After Oral Surgery

November 3, 2021

Here are some tips to help you recover from oral surgery:

  • Avoid hot and spicy foods. You may not feel a burn until the freezing comes out and it can also cause the socket to bleed longer. Soft foods are recommended.
  • Keep biting on the gauze until the bleeding stops (usually 20 -30 minutes), changing the gauze every 15 minutes or so.
  • It is normal for the site to ooze for up to 24 hours, so don’t be alarmed if there is some blood in your saliva. As long as it is not heavy bleeding, this is considered normal. If the area starts to bleed again, fold gauze and bite for 20 minutes. The gauze may be substituted for a warm moist tea bag. The tannic acid has a clotting effect.
  • The freezing will last a couple of hours. We recommend you take something for pain before the freezing comes out. Take whatever you normally take for a headache every few hours. If necessary, your dentist can prescribe a stronger medication for you.
  • Avoid alcohol as it can thin the blood and keep the site bleeding longer.
  • Avoid exercising for 24 hours, try to keep your blood pressure low. 
  • Avoid smoking. Chemicals from smoking can interfere with proper healing.
  • Avoid drinking through a straw for 24 hours. This can dislodge the clot.  
  • Do not spit out or rinse for 24 hours, this may dislodge the clot and interfere with healing.
  • The day after your surgery, you can begin salt water rinses (1 tsp. salt dissolved in a glass of warm water). Continue the rinses for a few days, a couple times a day, especially after meals.
  • It is important to brush your teeth before bed on the first night after surgery. Try to avoid the extraction site and be gentle around the area for the next few days.
  • Keep your fingers and tongue away from the area.
  • If you notice swelling in the area, use an ice bag 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off for the first 24 hours. Do not apply heat.
  • Most sutures will dissolve on their own in approximately one week. Certain sutures require removal by your dentist; we will tell you if your sutures are of this type.
  • If you notice an ache with a foul smell from the socket 1-2 days after the extraction, you may have developed a dry socket. This is a condition in which the blood clot has not formed properly. Contact our office and we can apply a soothing medication to the socket to help in your healing.

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions or concerns.

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