When can a 12-year-old boy receive braces following a gum graft that was done five months back?

Question

Hello doctor,

When can a person who has received a gum graft five months back likely receive braces? The graft was done on the lower teeth only. How can oral hygiene be achieved? The gum graft was done to thicken the gums and make them stronger for braces. The person has been waiting for a long to get braces, but the orthodontist would not start with the treatment since the molars that should erupt for a 12-year-old have not erupted yet. The dentist has just got records taken for braces and impressions along with X-rays. It has been 17 weeks since the boy got his graft and they went for the last appointment about 10 weeks back. So, how much longer should the boy wait to receive the braces?

How can this be sped up (if possible) and will the orthodontist start with the treatment or will he wait till he gets a clearance from the periodontist? Kindly suggest.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I appreciate the confidence that you place in me for your health care consultation.

When a gum graft is done, it takes about four to five weeks for the gums to heal and about six months for the bone to heal appropriately. After this, if the X-rays reveal sufficient gum and bone healing, then the patient can proceed for braces. The process can be fast with proper maintenance of oral hygiene. However, it still needs sufficient time for proper gum and bone healing to occur. So, if the gum grafting was done five months back, then you should wait for about six months and then get an X-ray done and if the periodontist clears it, you can proceed to take the patient to the orthodontist.

I hope this helps. Do get back if you have any further queries.

Thank you.

When can a 12-year-old boy receive braces following a gum graft that was done five months back?

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