Gum surgery is a common procedure, but it remains relatively unknown to the general public. Learn more about the topic with the help of our maxillofacial surgeons.

Here is a 5-point overview of gum surgery.

What is gum surgery?

Gum surgery is a minor and common oral surgery meant for patients who suffer from tooth decay. It involves taking soft tissue directly from the patient’s palate or from a third party and grafting it to the receding gums.

Gum surgery can therefore be used to restore a tooth with an exposed root.

Why undergo this surgery?

There are many reasons a patient may need to undergo gum surgery, including:

Poor oral hygiene
A poorly adapted, too vigorous or insufficient dental brushing technique
An oral pathology or periodontal disease, such as gingivitis or periodontitis
An ill-fitting denture
A severe malocclusion
Genetics
Smoking

Gum surgery may also be required for other reasons, but these are the main ones.

Benefits of gum surgery

Gum surgery has many benefits, including:

Reinforce and stabilize gum attached to a tooth
Prevent tooth decay
Reduce teeth sensitivity when the new gum covers the root
Restore smile aesthetics, in some cases

What is the procedure?

Gum surgery can be summarized in 5 steps, though it varies case-by-case.

The procedure begins with a local anesthesia to make the surgery painless. The dentist then cleans the gums and performs a deep scaling and polishing of the roots.

The third step is collecting the graft, followed by attaching the graft to the gum with stitches.

A follow-up appointment will be scheduled with your surgeon around 7-10 days postoperatively.

Gum surgery post-operative care

Patients will have to respect post-operative care instructions following gum surgery, including:

Avoid smoking and talking too much to promote healing
Follow a liquid diet in the 24 hours after surgery, then move to soft food, and avoid alcohol and drinks afterwards

If minor gum bleeding occurs after surgery, apply gauze pads to stop bleeding. The patient may also apply ice for 15 minutes to avoid swelling of the affected area.

Gum surgery for good oral health

Now you know more about gum surgery. We hope you found the topic overview interesting.

For more information on oral surgery, visit the blog section of our website. For any other surgical or maxillofacial care questions or concerns, contact us. The entire Clinique MFML team will gladly help you.