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Post-Op Instructions
POST-OPERATION
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PATIENTS PLEASE
READ AND FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.
The after-effects of oral surgery vary per individual, so not all of these
instructions may apply. Please feel free to call our office any time should you
have any questions, or are experiencing any unusual symptoms following your
treatment. In case you lose this paper these same instructions are posted on the
website at www.SportsDDS.com. DAY
OF SURGERY: IMMEDIATELY
AFTER SURGERY. Patients
usually do not receive a general anesthetic in our office but it is usually a
good idea to return home from the
office immediately upon discharge, lie down with the head elevated until you are
feeling better. If you have been prescribed pain medication it may make you
drowsy while you are taking it. You should not operate any mechanical equipment,
drive a motor vehicle or stand too near train tracks while you are taking this
medication. Having a trusted friend observe and accompany you is always a good
idea, especially to and from the office. They may be able to chauffeur you and
help pick-up medications at the pharmacy as well. ORAL
HYGIENE AND CARE. DO NOT drink with a straw and DO NOT RINSE or brush your
teeth or probe the area with the tongue, any objects or your fingers. DO NOT
SMOKE for at least 48 hours, since it is detrimental to the healing process. You
may start normal tooth brushing the day after the surgery or after bleeding is
controlled. Start rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater rinse (1/2 tsp. salt
with 1 cup water) every 2-3 hours. Continue this for several days, then rinse
3-4 times a day for the next 2 weeks. It is imperative to keep your mouth clean,
since an accumulation of food or debris may promote infection. BLEEDING. Do not disturb the
surgical area today. Bite down gently but firmly on the gauze pack that we have
initially placed over the surgical area, making sure that they remain in place.
The gauze may be changed when necessary and/or repositioned for comfort. This is
important to allow blood clot formation on the surgery site. This may be
controlled by placing fresh gauze over the surgical area and biting down firmly
for 30-60 minutes. Some bleeding is normal, and blood-tinged saliva may be
present for 24 hours. Do not eat or go to sleep with gauze in your mouth. STEADY
BLEEDING. Bleeding should not be severe. If bleeding persists, this may be due to
the gauze pads being clenched between the teeth rather than exerting pressure on
the surgery site. Try repositioning the gauze. If bleeding persists or becomes
heavy, substitute a moist tea bag (first moistened in water, squeezed dry and
wrapped in a moist gauze) on the area for 20-30 minutes. If bleeding continues,
please call our office. SWELLING
OR BRUISING. Swelling is to be expected, and usually reaches its maximum in 48 hours.
To minimize swelling, cold packs or ice bag wrapped in a towel should be applied
to the face adjacent to the surgical area. This should be applied 20 minutes on
then removed for 20 minutes during the first 12-24 hours after surgery. If you
were prescribed medicine for the control of swelling, be sure to take it as
directed. After 24 hours, it is usually best to switch from using the cold pack
to applying moist heat or heating
pad to the same area, until swelling has receded. Bruising may also occur, but
should disappear soon. Tightness of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in
opening the mouth. This should disappear within 7 days. Keep lips moist with
cream or Vaseline to prevent cracking or chapping. DIET. Eat any nourishing food that can be taken with comfort that is on your
normal diet. It is advisable to confine the first day�s food intake to bland
liquids or pureed or soft foods. Avoid foods like nuts, sunflower seeds or
popcorn, which may get lodged in the socket areas. Over the next several days,
you may progress to more solid foods. Proper nourishment aids in the healing
process. If you are a diabetic, maintain your normal diet as much as possible
and follow your physician�s instructions regarding adjusting your insulin
schedule. If you eat less or fast taking the regular amount of insulin may be
too much. Monitor your blood sugar level. PAIN
AND MEDICATIONS. Unfortunately, most oral surgery is accompanied by some degree of
discomfort. Take the pain medication prescribed as directed. The local
anesthetic administered during your surgery normally has a 3-hour duration, and
it may be difficult to control the pain once the anesthetic wears off. We
therefore, advise you to take the pain medication 2 hours immediately after your
surgery. If you do not achieve adequate pain relief, you may supplement each
pill with an analgesic such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Taking the pain
medication with soft food and a large volume of water will lessen any side
effects of nausea or stomach upset. If
you were prescribed an antibiotic and are currently taking oral contraceptives,
you should use an alternate method of birth control for the remainder of this
cycle. ORTHODONTIC
APPLIANCES. If you wear removable orthodontic appliances, replace them immediately
after surgery unless otherwise instructed. If these appliances are left out of
the mouth for any length of time, it is often difficult or impossible to
reinsert them. INSTRUCTIONS
FOR THE FOLLOWING DAYS: ORAL
HYGIENE. Keeping your mouth
clean after oral surgery is essential. Begin your normal tooth brushing
routine the day after surgery. Soreness and swelling may prevent rigorous
brushing of all areas, but make every effort to clean your teeth within your
comfort level. Keep using warm saltwater rinses to rinse your mouth at
least 3-4 times daily for the next five days. .CARE
OF SURGICAL AREA. Apply warm
compresses to the skin overlying areas of swelling for 20 minutes on and 20
minutes off to help soothe these tender areas. This will also aid in reducing
swelling and stiffness. OTHER
POSSIBLE POST-SURGERY EFFECTS DRY
SOCKETS. The blood clot on the
surgical site may be lost causing a dry socket (usually on the 3rd to 5th
day). There will be a noticeable, distinct, persistent pain in the jaw area,
often radiating toward the ear and forward along the jaw which may cause other
teeth to ache. If you do not see steady improvement during the first few days
after surgery or if severe pain persists, please call the office to report these
symptoms. SKIN
DISCOLORATION. This may be expected, and is usually limited to the neck or cheek area
near the surgical site. This is caused by bleeding through the mucous membranes
of the mouth beneath the skin and appears as a bruise. If discoloration occurs,
it often takes a week for this to completely disappear. NUMBNESS. Loss of sensation of the lip and chin may occur, usually following
lower wisdom teeth removal. This is usually temporary and disappears within a
few days or weeks. Occasionally, some numbness may persist for months, due to
the close association of the roots of the teeth to the nerve that supplies
sensation to these areas described. It is our desire that your recovery be as smooth and pleasant as possible. If you have any questions about your progress or any symptoms you are experiencing, please call our office at 718-465-7854 or 718-465-1500. After office hours, you may call our cell phone at 646-221-3366 |
