Will you soon be undergoing a gum graft procedure, but not sure what it will be like when you return home? Here is some advice about what to expect for your home care when you are in the recovery process from gum graft surgery. 

Pain

Your pain will depend on the size of the gum graft and where the gum graft was taken. If you have a connective tissue gum graft, you will have an additional wound that needs to heal from where the tissue was taken from. If the tissue was taken from a cadaver, then the pain will be a bit easier to deal with since it's one less surgical site that needs to heal. 

Pain should slowly go away after the procedure and always continue to improve. If the pain becomes worse, this could mean that you have a postoperative infection that needs to be taken care of. Reach out to your surgeon for more information on how to proceed. 

Bleeding

Bleeding is normal within a day of the gum graft surgery. However, the bleeding is going to seem worse than it really is. This is because it will look like there is more blood coming out of your mouth when the blood mixes with the saliva. Take it easy while the surgical site heals, and plan to deal with some bleeding. It's a good idea to put a towel over your pillow at night in case bleeding happens while you are sleeping and escapes your mouth.

Swelling

There will be swelling after a gum graft surgery, and the amount of swelling will really depend on the size of the surgical site. Much like with pain, swelling will go down gradually as you recover over about a week. If you notice that swelling gets worse, then you could have a postoperative infection in the surgical site. 

Sutures 

You are going to feel the sutures along the surgical site with your tongue. As tempting as it will be to touch the sutures, it is best to leave them alone while your gums are healing. Irritating the sutures is going to cause the healing process to be delayed and potentially cause complications.

These are just a few of the things that you need to know after your gum graft procedure. Looking for more advice? Ask your gum graft surgeon prior to your procedure so that you are well prepared.