After Your
Gum Graft Surgery
Post-Operative Care
Gum grafting depends on the graft staying still and undisturbed in the early healing window. The instructions below cover what to expect and how to care for both the graft site and — if applicable — the palate donor site through each stage of recovery.
Protecting the Graft
The most important factor in graft success is keeping the tissue completely undisturbed for the first 2 weeks. Movement of the graft tissue is what most often interferes with healing.
Do not pull your lip or cheek to look at the graft. Stretching the lip tugs on the sutures and the graft tissue beneath. Resist the urge to check it.
Do not touch the graft with your tongue, fingers, toothbrush, or any object.
Do not brush or floss the graft area for the first 2 weeks. Continue normal hygiene everywhere else.
Do not chew on the graft side for the first 2 weeks. Use the opposite side for eating.
Avoid sleeping or lying on the operated side in the first few nights.
The First 24 Hours
First 2 hours
Bite gently on any gauze placed over the graft site or palate. Keep your head slightly elevated. Do not eat, drink hot liquids, or rinse.
First 24 hours
Do not rinse, spit forcefully, use a straw, smoke, vape, or drink alcohol. Stay on cool liquids and very soft, cool foods. Avoid talking excessively for the first day.
First night
Sleep with your head elevated on an extra pillow. Some pink-tinged saliva is normal — use an old pillowcase or place a towel over it.
Bleeding
A small amount of pink-tinged saliva is normal for the first 12–24 hours. Saliva mixed with blood often makes bleeding appear worse than it is.
From the graft site: apply gentle external pressure with a cool, damp gauze on the outside of the lip or cheek over the area. Do not place pressure directly on the graft.
From the palate (if tissue was taken from the roof of your mouth): moisten a black tea bag with cool water, squeeze out excess water, and place it firmly against the palate with thumb pressure for 20–30 minutes. Tannins in black tea help the clot form.
If a surgical stent or dressing was placed over the palate, leave it in place as instructed. It protects the donor site and reduces discomfort. Wear it for at least 24 hours, removing only to clean after meals.
Remain still and calm while bleeding settles. Lying down or physical activity increases blood flow to the head and prolongs bleeding.
A white film over the graft is normal
2–3 days after surgery, the graft surface often becomes white or grey. This is a normal healing layer (a fibrin pseudomembrane), not infection or graft failure. Do not try to remove it — it will resolve on its own as the tissue heals underneath.
Pain & Swelling
Most patients describe the discomfort as similar to a scraped knee. The palate (if used as donor site) often feels more uncomfortable than the graft site itself in the first few days — like a pizza burn. Discomfort is typically manageable with prescribed medication and improves steadily after the first 2–3 days.
Start pain medication before the local anaesthetic wears off — do not wait until you are in pain.
Take pain medication exactly as prescribed. Follow the dosing and timing on your prescription. Do not substitute or adjust doses without consulting the clinic.
Ice packs on the outside of the cheek or lip — 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off — for the first 24–48 hours reduces swelling.
Cold foods and liquids are soothing for both the graft site and the palate. Favour cool over hot for the first few days.
Sleep with your head elevated for the first 2–3 nights.
Eating & Drinking
Cool, soft foods support healing of both the graft site and the palate. Always chew on the opposite side of the graft.
Days 1–3
Cool liquids and very soft foods — water, cool soup (not hot), smoothies (spoon-fed, no straws), yogurt, ice cream, applesauce, mashed potato, pudding, jelly, scrambled eggs.
Days 4–10
Soft foods that require minimal chewing — pasta, rice, fish, soft bread, ripe banana, cottage cheese, well-cooked vegetables. Continue to chew on the opposite side.
Weeks 2–6
Gradually progress to a normal diet as comfort allows. Continue to favour the opposite side near the graft. Avoid hard, crunchy, sharp, or chewy foods near the graft for the full 6 weeks.
DO NOT
No straws for 7 days. The suction can disturb the graft and palate.
No smoking or vaping for at least 6 weeks. Smoking impairs the blood supply graft tissue depends on for survival. This is the single most important factor patients can control for graft success.
No alcohol for 48 hours or while taking prescribed pain medication.
No hot drinks or hot food for the first 2 days — heat can disturb the clot at the palate.
No carbonated drinks for the first 48 hours.
No nuts, seeds, popcorn, chips, berries with small seeds (strawberries, raspberries) — small particles can lodge under the graft and disturb healing.
No spicy or acidic foods for the first week — they can irritate the surgical sites.
Oral Hygiene
Keeping the rest of the mouth clean supports healing — but the graft area itself must be left undisturbed for the first 2 weeks.
Day 1: do not brush, rinse, or spit. You can gently wipe other teeth with a soft, damp cloth if needed.
From Day 2: brush your other teeth normally with a soft-bristled brush, avoiding the graft area entirely.
Chlorhexidine rinse (if prescribed) is used twice daily starting Day 2 — gently swish for 30 seconds, do not gargle or rinse forcefully.
Salt water rinses begin 48 hours after surgery: half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Let the water flow gently through the mouth — do not swish vigorously.
Do not brush or floss the graft area for the first 2 weeks.
From Week 2–3: a soft post-surgical toothbrush will be provided at your follow-up. Use it gently around the graft area as directed.
Avoid waterpik or electric toothbrushes near the graft for the first 6 weeks.
Activity & Rest
Day 1: rest. Avoid exercise, lifting, bending, and strenuous activity. Increased blood pressure can disturb the graft.
Days 2–3: very light activity only. Walking is fine; no gym, running, or anything that raises your heart rate significantly.
From Day 4–7: gradually return to normal activity as comfort allows.
Avoid contact sports for at least 4 weeks.
If you had IV sedation: do not drive, operate machinery, sign important documents, or make significant decisions for 24 hours. Have a responsible adult stay with you overnight.
Contact Innova Dental
If anything feels wrong during recovery — increased pain after Day 3, the implant or healing cap feels loose, or anything you are unsure about — contact the clinic.
In a Medical Emergency
For difficulty breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, or signs of a severe allergic reaction, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
Innova Dental — Post-Operative Instructions: Gum Graft Surgery
For general guidance only. Follow the specific instructions given to you at your appointment. If in doubt, contact the clinic.
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