Please follow these Post-Op Home Care Instructions
TOOTH EXTRACTION POST-OP CARE INSTRUCTIONS:
Our goal is for your healing process after an extraction to be as comfortable as possible. The removal of teeth is a surgical procedure, and post-operative care is imperative. Please follow all instructions carefully to avoid any unnecessary pain and possible infection. If you have difficulties or concerns following your surgery, please do not hesitate to call us or return to our office for a follow-up exam.
Immediately following surgery:
- Keep the gauze pad placed over the surgical area with pressure applied by biting down until the bleeding stops.
- Take your prescribed pain medication as soon as you begin to feel discomfort. This will usually coincide with the local anesthetic becoming less effective.
- Do NOT suck on a straw, spit, or smoke.
- Restrict your activities the day of surgery, and resume normal activity when you feel comfortable.
- Place ice packs on the side of your face where surgery was performed.
- For mild discomfort, use Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Do NOT take more than 800 mg every 4-6 hrs.
- Vigorous mouth rinsing or touching the affected area following surgery should be avoided. This may initiate bleeding caused by dislodging the blood clot that has formed. Do not rinse your mouth for the first post-operative day or while there is bleeding.
- After the first day, use a warm salt water rinse (1/2 teaspoon salt to a glass of warm water) every 4 hours and after meals to flush out food particles or debris that may lodge in the area.
- Restrict your diet to liquids and soft foods which are comfortable for you to eat.
Bleeding: A certain amount of bleeding is to be expected following a surgical procedure. Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva is common. Bleeding is best controlled by the use of pressure. Excessive bleeding may be controlled by placing a gauze pad over the area and biting firmly for 30 minutes. Repeat if necessary. If bleeding has not decreased in 3-4 hours, bite on a dampened tea bag placed directly over the surgical site. The tannic acid in the tea helps the blood to clot.
Swelling: The amount of swelling that is normally expected after an extraction depends on the type of surgery. Swelling around the mouth, cheek, eyes, and side of the face is not uncommon. The swelling sometimes may not appear immediately, and it may occur up to 2-3 days post-surgery. You can help to minimize the swelling by applying ice packs to the affected area. For the first 3 hours, apply ice packs directly to the area, alternating on for 20 minutes, then off for 20 minutes. Applying ice after 24 hrs. has no beneficial effect. If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days, there is no cause for alarm. If the swelling is significant, you may use a moist heat compress to help suppress it.
Pain: Post-operative pain will be the most severe the first day after surgery. It is beneficial to take your pain medication before your numbness wears off. For moderate pain, 800 mg of Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) may be taken every 4-6 hours. For severe pain, take the prescribed medication that was provided. DO NOT take the pain medication on an empty stomach as nausea may result. The prescribed medication may make you drowsy. DO NOT drive an automobile or operate machinery, and AVOID alcoholic beverages. Pain or discomfort following surgery should subside more and more each day. If pain persists, it may require attention, and you should contact our office.
Antibiotics: If you have been placed on antibiotics, take the medicine as directed. Antibiotics may be prescribed to help prevent infection. Discontinue antibiotic use in the event of a rash or other unfavorable reaction. PLEASE NOTE: If you are currently taking birth control pills, they will be inactivated by the antibiotic.
Nausea and vomiting: In the event of nausea and/or vomiting following surgery, DO NOT take anything by mouth for at least an hour, including the prescribed medication. You should then sip on water, tea, or juice. Sip slowly over a 15 minute period. When nausea subsides, you can begin taking sold foods and the prescribed medication.
Sutures: If any sutures were required, they will dissolve on their own in 7-10 days. It will not be necessary to return to the office for sutures to be removed.
Activity: Over-exertion may start or intensify your pain. AVOID excessive work or play. It is not
necessary to stay indoors following uncomplicated surgery. However, rest and minimal activity will help minimize pain, swelling, and bleeding. Normal activity may be resumed the following day as tolerated.
Cleaning: Do not rinse or spit vigorously for the first 24 hours following surgery. You can brush your teeth the night of the surgery, but rinse gently. The day after surgery, you should begin rinsing 4 times a day and after eating. Do this gently as to not dislodge the blood clot. To rinse, mix a teaspoon of salt and a cup of warm water. Clean the rest of your mouth as usual.
Diet: It is advisable to eat only soft, non-spicy food for the first few days following surgery. AVOID hot food or liquid that could agitate the already inflamed area. AVOID rice, grits, and foods that are very small that may become lodged in the area.
Special considerations: Trismus (stiffness) in the face muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a period of days. Moist heat compresses can minimize this condition. You may experience aching from other teeth. This discomfort is caused by referred pain and is a temporary condition. It is no unusual to develop bruising in the area of the extraction. There may be a slight elevation in temperature for 24-48 hrs. If the fever persists, please contact our office.
Dry Socket: A “dry socket” is the loss of the blood clot in the socket. This condition creates a delayed healing at the extraction site and presents symptoms such as pain in the ear, chin, adjacent teeth, and jaw. The discomfort usually begins about the 3rd or 4th day after the surgery and can last for many days. The cause of dry socket is unknown, but it can be attributed to the difficulty of surgery, increased age, medications (such as birth control pills), and smoking. Treatment is for the symptoms only.
CROWN & BRIDGE POST-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Numbness of your lip, tongue or palate may persist for several hours. Do not chew gum, eat, drink hot liquids or smoke until the anesthetic has worn off to prevent injury from accidentally biting or burning oneself.
- Soreness may occur at the tooth, the surrounding gum, the injection sites or the jaw joint. If these occur, apply moist heat to the affected area and take an analgesic/anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen or similar product (if medically able to do so).
- A temporary restoration made out of acrylic or thin metal has been placed on your tooth. Avoid sticky or crunchy foods to avoid loosening or fracturing this restoration.
- If the bite feels “high” on the temporary restoration, please call the office to have it adjusted. Failure to do so can result in a toothache or fracture of the temporary.
- Brush your temporary restoration daily. When flossing, slide the floss out from between the teeth instead of lifting it back out to avoid loosening the temporary.
- If your temporary restoration loosens, call the office to have it recemented. If you’re unable to come in, a thin layer of toothpaste or denture adhesive powder applied inside the crown or bridge will hold it in place temporarily.
- Make an appointment between 2 and 6 weeks from now to receive your permanent restoration.
- When the final restoration has been placed, brush and floss accordingly. Do not chew on ice cubes or other hard objects or continue deleterious habits, such as biting on popsicle sticks, pens, etc. Use a sensitive toothpaste with fluoride if thermal sensitivity occurs. Also, if the bite feels unusual please call to have it checked.
- On occasion, damage to the pulp of the tooth may occur following any restorative procedure due to a variety of reasons. If this occurs, further treatment, such as root canal therapy, may be necessary.
- Regular dental examinations are important to maintain the function and appearance of one’s
crowns, bridges, etc.