Whether you are looking to improve the appearance of your smile or you’re after treatment to protect your mouth from the adverse effects of gum recession, having a gum graft procedure may be an option for you.
Receding Gums, a Cause of Great Discomfort
A patient suffering from receding gums will experience tissue pulling away from one or more of their teeth, which could expose the root of the tooth or more of the tooth, potentially damaging tooth-supporting structures.
While the problem can go unnoticed for a long period of time, once the root is exposed it will cause tooth sensitivity. As a result, patients may experience major discomfort. In this situation, clinicians often recommend a gum tissue graft procedure.
In other situations, gum recession in one or more teeth may cause an aesthetically unpleasant situation that may be corrected with a gum graft procedure.
Gum Graft Treatment Options
Depending on your specific needs, which will be determined by our periodontist, there are three types of graft procedures:
Can Gum Disease be Treated With Gum Grafts?
Typically, when implantologists refer to receding gums that may be treated with a gum graft, the required treamtent isn’t a result of periodontal disease.
For a successful gum graft procedure to be performed, the remaining tooth-related structures need to be intact – primarily the bone surrounding the tooth or implant. This usually isn’t the case for patients suffering from periodontal disease.
The most common situations when a gum graft is appropriate treatment for gum recession are:
- Issues resulting from a hard brushing technique
- Orthodontics
- Trauma
- Grinding of teeth (bruxing)
Gum Graft FAQs
How long will a gum graft in London take?
Visiting Marylebone Implant Centre allows patients the choice between three types of gum graft procedures. These include:
- Pedicle grafts
- Connective-tissue grafts
- Free gingival grafts
No matter which procedure you need, one gum graft in London should take between 45 – 90 minutes to complete.
During this time, the area will be thoroughly numbed with anaesthetic, the gum moved and then sutured into place, all of which can be very fiddly and time-consuming.
For more information about gum grafting in London with Marylebone Implant Centre, you can call us on 020 3434 2934 or fill in our enquiry form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
What is the recovery like for gum grafting in London?
After the gum has been sutured, most patients will wear gauze and a dressing. Typically, the gauze can be taken out after half an hour while the dressing will be removed or fall out over the next couple of days.
On the first day after your treatment, you’ll likely experience some bleeding, swelling, bruising, and discomfort which can be controlled by pain medication and antibiotics.
To help yourself heal, you should avoid strenuous activities and rest up.
You must not brush or floss the site until advised by your dentist, but you can brush and floss the rest of your mouth. Keep your surgical site clean with an antibacterial mouthwash instead.
By the end of the second week, you should be feeling much less sensitive and should be able to decrease your pain medication and resume normal flossing and brushing- but only when advised by your dentist.
Browse our patient testimonials today to see how we have built excellent relationships with our patients and ensure everyone can access gum grafting in London.
Will gum grafts in London last?
With proper care and maintenance as advised by your dental professional, you can expect your gum grafting in London to remain in place permanently.
However, if you do not care for your gum graft, it can fail. Incorrect or poor care includes:
- Over-vigorous tooth brushing
- Trauma
- Bruxism, or grinding of the teeth
- Periodontal disease, which can be caused by poor dental hygiene
If you need a gum graft in London, reach out to us today at Marylebone Implant Centre. You can give us a call on 020 3434 2934 or email us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Can I eat after gum grafting in London?
After the pain subsides, you may be wondering if you can eat after your gum graft.
Luckily, remembering what you can eat is quite simple, and can be split into 4 distinct stages.
Procedure day
On the day of your surgery, you may not feel hungry, which is perfectly fine.
If you do, try to eat soft cool foods, such as yoghurts and smoothies, which can give you sustenance and are easy to swallow.
The first week
During the first week, if your appetite was diminished it should start to return.
You can start to try more solid foods during this time, but they should still remain soft and easy to eat, such as eggs, shorter kinds of pasta, fish, and cooked vegetables.
Foods like spaghetti might be soft enough but are awkward to eat, so try to consider how easy foods are to eat as well as their texture.
The second week
As the mouth heals, you can incorporate more solid foods as you are able.
What you include at this point is pretty much up to you, but you should avoid hard, crunchy, tough-to-chew, or spicy foods until your dentist says otherwise as they can irritate the mouth while you eat them.
Beyond week two
After two weeks, your dentist may well have signed you off and you may be ready to resume your normal diet.
Once you have been signed off, try to engage in a healthy, varied diet and eat as you are able- enjoying the foods you have avoided for a few weeks.
For a beautiful smile, contact Marylebone Implant Centre for a gum graft in London. You can email us or give us a call on 020 3434 2934 to arrange an appointment with our experts.
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All of our dentists are registered with the GDC, while our treatment is all approved under BDA, GDC and UK standard guidelines. To find out more about any of the services we provide, and why we should be your first choice if you’re looking for a dentist to carry out dental implants in London, don’t hesitate to contact us today.