Hmmmm...interesting. the white spongy plug that you described seems to fit what i am seeing from time to time but then again i am unsure. it's not a large amount that come out but it's enough to alarm me. Also, why does he have me push on the gum lines with a tooth brush? is this suppose to help get the blood to circulate or what? in some areas it is still tender and i do not push hard on the gum lines like he showed me.

Yes, i have been doing my best to keep the area clean. i floss, brush with an electric tooth brush, and rinse with warm salt water. also i clean the area again with chlorohexidine he gave me. I do all of this 3x a day and whenever i eat something. should i be doing more? Any suggestions?

Oh, i wanted to know if part of your gums are suppose to feel numb. when i floss i cannot feel my gums in a certain area. i believe this is the part where he put the stitches in order to hold the flap of gum over the bone graft. will the numbness go away or is this permanent? Should I be alarmed?

Thank you for answering my questions. i greatly appreciate them.
P

Hi p_v13,

The collagen plus that I mentioned is one piece. It does not separate from itself and it becomes engorged with blood from the initial clot. So I'm thinking it's probably not that.

Did your dentist tell you it's ok to use your electric toothbrush? Some dentists suggest not to use it for the first 6-8 weeks post op. Gentle flossing is needed, but don't use the floss too aggessively. Gentle, "thorough" tooth brushing with a very soft bristle toothbrush twice a day, floss once a day unless food debris gets stuck in between the teeth someplace, and salt water rinsing 2-3 times a day. That is really all that is necessary for post op care after your type of surgery.

Every time you brush along the gumline in both the front and back of your teeth, you should have the bristles of the toothbrush at a 90 degree angle along the gumline. Use gentle circular motions around the front and back of every tooth as this mechanical action will remove plaque and massage the gum tissue. Then use the brush in a back and forth horizontal motion along the biting surfaces to clean them.

I think the white stuff is either a little bit of pus or plaque....... that's my guess based on your description of things. When do you go back to see the dentist?

Bryanna

Thank you for your suggestions. I thought that using an electric toothbrush was too soon but asked him more than once if it was ok. I was told yes I could do anything. He didn't seem too worried about the white stuff when he looked at it and gave me the impression that I was worrying for nothing.

I have a 2 month check up with him Dec. 9. I will mention again that I still see the white stuff every now and then. I will also ask if it is plaque or pus. Hopefully he can give me an explaination as to why this is happening. I do not want to go through this ordeal again. I have never had any problems with my teeth before and this one threw me.

If it is plaque or pus, will he just give me more antibiotics and clean the area? Will that get rid of the white stuff? Again, I am not hurting but I do not want to wait til I get to that point and suffer major pains and problems.

Thanks again for your advice. I will let you know what he said.
-P

Hi p_v13,

If it is plaque, he will instruct you on how to clean the area more thoroughly. If it is pus, then he will have to determine why it is infected and prescribe treatment and/or antibiotics accordingly.

Hopefully it is something that is easily remedied. I know this whole thing has been an ordeal for you especially since it was so unexpected! Try not to worry about it.... just keep the area very clean without over cleaning =)

Please let us know what he says on the 9th!

Bryanna

I had my appointment today and thought I share what the Doc had to say. I mentioned all of my concerns especially the white stuff coming out of my gums. He said not to worry about it. I am doing exactly what I am suppose to be doing. As long as I do not have any pains that is keeping me up at night then all of the things happening are normal. He examined me and gave me another "special toothbrush" to continue cleaning the area with. He is satisfied with the progress and will see me in 3 months. By then he will x-ray to see the progress of the bone graft.

It appears I am on the right track with my oral health. Thanks for your replies and suggestions. You have been very helpful.
-P

Hi p-v13,

Well that's great news!! Just curious, did he say what the white stuff was?

Bryanna

He mentioned it was scare tissue and possible fat. he said this was a spot that when he closed the area, my gums did not quite meet.

does this sound logical?

-P

The white film can be fibrin or necrotic-white graft tissue.
If the graft tissue was thick to start with, the superficial layer will slough off but the deep parts will survive. (The most outside portion of the graft would not survive due to lack of blood supply. It becomes necrotic-white and comes out.)