Gum recession surgery
gum graft · gum recession repair · gum grafting · receding gums surgery
The doctor covers the exposed tooth root with a small piece of your own tissue, usually from the roof of your mouth, or with a special material.
When the gum has pulled back and the root is exposed: the tooth is sensitive, it looks uneven, or the gum keeps receding.
⏱ Duration: usually 1 to 2 hours
Be sure to tell your doctor
How to prepare
- Cleaning. A professional teeth cleaning is usually done before the surgery.
- Food. Eat 1 to 2 hours before the surgery.
- The day before. No alcohol.
What to bring
- Your ID
- A list of your medicines
- Tooth scans, if you have them
How it goes
- Numbing is given by injection
- The doctor prepares the area around the exposed root
- Takes a thin piece of tissue from the roof of your mouth, or uses a material
- Places it over the root
- Stitches it with fine stitches
- Sometimes a protective plate is placed on the roof of your mouth
What you'll feel
- Under numbing you feel pressure but no pain
- Afterwards both the roof of your mouth and the gum hurt - you are given a painkiller
- Swelling and slight bruising for a few days
Afterwards
- Do not chew on this side until your doctor allows it
- Soft, cool food for a few days
- Do not touch the stitches with your tongue or pull your lip away
- Do not brush the surgery area until you are allowed
- Stitches are usually removed after 1 to 2 weeks
Contact a doctor straight away if
- Bleeding from the roof of your mouth or the gum does not stop when you press on it
- Fever above 38, or pus
- Swelling that grows after day 3
Common questions
Why take tissue from the roof of the mouth?
Your own tissue takes well. The roof of the mouth heals by itself in 1 to 2 weeks.
Will the gum recede again?
It can, if the causes remain: hard brushing or gum disease. Your doctor will tell you how to protect it.