Post-operative Instructions

The frosted glass entrance door of the office, etched with the practice emblem, beside the reception counter

Instructions for before and after your procedure. If you have questions, please call our office at 516-775-2222.

On this page:

After surgery:

Dental Implants

Depending on the type of the surgery you had your pain and discomfort level will vary. Please avoid brushing the area immediately after the dental implant surgery. You may have a metal abutment protruding from the gums.

Bleeding

Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills up rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues, please call for further instructions.

Swelling

Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling, apply an ice bag, or a plastic bag, or towel filled with ice on the cheek in the area of surgery. Apply the ice continuously, as often as possible, for the first 36 hours.

Diet

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.

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. For moderate pain, one to two Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol may be taken every three to four hours. Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) may be taken instead of Tylenol. Ibuprofen, bought over the counter, comes in 200 mg tablets. Two to three tablets may be taken every three to four hours as needed for pain. For severe pain, the prescribed medication should be taken as directed. Do not take any of the above medication if you are allergic, or have been instructed by your doctor not to take it.

Antibiotics

If antibiotics are indicated please be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics as directed to help prevent infection.

Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. The night of surgery, use the prescribed Peridex Oral Rinse before bed. The day after surgery, the Peridex should be used twice daily, after breakfast and before bed. Be sure to rinse for at least 30 seconds then spit it out. Warm salt-water rinses (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) should be used at least four to five times a day, as well, especially after meals. Brushing your teeth with the healing abutments is not a problem. Be gentle initially when brushing the surgical areas.

Activity

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. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking normal nourishment. This may weaken you and further limit your ability to exercise.

Wearing Your Prosthesis

Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures should not be used immediately after surgery and for at least ten days. This was discussed in the preoperative consultation.

Before surgery:

Prepare for Anesthesia

Before Sedation

You may not have anything to eat or drink (including water) for six (6) hours prior to the appointment.
Do not smoke prior to the surgery.
An adult over the age of 18 must accompany the patient to the office, remain in the office during the procedure, and drive the patient home.
The patient should not drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours following the anesthesia experience.
Please wear loose fitting clothing with sleeves which can be rolled up past the elbow, and low-heeled shoes.
Contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery.
No phones or any recording devices are allowed in our operating rooms.
Please minimize lipstick, makeup, or nail polish on the day of surgery.
If you have an illness such as a cold, sore throat, stomach or bowel upset, please notify the office.
Most medications can be taken with a sip of water prior to the surgery.

About anesthesia

After surgery:

After Wisdom Tooth Removal

The surgery to remove impacted teeth is a serious surgical procedure. It is extremely important you follow post-operative care outlined during the consultation visit. Patients who follow these instructions have significantly reduced pain and discomfort.

Immediately Following Surgery

You'll leave our office with a gauze in your mouth. It should be kept in place for 30 minutes. It should then be discarded. Please avoid using excessive gauze unless instructed by your surgeon.
Do not rinse your mouth following surgery for 24 hours.
Do not spit or drink from a straw as this may cause bleeding by dislodging the blood clot.
Take the prescribed pain medications as soon as you begin to feel discomfort. This will usually coincide with the local anesthetic becoming diminished.
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.

Read the complete instructions after wisdom tooth removal

After surgery:

After Tooth Extraction

After tooth extraction, it’s important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. Bite on a gauze pad for 30-45 minutes immediately after the appointment. If the bleeding or oozing still persists, place another gauze pad and bite firmly for another 30 minutes. You may have to do this several times to staunch the flow of blood.

After the blood clot forms it is important to not disturb or dislodge the clot. Do not rinse vigorously, suck on straws, smoke, drink alcohol or brush teeth next to the extraction site for 72 hours. These activities may dislodge or dissolve the clot and hinder the healing process. Limit vigorous exercise for the next 24 hours, as this increases blood pressure and may cause more bleeding from the extraction site.

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 72 hours.

Use pain medication as directed. Call our 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 fluids 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.

After a few days you should feel fine and can resume your normal activities. If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for 2-3 days, or a reaction to the medication, call our office immediately.

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