After minor oral surgery

It is important to follow the instructions below to ensure comfortable, safe healing.  Note that some discomfort and swelling are normal after any routine dental surgery.

Day of procedure 

  • Keep the provided gauze compress in your mouth for at least one hour, applying gentle but firm pressure.  Change the gauze pads every half hour, as needed.  Fold the square gauze in half, and roll it up like a pillow, moisten with warm water or mouthwash, then replace over the area.
  • Apply ice or a cold pack/cold wash cloth to the outside of your cheek/face at regular intervals (20 minute cycles, on and off, for the first few hours).
  • If bleeding continues after an hour, continue to close down on a fresh gauze pad or lightly moisten a tea bag and place it over the area for 20 minutes.  Herbal tea bags work better, but regular tea bags work well too.

Don’ts  

  • Don’t vigorously rinse your mouth or spit.
  • Don’t drink through a straw.  No bubbly soft drinks or beer.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Don’t consume excessively hot foods or beverages.  Eat cold or cool soft foods. Avoid excessively salty or spicy foods.
  • Rest.

Pain  

  • For pain relief in the first 24 to 72 hours, take acetaminophen (Tylenol, Atasol), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or the medication you were prescribed.  Don’t take aspirin unless absolutely necessary, it can prolong bleeding.
  • It is totally normal to have some discomfort. Surgery has been performed.
  • The combination of acetaminophen AND ibuprofen has been shown to work even better than each of these alone.  The combination is safe if you are able to take each of these medications alone under normal circumstances. Check with your doctor regarding proper dosage
  • Do not under medicate, it is much easier to control pain than it is to regain control of pain.

The days following surgery until full healing 

  • Rinse your mouth gently three times a day with a warm salt water solution (2 ml or ½ tsp of salt in 250 ml or 1 cup of warm water). You may use an antibacterial mouthwash such as Listerine non-alcohol to compliment the warm salt water rinsing.
  • There may be some bruising on the skin. This will disappear in five to seven days.
  • You may have trouble opening your mouth.  This should diminish in four to five days.
  • If the pain increases after three days, call our office.

You will feel better after a few days and can resume your normal activities.  If you experience heavy bleeding, pain, continued swelling after two to three days or a negative reaction to the medication, call us at 514 849-3014.