What should I do after gum surgery? How to recover from oral surgery Take it easy. Rest at home, avoiding physical activity. ... Use ice. Apply ice packs to your face for 15 minutes on and then 15 minutes off to keep swelling down. Eat soft foods. ... Take prescribed antibiotics. ... Keep your mouth clean. ... Brush carefully. ... Eat foods rich in vitamin A and C. What can you not do after gum graft surgery? EATING: Eating should be avoided after surgery until the local anesthesia has worn off completely. DO NOT chew or bite in the area. Generally, there are no restrictions on your diet, but depending upon the location of the graft, this may modify your usual biting and chewing patterns. How long does it take gums to heal after gum surgery? one to two weeks You should be fully healed from a gum graft in one to two weeks. You'll need to schedule a follow-up appointment with your periodontist a week or so after the procedure so that they can make sure you're healing properly and the graft is successful. After about two weeks, you should be able to brush and floss again.