During the procedure, a small incision is created at the roof of your mouth (palate) and tissue from under the flap is retrieved and secured to the area of need. The roof of mouth heals within a few days.
Like a connective-tissue graft, free gingival grafts involve the use of tissue from another area in the mouth. However, instead of making a flap and removing tissue under the top layer of flesh, a small amount of tissue is removed directly from the roof of the mouth and then attached to the gum area being treated.
In this procedure, instead of taking tissue from the palate, the flap is only partially cut away so that one edge remains attached. The tissue is then attached to the area being treated. This helps maintain a good blood supply to the area that is being treated.