your self-esteem and self-confidence. Work with your dentist in establishing good oral hygiene habits in taking care of both your teeth and your gums.
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