Post-Op Instructions

Immediately following surgery, maintain pressure on the surgical area by biting down on the provided gauze pad or roll until the bleeding stops. A certain amount of bleeding is to be expected following a surgical procedure. Placing the gauze pad over the area and biting firmly will help prevent excessive bleeding.

For a few days following surgery, you may become dizzy when getting up. Sit up slowly, and give yourself a minute to adjust before getting up and walking.

Avoid vigorous activities on the day of surgery. You may go back to your normal routine as tolerated. Most patients require a recovery of three to five days.

For patients not allergic to anti-inflammatory medications (Advil, Motrin, Ibuprofen), these medications are often the best when treating soreness following surgery. Taking low doses more frequently is usually better than taking higher doses spread further apart. Supplementing the anti-inflammatory medication with Tylenol (Acetominophen) has been shown to treat post-surgical pain as well as prescription pain killers.

Please fill any prescriptions you have been given and take as directed. If you have been prescribed pain medication other than aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), do not drive, operate heavy equipment, work around machinery or tools, or engage in any other activity that may be unsafe when groggy, as your reflexes and judgment will be affected by the medication. Antibiotics may be prescribed to help prevent infection. If you have been placed on antibiotics, take the medicine as directed.

Swelling and stiffness are to be expected the first 24 hours after surgery. Swelling around the face, eyes, and surgical site is not uncommon and will usually become more noticeable two to three days following surgery. Applying a cold compress to the face near the extraction site will help minimize swelling. If using an ice pack, please do not apply ice directly to your skin but place a cloth between the ice and your skin at all times.  You may apply the cold compress for up to 20 minutes on and at least 20 minutes off as needed. After 36 hours the cold compress will have no further impact on swelling. After this period, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face can help reduce swelling.

For 24-48 hours following your surgery, do not suck on a straw, drink from a bottle, rinse, spit, or smoke. Avoid hot and spicy foods and alcoholic beverages.

During the first few days after surgery, restrict your diet to liquids and soft foods such as soups, yogurt, juice, and smoothies.

Do not rinse, spit, or brush your teeth on the day of surgery. Resume brushing the day after surgery, avoiding surgical sites with the toothbrush.

After brushing, rinse gently with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt mixed with eight ounces of warm water). Start the salt water rinse the day after surgery and repeat 3 times a day for 7-10 days. This will help keep the surgical areas clean and will also help dissolve the sutures.
Please do not use an irrigating syringe for the first five days. After five days, fill the syringe with warm salt water and flush out the socket. This will flush out any food or debris.

If you are experiencing numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue, be aware that this is usually temporary in nature and normal feeling should return after a few days. Until then, please be cautious while eating and chewing in order to avoid accidentally biting your tongue, cheek or lip.

A dry socket can develop when blood clot gets dislodged prematurely from the walls of the tooth socket. Symptoms of a dry socket include throbbing pain at the surgical site, the ear, chin, adjacent teeth, and/or jaw. These symptoms indicate a dry socket when they occur five days following surgery and do not respond to pain medication.

Please call our office if you experience severe pain, excessive bleeding or swelling, or if you have any questions or concerns. If you are experiencing a serious or life threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

Immediately following surgery, maintain pressure on the surgical area by biting down on the provided gauze pad or roll until the bleeding stops. A certain amount of bleeding is to be expected following a surgical procedure. Placing the gauze pad over the area and biting firmly will help prevent excessive bleeding.

Children should be supervised after having an extraction to make sure they do not bite or chew their tongue or lips as this can cause serious injury to the soft tissue.

For patients not allergic to anti-inflammatory medications (Advil, Motrin, Ibuprofen), these medications are often the best when treating soreness following surgery. Taking low doses more frequently is usually better than taking higher doses spread further apart. Supplementing the anti-inflammatory medication with Tylenol (Acetominophen) has been shown to treat post-surgical pain as well as prescription pain killers.

Please fill any prescriptions you have been given and take as directed. If you have been prescribed pain medication other than aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), do not drive, operate heavy equipment, work around machinery or tools, or engage in any other activity that may be unsafe when groggy, as your reflexes and judgment will be affected by the medication. Antibiotics may be prescribed to help prevent infection. If you have been placed on antibiotics, take the medicine as directed.

