Post-Surgery Care of the Mouth
To heal properly, you should take extreme care of your mouth after surgery. Each patient responds differently to the same treatments, and similar procedures performed on each side of one patient's mouth can heal differently. Your post-operative discomfort, swelling, bleeding and the duration of time necessary for healing may vary if you have more than one procedure performed.
Homecare
We recommend following these instructions to help speed the healing process and reduce pain, swelling and bleeding.
Please do not:
- use straws - The suction from using straws may open your wounds and prevent healing.
- spit - This may cause bleeding to continue.
- rinse your mouth for 24 hours following surgery - You may rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water starting the day after your surgery. Please continue doing this four to five times per day for up to one week. If the salt is distasteful, you may use plain water.
- smoke for 48 hours after surgery - Smoking slows the healing process.
- brush your teeth on the day of surgery - The day after surgery, you may brush your teeth, but be sure to avoid the surgical site.
Also be cautious with:
Food - Once you get home, you may drink cool liquids. Do not drink hot liquids or chew foods until the numbness has worn off. Do not eat hard, sharp foods like potato chips, popcorn, nuts or seeds. On the day of surgery, maintain a soft diet, and you may increase your food intake to a normal diet the day after.- Sutures - Sutures, or stitches, are placed after the surgery is complete. While you are healing, small, sharp pieces of your bone may loosen and work up through your gums. These pieces are not tooth roots and often work themselves out of your gums. In order to have your sutures removed, you must return to the office.
- Swelling - This may last for up to seven days after your surgery. Please do not administer heat to the outside of your face. If you are swelling, place ice for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off on the outside of your face. Because of swelling and soreness, you may not be able to open your mouth as wide as normal for up to four to five days after your surgery.
- Bleeding - After surgery, bite down on the gauze pads for 30 minutes to control the bleeding. During the first 24 hours, do not be surprised of your saliva has a little blood in it; this is normal. If bleeding is excessive or bright red, use a damp gauze pad and biting pressure over the bleeding site for one hour steady. If this does not stop the bleeding, empty your mouth of blood and then use a warm, wet tea bag instead of gauze while applying biting pressure for one full hour. If these methods both fail within four hours, please call our office.
- Pain - Unless a prescription medication has been prescribed, you may use over-the-counter pain relievers (such as Advil, Extra Strength Tylenol, etc.) to control your pain. If you have any difficulty at any time, please do not hesitate to call our office.