Healing After Gum Contouring

Gum contouring is an excellent treatment option for patients that have a gummy smile or an uneven gum line. You may also be advised to receive gum contouring as a treatment to gum recession. Your dentist can help you determine if gum contouring is a good option for you by reviewing the benefits and pre and post-op instructions. In this section, we will review the recovery process.

Recovering from Gum Contouring

The longer you allow your body to rest and recover, the easier your healing will be! A few tips to aid your recovery and speed the healing process include:

1. Managing your pain: Your doctor may prescribe a pain medication for you but you should be able to manage it with over the counter medications. It is important to avoid taking anything containing aspirin as it can promote bleeding after surgery. It is normal to experience some swelling and tenderness at the surgery site and you may form scabs that will fall off on their own. Rinsing with warm salt water is a nice way to keep the area clean and will help ease any swelling. It is especially beneficial after eating to clear away any food debris.
2. Diet: Maintaining a diet of soft foods for the first few days following surgery will help you heal much more comfortably. Avoiding spicy and crunchy foods are important as they can easily aggravate your surgery site and cause scrapes and bleeding. You will also want to avoid foods with seeds that can get caught in your teeth and gums and irritate the site for at least ten days. For the first day or two after your surgery, you might benefit from sticking to soups and smoothies, adding in eggs, oatmeal, pasta, and soft-cooked vegetables once you are comfortable. After a few days, you may be able to tolerate meat cut into small bites! While you heal, try to avoid chewing around your surgery site.
3. Oral hygiene: You will need to make a few modifications to your everyday hygiene oral routine to avoid causing any irritation. You still need to floss and brush regularly but it is crucial that you take care to be very gentle. Rinsing with warm salt water not only helps with swelling and discomfort but is a great way to clean your surgery site and keep it clean of any food particles and bacteria. This rinse can be used as often as you like. It is very important to avoid using any mouth rinses that contain alcohol.
4. Physical activity: If you are able to take a couple of days off work, that will give your gums time to heal. The longer you are able to limit your physical activity, the quicker you will be all healed and ready to get back into your regular daily routine.

If you believe that you might benefit from gum contouring, your Dentist will give you specific, post-operative instructions. The better you adhere to their directions, the quicker and more comfortable your healing will be!

More information on Gum Contouring : What is Gum Contouring?