Swelling around the face, eyes, and surgical site is not uncommon although it may not appear until the day following the surgery and will usually become more noticeable two to three days following surgery. Applying a cold compress to the face near the extraction site will help minimize swelling. If using an ice pack, please do not apply ice directly to your skin but place a cloth between the ice and your skin at all times.  You may apply the cold compress for up to 20 minutes on and at least 20 minutes off as needed. After 36 hours the cold compress will have no further impact on swelling. After this period, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face can help reduce swelling.

For 24 hours following your surgery, do not suck on a straw, brush, rinse, spit, or smoke. Avoid hot and spicy foods as well as alcoholic beverages.

Restrict your activities on the day of your surgery. Avoid excessive work or play, and resume normal activity the following day as tolerated. Most patients require a recovery of three to five days.

After the first day, gently rinse with a warm salt water rinse, approximately one-half teaspoon of salt in an eight ounce glass of water, three times a day.

Sutures may have been placed. Most sutures placed by our office will dissolve on their own in 7-10 days, and it may not be necessary to return to the office for sutures to be removed. If you have sutures that do need a follow-up visit for removal, we will let you know at the time they are placed.

Please call our office if you experience severe pain, excessive bleeding or swelling, or if you have any questions or concerns. In the event of an emergency please call our office immediately. If you are experiencing a serious or life threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

Some pain, bleeding, and swelling are normal following oral surgery. Please do not try to view the site by pulling on your lip and do not probe the area with your tongue or fingers. If you experience excessive bleeding or discomfort after 48-72 hours, please call our office immediately.

You can take ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) according to the instructions on the label or those provided by our office as needed.

Swelling around the face, eyes, and surgical site is not uncommon and will likely become more noticeable two to three days following surgery. Applying a cold compress to the face near the implant site will help minimize swelling. If using an ice pack, please do not apply ice directly to your skin but place a cloth between the ice and your skin at all times.  You may apply the cold compress for up to 20 minutes on and at least 20 minutes off as needed. After 36 hours the cold compress will have no further impact on swelling. After this period, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face can help reduce swelling.

A warm salt water rinse, approximately ½ teaspoon in an eight ounce glass of water, three times a day can be helpful starting the second day. NO rinsing or spitting on the day of surgery.

Avoid brushing your teeth near the surgery site but brush and floss the rest of your mouth as instructed by our office.

For 24 hours following your surgery, do not suck on a straw, brush, rinse, spit, or smoke.

For the first 24 hours you may experience some cold and heat sensitivity. Avoid hot and spicy foods as well as alcoholic beverages.

Restrict your activities on the day of your surgery. Avoid excessive work or play, and resume normal activity the following day as tolerated.

During the first few days after surgery you may need to restrict your diet to liquids and soft foods such as soups, yogurt, juice, and smoothies.

Follow any other instructions provided by the office on your visit. Please take all medications as prescribed including your prescribed antibiotics to help prevent infection.

If you have a denture that overlaps the implant site, please minimize the use of the denture following surgery to allow the site to heal. After the first week, you should be able to gradually increase the amount of time you can wear your denture.

It is extremely important to keep your follow up appointments so that we can monitor the healing process.

• Some pain, bleeding, swelling, and seeping are normal following oral surgery. Please do not try to view the site by pulling on your lip and do not probe the area with your tongue or fingers. Avoid forcefully rinsing or spitting or drinking through a straw. Biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the wound for 30 minutes will help reduce bleeding. Some bleeding is normal for the first 24 hours. If bleeding continues please call our office.
• Please take all medications, including mouth rinses, as prescribed.
• After 24 hours, warm salt water rinses (one-half teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) can be used 4-5 times a day after meals.
• After 24 hours, brush your teeth with a soft manual toothbrush. Be gentle with brushing the surgical areas.
• Sutures may be placed after the surgery, and most sutures dissolve on their own.
• Swelling and bruising may occur and may become more noticeable two to three days following surgery. Applying a cold compress to the face near the surgical site will help minimize swelling. If using an ice pack, please do not apply ice directly to your skin but place a cloth between the ice and your skin at all times.  You may apply the cold compress for up to 20 minutes on and at least 20 minutes off as needed. After 36 hours the cold compress will have no further impact on swelling. After this period, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face can help reduce swelling.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Stay away from spicy or acidic foods. Also avoid sharp and crunchy foods like tacos, chips and nuts. Tobacco and alcohol should not be used. Alcohol should not be used in combination with pain medications nor antibiotics.
• Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. Avoid strenuous activity for 2-3 days.
• If a surgical bandage was used, it will ideally remain in place for 24 hours. There is no need for you to remove it; it will come off when ready. Once it does, you can begin cleaning the wound gently with a cotton swab dipped in a mouth rinse.

