After Care
Bleeding
§ Some bleeding is expected and normal for first 24 hours. Some dark blood may be seen for first 3 days. Excessive bleeding (mouth filling up with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad for 10 minutes. If bleeding continues, please call for further instructions.
Swelling
§ Swelling is normal and expected after surgery. Everyone swells differently. Apply ice outside the face, at the area of surgery, with proper protection for first 24 hours, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Swelling peaks at day 2-4. If swelling worsens past day 4, or returns after swelling improves with pain, foul taste in mouth, please call for further instructions
Diet
§ Drink plenty of fluids, avoid hot liquids. Soft diet should be eaten for the first 2 days after the surgery, and return to normal diet as tolerated after that.
§ It is very easy to become dehydrated or undernourished after oral surgery, due to the discomfort after the procedure. Please make sure you are tracking your intake, so that you stay hydrated and well nourished.
Nausea and Vomiting
§ In the event of nausea/ and vomiting, do not take anything by mouth for at least one hour, including pain medications. Then slowly re-introduce fluids to make sure you are not dehydrated and you can begin taking solid foods and prescribed medicine. Some pain medications can cause nausea. It is important to stay well hydrated. Moving and walking also helps improve nausea caused by indigestion.
Pain
§ You should take your pain medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. Typically, Tylenol and ibuprofen, taken together, achieves maximal pain control. Some pain and soreness is expected, and normal course of healing. Please notify the office if you have any contraindications for taking Tylenol or ibuprofen. Tylenol normally comes over the counter in 500 mg, and ibuprofen normally comes over the counter at 200 mg. No more than 3000 mg of Tylenol should be taken over 24 hours. No more than 3200 mg of Ibuprofen should be taken over 24 hours. Please ensure that your other medications do not conflict with these medications. If you are allergic, please notify the office.
Discoloration
§ Sometimes, after procedures, you may develop some discoloration of the skin following the swelling. They can be purple, blue, green, yellow, as you heal some bleeding below the skin. This is a normal occurrence. Apply moist heat to remove the discoloration.
Infection
§ Infection is rare, but can be serious. If you have any pain that returns after improving, with foul taste in mouth, draining pus, or facial swelling, please call for further instructions.
Antibiotics
§ If prescribed, be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics as directed. Please do not skip doses or stop before the prescribed duration
§ Not all procedures require antibiotics
Oral hygiene
§ Good oral hygiene is very important for healing. On the night of surgery, you can rinse with warm salt-water (one teaspoon of salt water in a cup of warm water). Do not forcefully rinse. The day after surgery, you can use the Peridex twice daily, and can also use warm salt-water rinses in between, especially after meals. Be gentle around the areas of surgery when brushing, and consider using the mouth rinse on the areas of bone graft. If any questions for the post-procedural oral hygiene, please don’t hesitate to ask us.
Activities
§ Keep physical activities to a minimum after the surgery, for 48 hours. Especially heavy lifting or strenuous activities, may lead to bleeding, throbbing, and rarely disruption of the surgical site. Please avoid strenuous activities for one to two weeks after surgery, and if any symptoms appear, discontinue exercising. Please keep in mind that your nutritional intake is likely less than normal with oral surgery. This may weaken your strength and stamina, and be cautious when performing exercises or strenuous activities.
Wearing dentures
§ Unless otherwise directed, partial dentures, full dentures, flippers, should not be used immediately after surgery for about ten days. Please don’t hesitate to ask us, as precautions may vary by location and type of procedure performed.
Sutures/ Stitches
§ Sutures/ stiches are placed in the area of surgery to minimize post-procedural bleeding and to help healing. Sometimes they become dislodged or come out. This is no cause for alarm. Just remove the suture from your mouth and discard it. The sutures will be removed spontaneously approximately one week after surgery.
Other post procedure issues
If numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue occurs there is no cause for alarm. We typically numb these areas for the procedure itself. It takes time for the numbing agent to resolve. Also, with the procedure, some numbness is expected due to swelling. As reviewed during before surgery, this is usually temporary in nature. You should be aware that if your lip or tongue is numb, you could bite it and not feel the sensation. So be careful. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
A slight elevation of temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon. If the temperature persists or is high, notify the office. Tylenol or ibuprofen can be taken to reduce the fever.
You should be careful going from the lying down position to standing. You were not able to eat or drink prior to surgery, and it is also difficult to take fluids after surgery. Taking pain medications can also make you dizzy. You could get light headed when you suddenly stand up. Therefore, before standing up, you should sit for thirty seconds to a minute and then get up when you are not dizzy.
Occasionally, patients may feel hard projections in the mouth with their tongue. These are not roots; they are small pieces of bone that used to support the teeth. These projections usually smooth out spontaneously. If not, they can be removed after initial healing is done.
If the corners of your mouth are stretched, they may dry out and crack. Make sure you stay well hydrated, and ointments such as Vaseline can be applied to keep the lips and the corners of the mouth moist.
With extraction of teeth, there will be a hole where the tooth was removed. The cavity will gradually fill in with new tissue over the next month. In the meantime, the area should be kept clean especially after meals with salt-water rinses or a toothbrush.
Sore throats and pain when swallowing is not uncommon. The normal act of swallowing can then become painful. This will subside in two to three days. Please stay well hydrated. Warm salt water gargles can help alleviate these symptoms.
Stiffness (trismus) of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is due to swelling around the jaw muscles, during the first few days. This is a normal post-operative event that will resolve in time. Warm compress and gentle stretching can help alleviate the symptoms.