What Care I Should Take After A Dental Surgical Procedure

Please follow below guidelines for the best outcome after a Surgical Treatment

A guide to what you should expect and what care or precautions you should take after a surgical procedure like Surgical Tooth Extraction, Impacted Third Molar Removal, Implant Placement, Periodontal Flap Surgery, Alveoloplasty, Cyst or Tumor Removal, Facial Fracture Surgery etc… is done for you:

What You Should Expect

  • It is common to experience mild pain and/or swelling for approximately 3 days. If pain and/or swelling persist for more than 3 days, please contact us.
  • If you experience severe pain and/or swelling, contact us immediately.
  • Use ice pack or cold pack as directed for reducing swelling.
  • Small blood spots while spitting or minor bleeding for a day or two is common after oral surgeries. If there is a profuse (excessive) bleeding, please contact us immediately.
  • If the procedure was done under local anesthesia, you may feel numbness for 3-4 hours in certain parts of your mouth and face. If numbness persists for more than 12 hours, please contact us.
  • You may experience facial muscle soreness due to excessive opening of mouth. Contact us and we will determine if you need any medication for the same. Use warm towel pack or hot water bag to apply on area of muscle soreness only after 72 hours.
  • Practice opening and closing of mouth (unless advised otherwise) after 24 hours. It is essential to keep your facial muscle moving.
  • If you have been given sutures (stitches) you will have to come to our dental center after 7 days for its removal, unless advised otherwise.

What Care Or Precautions You Should Take

  • MOST IMPORTANT: Do not spit, rinse or gargle for first 24 hours after surgery.

  • If you have been given the gauze dressing then keep the gauze dressing pressed with your opposing teeth or jaw for 1 hour.
  • It is essential to keep the gauze dressing pressed so do not speak or try to eat or drink anything for 1 hour till gauze dressing is in mouth.
  • Remove the gauze dressing exactly after 1 hour of its placement.
  • Do not go to sleep while gauze is in mouth.
  • Once you remove gauze dressing after 1 hour and if the bleeding has stopped, you can take 1 cup of ice cream (plain vanilla is preferable), juice or milkshake and take medication as directed to avoid pain after the anesthesia wears off.
  • Once you remove gauze dressing after 1 hour, if there is persistent profuse (excessive) bleeding, place a new gauze dressing and keep it pressed with your opposing teeth or jaw and contact us immediately.
  • Avoid hot food and drinks like very hot tea or coffee for first 24 hours and preferably 48 hours.
  • Eat soft and cold diet that does not require too much chewing.
  • Avoid crunchy foods like chips for 1 week.
  • Do not use straw for drinking any liquids for 48 hours.
  • Do not drink carbonated drinks for 1 week.
  • Use opposite side of your mouth for chewing and not the side from where tooth is removed at least for 48 hours.
  • If surgery was done on both sides of mouth or full mouth, for the first 48 hours take grinded food processed in a grinder so that you can swallow it without much chewing and start taking regular soft diet after 48 hours of surgery.
  • Avoid smoking and tobacco chewing strictly for first 48 hours.
  • If anesthesia was given in lower jaw then please avoid eating anything until the anesthesia wears off and the numbness is gone.
  • Do not brush or floss for the first 24 hours after surgery.
  • Continue gentle brushing and flossing twice daily only after 24 hours of procedure. Care should be taken to avoid rinsing forcefully after brushing. Good oral hygiene is a key to success of treatment.
  • Gently Rinse your mouth with water after every meal after 48 hours of surgery.
  • You should “lay low” for one to two weeks. Minimal activities with bed rest are recommended. Do not work out at the gym or play sports activities for at least 3 weeks.
  • The surgical sites will take a few weeks to completely heal up. However you should gradually return to normal function within one to two weeks.
  • If you have been prescribed any medication, take it regularly according to prescription and do not alter the schedule or duration of medication without consulting your dentist.
  • If you have been given sutures (stitches) care should be taken to not to pull them out while chewing and brushing.

Perfect Dental® is the best dental clinic in Jamnagar and our team of specialist doctors is highly skilled and experienced best dentists in Jamnagar. We have a highest success rate of 97%.

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