• Please refrain from blowing your nose for up to four weeks following your surgery. Do not hold your nose when sneezing. Avoid flying in pressured aircraft, scuba diving, bearing down when lifting heavy objects, blowing up balloons, playing musical instruments that require a blowing action or any other activity that increases nasal or oral pressure for at least four weeks after surgery.
• Please take all medications as prescribed, included decongestants as necessary.
• It is important to keep your mouth clean after surgery to reduce the risk of infection and promote rapid healing. Start salt water rinses (one-half teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8 ounce glass of water) the evening of surgery or the day following your procedure after each meal or four to five times daily.
• Brush your teeth gently with a soft manual toothbrush on the evening of your surgery or the first day following your procedure and continue brushing at least twice a day.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Eat soft foods for the first several days after surgery. Advance to a regular diet as you become more comfortable. Please avoid chewing or creating pressure on the bone graft site. Please avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or smoking during the first one to two weeks following your surgery.
• All removable appliances, including partial dentures, flippers and full dentures, must be checked for proper fit before they can be worn.
• Swelling and bruising may occur. Applying a cold compress to the face near the surgical site will help minimize swelling. If using an ice pack, please do not apply ice directly to your skin but place a cloth between the ice and your skin at all times.  You may apply the cold compress for up to 20 minutes on and at least 20 minutes off as needed.
• If you experience severe or persistent sinus or nasal congestion please let us know.

It is very important to follow the instructions below as well as any additional instructions provided by your surgeon in order to maximize your chance for an uneventful recovery. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call our office.

DIET: Maintaining a non-chewing diet is critical in the post-operative period. The typical duration of this diet is 6 weeks following surgery. If your teeth are wired together, you must blenderize (puree) all food that is not already liquid before eating, and the pureed food will enter in the spaces behind your last teeth and between your teeth. If your teeth are not wired together, it is just as critical to maintain a non-chewing diet. Foods such as warm (not hot!) soups, fraps, yogurt, mashed potatoes, etc. are good. Maintaining a healthy diet is also important to encourage healing. Drink plenty of fluids.

CHEWING FOODS MAY COMPROMISE YOUR ABILITY TO HEAL FROM YOUR SURGERY!

MEDICATIONS: Take all prescribed medications as directed. Antibiotics should be taken until the course is completed without skipping doses. Pain medications should be taken only when needed. Unless contraindicated, Ibuprofen (Advil) can be used to supplement or substitute for your prescription pain medication. Continue to take all pre-operative home medications unless otherwise instructed.

SWELLING & PAIN: Swelling and pain are normal and expected after surgery. Sometimes the swelling may be dramatic, and maximum swelling occurs 48-72 hours after surgery. APPLY ICE TO THE OPERATED AREA FOR THE FIRST 24-48 HOURS AFTER SURGERY, alternating 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off. Bruising of the facial and/or neck skin is common. Manage pain as discussed in the “medication” section above.

ORAL HYGIENE: It is essential to keep your mouth clean in order to allow proper healing. Brush your teeth with toothpaste 2-3 times daily (if your teeth are wired together, brush only the outside surfaces). Rinse your mouth with salt water (8oz. glass of luke-warm water with 1 teaspoon of salt mixed in) for 30 seconds after every meal.

BLEEDING: A small amount of bleeding in and around the operative sites is normal. If bleeding is excessive, apply pressure to the wound for 30 mins with sterile gauze.

WIRES: If you have wires on your teeth, these should only be cut or removed in the case of a life-threatening emergency. If a wire becomes loose or is poking you, please call our office for additional instructions.

FOLLOW-UP: It is very important to follow-up with your surgeon as you have been instructed.