Post-Operative Surgical Instructions

This section is designed to help you through the post operative surgery process. Recovery from surgery can be a scary experience if you don’t know what to expect, or how to manage any possible complications. This is here to help walk you through the process so you know what to expect and what to look out for.

Pain Medications

It is not uncommon to experience soreness or pain for a few days after a surgical procedure. After your operation you will be prescribed pain medication. It helps to mediate the pain that you may be experiencing. It is very important that you follow the instructions given to you by us and on the bottle. If it is absolutely necessary you may be able to take the medication before the pain sets back in. It is recommended that you consume any pain medication with a full stomach to prevent nausea.

There are however alternatives to prescription pain medication if that is not something you are comfortable with. Many patients found that taking certain over the counter drugs in combination to be sufficiently effective to meet their needs, mostly Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Taking one extra strength tylenol with 3 advil liquid gels or three advil liquid gels and 2 normal strength tylenol every four to six hours was enough to handle their pain needs. It is critical that you read the bottle or contact us to ensure that you are taking a safe dosage.

Antibiotics

It is important to let us know ahead of time if you have any sensitivities or allergies to antibiotics. Some procedures will have antibiotics prescribed after the operation, make sure to follow the instructions. Once again it is recommended that you ingest them with a full stomach to avoid nausea. If you are a woman who is on birth control pills it is important to note that antibiotics may interfere with their performance.

Swelling

Inflammation may occur following your procedure, generally it will only last about two or three days after the surgery. Icing the affected area for 20 minutes, then 20 minutes off, will help reduce the swelling and relieve any soreness. Apply ice as needed to reduce pain.

Bleeding

A modest amount of blood is natural after a surgical procedure. If there is an exorbitant amount of bleeding do not rinse your mouth, elevate your head then apply dampened gauze to the affected area and apply pressure. If bleeding continues for an elongated period of time contact our office.

Dressing

The dressing or bandage protects the surgical site from exposure and infection, it also reduces pain. If the dressing comes loose or causes any discomfort feel free to call us for assistance.

Diet

Avoid chewing food with the affected area until you feel ok doing so. Hot liquids and foods are not to be consumed for about an hour after the operation, this is to prevent the dressing from being softened. We recommend a soft diet to prevent any pain. Foods like soup, eggs, yogurt, fruits etc are great options. Foods that are crunchy or have sharp edges can cause pain. Good nutrition can also go a long way towards improving your recovery process.

Smoking

We recommend that you do not smoke for the two weeks after the procedure, at least. Smoking will have an adverse effect on how quickly your body will heal. It can even compromise the results of the surgery.

Alcohol

Alcohol should be avoided as it is dangerous to consume while on prescription pain medications.

Rinsing

For the 24 hours immediately following the surgical procedure do not rinse your mouth. After that time period you can use a moderate amount of mouthwash. Repeat this as much as necessary to ensure that the dressing remains clean.

Brushing

It is important that you do not brush the surgical site right after the procedure. This can damage the area and cause pain. You can begin your regular flossing and brushing routine the next day.

Suture Removal

There may be more pain after three or four days following the surgery. Healing tissue can pull on the dressing sutures causing some pain. You might want to take some pain medication before the appointment to remove the sutures to avoid the soreness. If you must take antibiotics before the suture removal appointment, do so one hour before.