Aftercare
Gum treatment & soft-tissue surgery aftercare
How to care for your gums after deep cleaning or periodontal surgery: protect the treated area, manage sensitivity and looseness, and support healing.
This is general aftercare guidance, not a substitute for the specific instructions your dentist gave you. If their advice differs, follow theirs. If you are worried about your recovery, please contact us.
Quick guide
Do's and don'ts
- Take your medication exactly as prescribed
- Use ice packs if swelling develops
- Brush gently with a soft toothbrush
- Use a chlorhexidine mouthwash from day 2
- Eat soft foods and chew gently
- Use a desensitising toothpaste if teeth are sensitive
- Attend your follow-up appointments
- Do not rinse vigorously for the first 24 hours
- Do not smoke during healing
- Do not disturb the stitches or dressing
- Do not use straws or spit repeatedly
- Do not eat hard, crunchy or very cold foods
- Do not ignore worsening pain or swelling
- Do not skip cleaning around the untreated areas
What to expect (this is normal)
- Mild bleeding or oozing for 24 to 48 hours
- Soreness or tenderness for 3 to 7 days
- Teeth that feel more sensitive to cold for a while
First few hours
Immediately after the procedure
- Numbness precaution: Until the numbness wears off, be mindful not to chew your lips or cheeks, and avoid hot food or drinks, as you may injure yourself without realising.
- Protect the treatment site: Slight bleeding or some pink saliva is normal. Do not rinse vigorously, spit repeatedly or use a straw for the first 24 hours, to avoid disturbing healing at the treatment site.
- Pain management: Take the prescribed pain medication before the local anaesthetic wears off to minimise discomfort.
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics may be prescribed to control a severe or widespread infection. Take the course exactly as prescribed and finish the course.
Added precautions after surgery
- Control bleeding: Bite firmly on a folded gauze with steady pressure for 20 to 30 minutes. Slight bleeding or some pink saliva is normal. If oozing persists, continue biting on fresh gauze for up to 2 to 3 hours.
- Stitches and periodontal dressing (if placed): Do not stretch your lips or cheeks to look at the stitches or dressing, as this may loosen or break them. Do not pull at the stitches with your tongue or fingers. If a stitch loosens or the dressing comes off, contact the clinic. It is often not an emergency, but it should be assessed.
- Manage swelling: Apply ice packs to the outside of the face for 15 to 20 minutes at a time if swelling develops. Swelling may peak on day 2 to 3, then gradually settle.
Days 2 to 7
Oral hygiene and mouthwash
- Brushing: Brush gently, avoiding trauma to the treatment site. If a periodontal dressing or stitches were placed, do not disturb them. Keep brushing the other areas as normal.
- Rinsing: For the first 24 hours, do not rinse vigorously with a mouthwash. From the next day, rinse gently 2 to 4 times a day with a chlorhexidine mouthwash, especially after meals. Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after rinsing.
- Continue your medication: Keep taking your medication as labelled for the best healing and a speedy recovery.
- Avoid smoking: Do not smoke for at least 5 to 7 days, and longer if possible. Smoking greatly slows the body's natural healing and encourages the bacteria that cause gum disease, reducing the success of the treatment.
Tooth sensitivity
Gum treatment removes tartar from under the gums, exposing root surfaces that can make teeth sensitive.
- Use a desensitising toothpaste: Use a desensitising toothpaste (for example, one with potassium nitrate or stannous fluoride). Brush twice a day, and rub a small amount onto the sensitive areas with a finger for one minute at night.
- Be gentle on the area: Avoid very cold drinks, ice and acidic foods for a few days. Brush gently but thoroughly with a soft toothbrush, and do not scrub.
- If prescribed: Use a fluoride gel or rinse, or tooth mousse, as directed.
Sensitivity usually improves within 1 to 2 weeks, and sometimes takes up to 3 to 4 weeks. If it gets worse or develops into pain, it could suggest nerve inflammation that needs further treatment, such as root canal treatment.
Tooth looseness
Before treatment, hardened tartar can brace a tooth and give it a false sense of firmness even when the supporting bone is reduced. After the tartar is removed, a tooth may feel temporarily more mobile.
- Chew on the other side: Chew on the other side for a few days and avoid biting hard foods such as nuts, bones and ice.
- Keep the area very clean: Keep the area very clean with gentle brushing, plus floss or interdental brushes as advised. As the inflammation and swelling settle, the gums gradually firm up and the tooth feels stronger, often tightening over 2 to 6 weeks.
- Attend your review: Your dentist may check your bite and, if needed, discuss splinting or further periodontal treatment.
When to contact us
Please contact us if you experience:
- Persistent bleeding that does not settle
- Sensitivity that is getting worse or lasts beyond 3 to 4 weeks
- Pain to hot or cold that lingers, or spontaneous throbbing pain (which could suggest nerve inflammation)
- Tooth mobility that is rapidly increasing and affecting chewing
- Hives or a skin rash, swelling of the lips or eyelids, wheezing or shortness of breath, or severe diarrhoea as an adverse reaction to any medication prescribed
Related treatments
Questions about your recovery?
Not sure if something is normal?
If anything about your recovery does not seem right, call or message us. We will advise you, and arrange a review if you need one.