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.
What are gum graft failure symptoms? If your gum graft failed, you'll probably notice a large patch of white tissue that has come off of your tooth. Its lack of color means that the gum graft lost blood supply and is dying.
Hard foods – chewing may dislodge the gum graft. Chewy foods – even vegetables. Although they are healthy, they may require more chewing than is recommended as you heal from your surgery. Hot foods –they will burn your gums, increasing sensitivity and pain.
A gum graft is a highly successful procedure that does not usually lead to complications. Rarely, a patient may develop an infection or the graft will fail to integrate with the existing gum tissue.
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.
Patient may experience pain, described as a constant dull ache or sharper pain during mastication or speaking (movement of oral and peri-oral tissues). Patient experiences anxiety over procedure and perceived lack of success.
Do not look at the surgery site after leaving here. Some areas may remain sore for 5 to 6 days. The grafts may be a whitish or grayish appearance for 4 to 6 days after surgery, but this is normal until full blood circulation is restored.
WHAT DOES A FAILED SKIN GRAFT LOOK LIKE? Compromised or failed skin grafts are characterized by continuous pain, numbness, fever, discoloration, redness, swelling, or a breakdown of tissue. The most obvious sign of an unhealthy skin graft is darkening skin that lacks the pink appearance of healthy skin.
You will know if you have failed gum graft because the graft will be very white. Immediately see your periodontist see what the next step is.
Typically, the white stuff is granulation tissue. It is essential to the healing process of the extraction site. Other times, the white stuff is pus or a dry socket. A dry socket is often painful, and it occurs when the blood clot does not form correctly.
Success or survival of the graft tissue depends on the blood supply that comes from the surrounding bone (there aren't any blood vessels on tooth surfaces). The stability of the grafted tissue directly impacts success rates. If the graft moves, the graft will have failed and the procedure will need to be repeated.
Your periodontist will ask you to keep the gauze in place for the first 40 to 50 minutes, reducing the risk of bleeding. You should also refrain from speaking. While you may feel up to chatting, it's best to wait 2 or 3 days unless otherwise advised by a dentist.
In most cases the dressing is left in the mouth for a period of 7-14 days and may be changed once or more by the doctor during this time. Try to keep the dressing in placed until your next appointment. If the dressing becomes loose or comes off, do not try to push it back.
The gum tissue will undergo changes for the next 1-2 weeks. 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.
The most pronounced symptom of graft failure is a smooth, clean breaking off of a tree at the graft union. This may occur one, two, or many years after the graft is made. Other symptoms of graft failure include general ill health of the tree or shoot dieback.
The average amount of time it takes to heal after a gum grafting procedure is somewhere between 10 and 14 days.
The gum graft is held in place with very delicate sutures and takes 5-7 days to attach firmly. Repeated pulling back of the cheek, lip or tongue to look at the graft, can cause the graft to move during the first 5-7 days after surgery, which can cause the graft to fail.
Healthy gums should look a pinkish color and be firm. This is likely a good sign that your oral care routine is working. However, if your gums are anything other than pink in color and firm, it's time to consult with a dental professional.
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.
Incidence of graft failure
In the standard setting of FIC HLA-identical sibling transplantation with no T-cell depletion, the rate of graft failure is of the order of 1–2%. T-cell depletion increases the risk of graft failure. Recipients of RIC transplants are also at higher risk of this complication.
Potential causes of graft failure include a poor-quality graft containing a low number of CD34+ cells; viral infection in the recipient (such as CMV, human herpesvirus 6, adenovirus, or parvovirus); or immunologic rejection by antidonor HLA antibodies, alloreactive recipient T cells, or both.
The level of pain you experience will also vary depending upon what type of gum graft you have performed. If no tissue is removed from your palate, you will likely not experience much discomfort at all; however, if tissue is removed, you should plan on some mild to moderate discomfort following the procedure.
A: We do not recommend running, jogging or regular exercise until the fourth day after your surgery. On the 4th day begin light activity and work your way up for the next 1 week to maximize healing.
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.
As your gums heal, they absorb the tissue graft, growing new tissue around the surgery site and strengthening your gumline.