Post Operative Instruction
Remember that you have just had minor surgery. Therefore, it is natural that temporary changes will occur in the mouth afterwards. In the meantime, you should follow a few simple rules to help promote healing, prevent complications, and make yourself more comfortable. Also remember to be kind to yourself.
Numbness:
To ensure your comfort during treatment you were given a local anesthetic. This anesthetic typically leaves your lips, teeth and tongue numb after the appointment. The length of time you experience numbness varies depending on the type of anesthetic you’ve received. The numbness should subside within 3-5 hours after leaving our office. While your mouth is numb, you’ll need to avoid chewing anything and be careful not to bite your cheek, lip, or tongue.
Healing:
We place a gauze pack on the extraction site to limit the bleeding and confine the blood while clotting takes place. Make sure you leave this gauze pack in place for 30 to 45 minutes after leaving our office. Do not chew on the pack but continue to put moderate pressure by biting down on it. After this length of time, you can remove and discard the gauze pack. There may be some bleeding or oozing after the pack is removed. If so, follow this procedure:
- Fold a piece of clean gauze into a pad thick enough to bite on and place the pad directly on the extraction site.
- Apply moderate pressure by closing the teeth firmly on this pad. Maintain this pressure for about 30 minutes. If the pad becomes soaked, replace it with clean one in 20 minutes.
- Do not suck on the extraction site.
- If bleeding stops and then starts again, place a gauze or tea bag back on the extraction site and bite down it with moderate pressure for one hour.
- If heavy bleeding continues past five hours, call our office. (Remember, though that a lot of saliva and a little blood can look like a lot of bleeding.)
The Blood Clot:
After an extraction, a blood clot forms in the tooth socket. This clot is an important part of the normal healing process. You should therefore avoid activities that might disturb the clot. Here’s how to protect it:
- Does not smoke, spit, rinse your mouth vigorously, or drink through a straw for 24 hours. These activities create suction in the mouth, which could dislodge the clot and delay healing.
- Do not touch the extraction site with your tongue or fingers. If sutures have been placed, do not pull on them.
- Do not blow your nose or sneeze violently. If you have an upper respiratory tract infection or suffer from allergies, be sure to have the appropriate sinus medication on hand.
- Do not clean the teeth next to the healing tooth socket for the rest of the day. You should however, brush and floss your other teeth thoroughly. Gently rinse your mouth afterward with water.
- Limit strenuous activity for 24 hours after the extraction. This will reduce bleeding and help the blood clot to form.
- After resting, rise up slowly to avoid passing out.
Swelling and Discomfort:
The initial healing period usually takes one to two weeks. After the tooth is removed, you may have some discomfort and notice some swelling for the first 48 hours. You can help reduce swelling and pain by allowing cold compresses to the face. Place a cold, moist cloth/towel or an ice bag to your face for the first 4 hours, leaving it on for 20 minutes and off for 20 minutes.
Medication:
Some discomfort after the extraction is normal. An over-the counter pain reliever is usually sufficient. However, if Doctor has prescribed medication for you, use your medication exactly as directed. If the medication prescribed does not seem to work for you, do not increase the dosage. If you have prolonged or severe pain, swelling, bleeding or fever, call our office immediately so we can give you exact instructions on how to care for your problem.
Diet:
After the extraction, once you are no longer biting down on a gauze pad and your numbness is completely gone, drink lots of liquids (at least 2 quarts per day) and eat soft nutritious foods (soup, yogurt, milkshake) for the first 24 hours after the extraction. Avoid alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages and hot liquids during this time. Begin eating solid foods the next day or as soon as you can chew comfortably. For about 2 days, try to chew food on the side opposite the extraction site. If you are troubled by nausea and vomiting, call us for advice.
Rinsing:
The day after the extraction, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water (one-half teaspoon of salt in an 8 oz. glass of warm water). Repeat this several times a day for a week. Gently rinsing after meals is important to keep particles out of the extraction site, but remember not to rinse your mouth vigorously. Avoid using a mouth rinse or mouthwash during this early healing period.
Oral Hygiene:
It is important to continue to brush and floss your teeth thoroughly twice a day. The tongue should also be cleaned with a tongue refresher. This will help eliminate the bad breath and unpleasant taste that is common after an extraction. Always use a soft-bristled toothbrush so that you do not injure the tissues in your mouth. On the day of the extraction, avoid cleaning the teeth next to the healing tooth socket.