My gum graft recovery experience

General information

I had gum recession on my two lower front teeth. One had approximately 6 mm of recession, while the other had around 3 mm. I'd like to point out that the goal of this surgery was to obtain stronger and more keratinised gum, so that with a second surgery in the future, we can fix the recession.

Before the gum graft surgery, I had a laser frenectomy. Unfortunately, the tissue reattached itself afterward, so there was no meaningful difference from before the frenectomy. The tissue had reattached so high that, according to my periodontist, the most logical approach for the graft was the tunnel technique. During the procedure, the surgeon fixed the failed frenectomy reattachment. I was worried that a failed frenectomy reattachment cannot be fixed, BUT LUCKILY IT CAN. There is plenty of information about this technique on the internet if you're interested in the details.

I also had Straumann® Emdogain® applied during the procedure. This added to the cost of the surgery, but in my case it was considered important because the gel contains enamel matrix proteins that can support the regeneration of the tooth-supporting tissues.

Overall, the surgery went very well and was performed under local anesthesia.

The graft was taken from the palatal gingiva and was approximately 15 mm long and 2 mm thick.

Day 0 — Surgery day
The surgery finished at around 16:00. I had some mild pain for the first hour or two, so I took the prescribed nimesulide, after which the pain went away completely. I drank a glass of water but felt extremely tired afterward and went to sleep. My periodontist recommended eating only soft/liquid and relatively clear foods during the first day, such as soups and clear juices. One important thing I was specifically told was not to use straws under any circumstances. The suction can create negative pressure inside the mouth and potentially interfere with the surgical site and the revascularization of the graft.

Day 1
I woke up with no pain at all. I took a diclofenac tablet in the morning and stayed on a completely liquid diet throughout the day. In the evening, I carefully brushed my teeth as advised by perio, while completely avoiding the surgical area.

Day 2
Again, I woke up with no pain. I took proteolytic enzymes in the morning and was able to brush my teeth carefully while avoiding the surgical site. I continued with a liquid diet. I also tried to talk as little as possible and, when speaking, avoided moving my lower lip unnecessarily.

Day 3
Pretty much the same as Day 2. I woke up without pain, carefully brushed my teeth, and continued with a liquid diet. I kept talking to a minimum. At this point, the biggest challenge wasn't really pain but it was simply being extremely careful not to disturb the graft.

Day 4 — First check-up:
I had my first post-op check-up. The periodontist said that the surgical site was healing amazingly well. I was told that I could start talking more normally, but still needed to avoid sudden movements and excessive smiling. I also started eating slightly more solid food—things that could easily be mashed with a fork. I was advised to start brushing the surgical area very gently using a surgical toothbrush (also Curaprox Velvet would work). I also started rinsing with a hyaluronic acid solution specifically intended for oral use. The donor site on the palate felt fine overall. The only noticeable annoyance was that the sutures occasionally stung or itched, but it wasn't anything serious.

Day 5
I woke up feeling great. I brushed my teeth as usual and very gently brushed over the surgical area. For breakfast, I had scrambled eggs with some ham, and for dinner I had sausage with scrambled eggs. Although I was gradually returning to a more normal diet, I was still taking a very long time to chew because I was extremely cautious about the surgical site. So far, the recovery has been surprisingly easy in terms of pain. The main thing I've had to deal with is being patient and careful, especially with eating, talking, and brushing rather than dealing with significant discomfort.

Day 6:
same as day 5

Day 7:
Check-up with the periodontist and the surgeon. Apparently the graft healing progresses well and they're both satisfied with the recovery. I got recommended to keep applying hyaluronic acid gel with alginate to the surgical area so that the tissue heals faster. At this appointment I also went through laser biostimulation, which lasted about 2 minutes.

Day 8-11:
I'm already having normal food, but I still don't have very hard food like chips (crisps, nuts etc.), and I'm also careful with chewing just out of precaution. The only problem these days was that the stitches on the donor site started to break and the chewing made some pressure to the site which made eating a bit painful, but not very much.

Day 12 to 14:
Eating as usual, still applying hyaluronate gel and being cautious with mouth movement, since I feel some stretching at the surgical site when I try to smile. Otherwise, all good, no pain, and stitches removed on day 14.

All in all, the experience was much better than I initially thought, considering everything I've heard and read before. Of course, it depends on the surgeon, periodontist, the patient and the site at which the surgery is performed, so individual experiences may differ.

IMPORTANT: This is just my personal recovery experience, not medical advice. As much as I've been informed, gum graft procedures and recovery protocols can differ significantly depending on the technique, graft, surgical site, and individual patient. Please follow your periodontist's instructions over anything written here.

I'm open to any questions you may have!