Surgical Instructions

Bite down gently but firmly on the gauze packs that have been placed over the surgical areas, making sure they remain in place. If active bleeding persists after one hour, place enough new gauze to obtain pressure over the surgical site for another 30-60 minutes. Changing the gauze may be necessary.

*IF YOU HAVE HAD A BONE GRAFT, PLEASE CONTINUE THE ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR 1 WEEK.

Bleeding should never be severe. Severe bleeding means that the packs are being clenched between your teeth rather than exerting pressure on the surgical areas. Try repositioning fresh packs. If bleeding persists or becomes heavy you may substitute a tea bag (soaked in hot water, squeezed damp-dry, and wrapped in a moist gauze) for 20-30 minutes. If bleeding remains uncontrolled, please call our office.

Often there is swelling associated with oral surgery. You can minimize this by using a cold pack or ice bag wrapped in a towel and applied firmly to face and cheek adjacent to the surgical area. This should be applied 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off during the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. After 72 hours, it is usually best to switch from ice to moist heat to the same areas. Typically swelling is at a maximum 48-72 hours after surgery. Soft swelling is normal. Hard swelling may represent infection.

The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for a half hour. After this time remove and discard the gauze. If bleeding continues, place enough new gauze to obtain pressure over the surgical sites for another 30 minutes. Changing the gauze may be necessary.
Vigorous mouth rinsing, drinking through straws, or touching the wound area following surgery should be avoided. This may initiate bleeding by causing the blood clot that has formed to become dislodged.

• Do not smoke for at least 48 hours, since it is detrimental to healing.
• Take the prescribed pain medications as soon as you begin to feel discomfort. This will usually coincide with the local anesthetic diminishing.
• Restrict your activities the day of surgery and resume normal activity when you feel comfortable.
• Place ice packs to the sides of your face where surgery was performed. Refer to the section on swelling for explanation.

Initially, eat soft food or drink liquid until the numbness is gone. It is sometimes advisable to confine the first day’s intake to liquids or pureed foods (creamed soups, puddings, yogurt, milkshakes, etc.). Avoid foods like nuts, sunflower seeds, popcorn, etc., that may get lodged in the socket areas. Over the next several days, you can progress to solid foods at your own pace. It is important not to skip meals! If you take nourishment regularly, you will feel better, gain strength, have less discomfort and heal faster. If you are diabetic, maintain your normal eating habits as much as possible and follow instructions from us or your physician regarding your insulin schedule.

Caution: If you suddenly sit up or stand from a lying position you may become dizzy. If you are lying down following surgery, make sure you sit for one minute before standing.

If numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue occurs there is no cause for alarm. As stated before surgery, this is usually temporary in nature. You should be aware that if your lip or tongue is numb, you could bite it and not feel the sensation.

Slight elevation of temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon. If the temperature persists, notify the office. Tylenol or ibuprofen should be taken to reduce fever.
You should be careful going from the lying-down position to standing. You were not able to eat or drink prior to surgery. It was also difficult to take fluids. Taking pain medications can make you dizzy. You could get light headed when you stand up suddenly. Before standing up, you should sit for one minute then get up.

Occasionally, patients may feel hard projections in the mouth with their tongue. They are not roots; they are the bony walls which supported the tooth. These projections usually smooth out spontaneously. If not, they can be removed by Dr. Reece.

If the corners of your mouth are stretched, they may dry out and crack. Your lips should be kept moist with an ointment such as Vaseline.

Sore throats and pain when swallowing are not uncommon. The muscles get swollen. The normal act of swallowing can then become painful. This will subside in two to three days.
Stiffness of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is a normal postoperative event which will resolve in time.

Sutures are placed in the area of surgery to minimize postoperative bleeding and to help healing. Sometimes they become dislodged, but this is no cause for alarm. Just remove the suture from your mouth and discard it. The pain and swelling should subside more and more each day following surgery. If your postoperative pain or swelling worsens or unusual symptoms occur, call my office for instructions.

There will be a cavity where the tooth was removed. The cavity will gradually over the next month fill in with the new tissue. In the meantime, the area should be kept clean, especially after meals, with salt water rinses or a toothbrush.

Brushing your teeth is okay – just be gentle at the surgical sites.

When wisdom teeth are removed, a dry socket can occur. A dry socket is when the blood clot gets dislodged prematurely from the tooth socket. Symptoms of pain at the surgical site and even pain to the ear may occur three to five days following surgery. Call the office if this occurs.

If you are involved in regular exercise, be aware that your normal nourishment intake is reduced. Exercise may weaken you. After your wisdom teeth removal if you notice you are getting light headed, stop exercising.

Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot liquids or food. Soft food and liquids should be eaten on the day of surgery. Return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed.

REMEMBER: A clean wound heals better and faster.

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you are considering exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Be aware that your normal nourishment intake is reduced. Exercise may weaken you. If you get light headed, stop exercising.

After the tooth is extracted, you may feel some pain and experience some swelling. An ice pack or an unopened bag of frozen peas or corn applied to the area will keep swelling to a minimum. Take pain medications as prescribed. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours.
Use the pain medication as directed. Call the office if the medication doesn’t seem to be working. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone. Drink lots of fluid and eat nutritious soft food on the day of the extraction. You can eat normally as soon as you are comfortable.

It is important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours. This should include brushing and flossing your teeth at least once a day. This will speed healing and help keep your mouth fresh and clean.