A responsible adult should remain with the patient if he or she had IV sedation. Rest quietly for the remainder of the day. Do not make decisions until fully recovered. Do not drive for 24 hours or while taking pain medication (if a narcotic was prescribed). Avoid heavy activity for the first 24 hours after oral surgery. |
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| Pain - in varying amounts is to be expected after oral surgery. The more extensive the surgery, the greater the discomfort. Some patients report more discomfort on the 3rd - 5th day after surgery. It is possible to have mild tenderness for 1-2 weeks. |
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| Swelling - in moderate amounts is common after oral surgery. It will reach its peak in 48-72 hours and then begin resolving. Ice packs (zip lock w/ice) covered with a moist, thin towel or in moist, thin soccer socks tied together are effective during the first 24 hours. Alternate 20 minutes on and 5 minutes off or alternate sides each 20 minutes with the ice pack used directly on the skin. If using the socks keep them applied continuously as they insulate the cheek adequately. |
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| Bleeding - should be minimal by the time you leave our office. Continue biting on the gauze we have placed for one hour. Take the gauze out after an hour. If bleeding has ceased, you may leave the gauze out. You may have some oozing for up to 24 hours. Pressure stops the bleeding (biting on gauze). If the bleeding is prolonged, place a wet tea bag by the extraction site and keep it in for one hour. (The tanic acid helps stop bleeding.) Remove the gauze to eat and replace the gauze if still needed after eating. Keep head elevated for the first day and evening (use two pillows, sit in a recliner, etc.). DO NOT rinse the first day after surgery. DO NOT drink from a straw. DO NOT smoke for at least 48 hours, preferrably longer. Smoking causes dry sockets (more prominent in lower extraction sites). |
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| Discoloration - of the face and neck in the area of surgery is not uncommon, particularly in fair-skinned people. This is due to dissipation of blood into the tissues. It will resolve itself in several days. You may speed its disappearance with warm moist heat applied to the area |
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| Bone Chips - or fragments of bone may work loose and come through the gums. These are not part of the tooth. If you notice these (they are rare) and they become uncomfortable, call our office. |
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| Nausea - Some anesthetic agents and medications taken for pain cause nausea. DO NOT TAKE MEDICATION ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. First try fasting for 2-3 hours and if nausea subsides begin with small amounts of clear liquids. If nausea persists for several hours at home call our office. |
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| Diet - If you had IV sedation maintain a light diet for several hours (soup, jello, etc.) and progress to a more solid diet when the local anesthetic subsides or as tolerated. Eat solid foods in a way to avoid injury to the surgical site. |
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| Good Oral Hygiene - Beginning the morning following surgery, rinse mouth with warm salt water (1 tsp/small glass) several times per day, particularly after meals. Brush your teeth per your normal routine, being gentle around the extraction site. |
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| Medications - Antibiotics: Take antibiotics as prescribed until all have been taken. Pain Relief: Take Advil (2-3 tablets) every 4 hours as needed for pain as long as the prescription you were given does not contain ibuprofen (advil, motrin). Be sure to take your last dose just before bedtime to give yourself a good night's sleep. Narcotics are taken in addition to the Advil or Toradol only if additional pain relief is required. A gentle laxative (Milk of Magnesia 1oz. at bedtime) may be required if the narcotic causes constipation. |
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| Impacted Teeth - If you have impacted teeth removed: expect at least 2-3 days of significant discomfort requiring pain medication for relief, facial swelling and stiffness or decreased mouth opening. |
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| Work - Do not plan to return or perform vigorous physical activity for at least 24-28 hours. (Unless you had an extraction which was not impacted.) |
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| Dry Socket - If 3-5 days after wisdom tooth removal you develop persistant throbbing ache in the jaws, earache and/or bad taste in the mouth which is not relieved by pain medicine, you may have a dry socket. Call the office. The doctor may want to pack the socket with a medicated packing to relieve the symptoms. |
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| Immediate Denture - If you had an immediate denture placed at the time of surgery, DO NOT remove the denture for 24 hours. You may not be able to reinsert the denture due to swelling. After 24 hours the denture should be removed, cleaned and reinserted immediately, a few times per day. This should be done until the 4th post-operative day, when the denture should be left out at night. See your regular dentist as planned for any adjustments. |
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| Implants - If you had implants placed, be extremely careful about chewing on the implant site as this may destabilize the implants. It is important that the implants remain undisturbed during the healing phase, the duration of which is four months in the lower jaw and six months for the upper jaw. |
