Sedation
Because anesthetic medications cause prolonged drowsiness, you MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you until you are sufficiently recovered to care for yourself. This may be up to 48 hours.
During recovery time (24 – 48 hours) you should not drive, operate complicated machinery or devices or make important decisions such as signing documents, or drink alcohol, etc.
Medications
Prescribed antibiotics are to be taken daily, as directed until all are gone. Please take with full glass of water or juice to help protect the stomach and try to avoid laying down for at least 1/2 hour after taking.
Pain medication should be taken as prescribed when needed. You may wish to take these capsules with food as they may occasionally upset an empty stomach. If mild discomfort is present, Tylenol or Advil are recommended unless otherwise informed.
It is important not to drive if you have been prescribed a narcotic for pain such as Tylenol #3, Percocet, etc. You may drive on plain Tylenol or Advil. If needed, you may supplement your prescription with one or two tablets of regular strength (200 mg) Advil.
Always read the label on your prescription and take, medication as directed.
Oral Hygiene
For soft tissue grafts, dental implants, and bone grafts, begin gentle but thorough brushing and flossing of all areas EXCEPT surgical area per your normal routine. NO tooth brushing, etc. in surgical area until sutures have been removed or recommended by our office. If food material becomes bothersome in surgical area, Q-tips dipped in Peridex rinse can be used to gently swab the site.
If you’ve had a soft tissue graft, please NO pulling on the lips to look at the area as this can wiggle the graft and seriously jeopardize its success. Please note that soft tissue grafts can have a whitish appearance starting the second or third day and last for a week or so. This is normal healing.
If you have had other types of periodontal surgery it may be advisable to begin brushing the area of surgery per your normal routine that day. It is essential that you keep your teeth as clean as possible. Rinse with Peridex for 30 seconds then spit, twice a day after breakfast and before bedtime preferably ½ hour after tooth brushing and oral hygiene measures are completed in the rest of your mouth.
Palatal Stent
If you have been provided with a stent covering your palate, it is to stay in place the day of and night of surgery. You may remove it the next morning. Some patients prefer to wear the stent during meals; this is fine but please remove it between meals. If you are to have future soft tissue surgeries please keep this device as it may be re-used in the future. Pets tend to enjoy using these as chew toys. Please keep away from animals.
Diet
You may eat any food of your choice following surgery. You will be more comfortable if you avoid hard foods. Chew in non-surgical areas and eat a generally semi-soft diet. Drink plenty of liquids, especially juices and water. You may wish to avoid very hot, very cold or sticky foods for awhile. Please stay away from hard and crunchy foods such as carrots, celery, apples, chips. etc. Casseroles, rice dishes, pasta, etc., are the types of foods recommended.
**If you have had a soft tissue graft, avoid biting into anything in that area until the doctor says it is okay. Avoid biting into toast, burritos, tacos, bagels, sandwiches, etc. Eat generally anything that can be eaten by fork or spoon.
Bleeding
A small amount of oozing is normal. It will usually result in a pink tinge to your saliva for a couple of days. If heavy bleeding is observed, place a wet gauze square over the bleeding site and apply pressure for 10 – 15 minutes consecutively ie. do not check the area repeatedly during the 10 minutes of pressure. If this doesn’t stop the bleeding, call our office or page the Doctor. Sometimes, especially if you are lying down, the oozing will pool in the corner of your mouth. If this happens, the normal clotting mechanisms in your blood will form a liver clot. Please don’t be alarmed. Gently rinse and check the perimeters of your mouth for heavy oozing and apply pressure if necessary. If you have been provided with a palatal stent, it should be worn the day and night of surgery. It can be removed the next morning.
Sipping ice water and avoiding vigorous rinsing or mouth movements will keep bleeding stopped. No sucking on straws as that can aggravate bleeding.
Swelling
The surgical area will be expected to swell some. Bruising may also occur. This is not unusual. Swelling can be minimized by applying a cold pack gently to the face over the surgical area. Apply for 10 minutes, and remove 10 minutes, alternating until bedtime. After the second day, discontinue the use of cold packs and use warm moist packs if you still think it necessary to alleviate swelling. Sleep with an extra pillow under your head for the first night or two to keep head above heart level – this will help avoid bleeding and swelling.
You may follow your regular daily activities. Avoid excessive exertion of any type. Athletics and long exposure to the sun should be avoided for the first three days after surgery.
Rest
You may experience a slight feeling of weakness, chills, or fever during the first 24 hours. This should not be cause for alarm.
Smoking
NO smoking for the first 24 hours, please! The less you smoke the faster and better you will heal.
Avoid smoking as much as you possibly can for the entire duration of healing (can be months).
Sutures and Dressings
Gingival (gum) sutures will be removed one to two weeks after surgery. Please avoid touching sutures or surgical area while healing – the “quieter” the better. If dressing has seen placed over the surgical area, avoid touching it. Portions of it may break off. Don’t be concerned. It is not unusual for all of the dressing to be gone by your next appointment. If you are uncomfortable with the loss of the dressing, please call and let us know.
Please call
If problems arise, if you have any unfavorable reactions to your medication, or if you need additional information, do not hesitate to call the office at (519) 430-8334. We are always available for you.