After dental extraction

Bleeding
It is normal to expect some bleeding following surgery. It is not uncommon for some saliva to bleed, ooze, or be red. A gauze pad may be placed over the area and biting firmly for thirty minutes may control excessive bleeding. You should first rinse or wipe away any old clots in your mouth, and then place a gauze pad over the area. If necessary, repeat the process. For thirty minutes, bite on a moistened black tea bag if bleeding persists. Black tea contains tannic acid, which helps to form a clot by contracting bleeding vessels. Avoid becoming energetic, sitting upright, and doing exercise to minimize bleeding. In the event of bleeding that does not subside, contact our office.

Swelling
Normally, swelling is proportional to the extent of the surgery. Swelling of the face is not unusual around the mouth, cheeks, eyes, and sides. An eventual correction of surgery causes the body to respond in this way. It takes about 2-3 days for swelling to reach its peak postoperatively, but this will not be apparent until the day of surgery. You can minimize swelling by immediately using ice packs. Fill two baggies with ice and apply them to the sides of the face where the surgery was performed. Ice packs can also be utilized. Leave it continuously while you are awake because after 36 hours, there are no more beneficial effects in ice. Don’t worry if you experience swelling or jaw stiffness for several days. This is normal after surgery. After 36 hours, apply moist heat to the sides of the face to reduce swelling.

Pain
As soon as the local anesthetic wears off, you should begin taking pain medication. Follow the directions on your prescription.

In adults, no more than 3200mg of ibuprofen should be taken per day. Medications should be taken as prescribed if the pain exceeds six out of ten. In general, hydrocodone/Tylenol 5 mg/325 mg is prescribed. Each tablet should be taken every 4-6 hours. For children under 12 years of age, please consult our practice. Narcotic drugs can cause constipation. Soften your stools if needed with over-the-counter softeners.

If you are taking pain medication, consider switching to a different drug. The above medications should not be taken if you have an allergy to them, or if you have been told not to by your doctor. Driving a car or working with machinery is not advised. Alcohol should be avoided. Every day, you should feel less pain or discomfort following surgery. You should call our office if you experience persistent pain.

The syringe should be injected at the extraction site every 3 hours with clove oil (1-2 drops) or Red Cross with eugenol (Walgreens) to relieve pain.

Before taking any over-the-counter medication, talk to Dr. John Doe to avoid any complications or overdose.

Diet
Only liquids should initially be consumed following a general anesthetic or IV sedation. Do not use straws when drinking from a glass. It is possible to dislodge the blood clot by sucking. Any soft food can be eaten as long as you chew away from the surgical sites. It is very important to consume high calories and high protein. If you need diet recommendations, we can provide them. Regular nutrition is necessary. Regularly drinking fluids can help you avoid dehydration. In the beginning, your food intake will be limited. In order to compensate for this, you should drink more fluids. The recommended daily intake of liquids is about 5-6 glasses. Avoid missing meals as much as possible. Continually eating will make you feel better, give you more strength, ease discomfort, and help your body to heal faster. These foods can be taken to help as well, e.g., toast, cold soup, potato, pudding, plain ice cream, jello, etc.

CAUTION: You may get dizzy if you suddenly stand up from a seated or laying position. In the following minute, get up after lying down following surgery.

Keep the mouth clean
After surgery, avoid rinsing. As soon as possible, please brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with warm salty water (one cup of water with one teaspoon salt) especially after meals. In lower extraction sites, food may get trapped. Wash out the socket of the lower jaw with saltwater using the syringe 2 to 3 days after the surgery.

Discoloration
Skin discoloration may follow swelling in some instances. The discoloration of the skin occurs due to the spread of blood beneath the tissues. It is common for the patient to experience this during the first few days post-surgically. Moisturizing the area with heat may speed up the process of removing discoloration.

Antibiotics
Take your antibiotics as directed if you are prescribed them. Infection can be prevented by giving antibiotics. As directed by your doctor, take 1 capsule of Amoxicillin every eight hours for seven days. Taking Clindamycin 300mg per week or as prescribed by your doctor will require one capsule taken every 6 hours for a week. Probiotics should be taken with antibiotics to prevent yeast infection. It is important to be aware that taking antibiotics may make the contraceptive ineffective. As a result, special precautions should be taken to avoid pregnancy during this period. When your body reacts adversely to an antibiotic, stop taking it and contact our office as soon as possible. For more information, please call the office.

Nausea and Vomiting
Take nothing by mouth after surgery, including the prescribed medication, if you experience nausea or vomiting. Afterward, drink lots of coke, tea, and ginger ale. Over a 15-minute period, you should sip slowly. Taking solid foods and prescribed medications can begin after nausea subsides. Contact your doctor if your nausea doesn’t subside.

Other Complications
When the lip, the chin, or the tongue become numb, there is no cause for concern. It is usually temporary in nature, as discussed in your consultation. If you have numb lips or tongues, you could bite them without feeling them. Any questions you have can be directed to Dr. John Doe.

The temperature may rise slightly immediately after surgery. The office should be notified if the temperature persists. Fever can be reduced with Tylenol or ibuprofen.

From a lying down position to a standing position, you should be careful.wn position to standing. You may feel lightheaded if your blood sugar is low or if you take medication. Take a minute to sit down before standing up.

A patient may feel hard projections in their mouth upon putting their tongue to their lips. The bony walls are not the roots; they support the tooth. Usually, smoothing out of such projections occurs spontaneously. It is possible for John Doe to remove them if not.

Your mouth corners may crack if they are stretched. An ointment like vaseline should be applied to the lips to keep them moisturized.

Pain when swallowing and sore throats are not uncommon. As a result, the muscles swell. It is then painful to swallow. Within two to three days, this should subside.
After surgery, you may experience some stiffness in your jaw muscles (Trismus). Eventually, this will resolve like a normal post-operative event.

Finally
Follow sinus precautions for upper wisdom teeth – do not blow your nose for 2 weeks post-procedure, do not sneeze with your mouth open, do not use straws for 2 weeks, and sleep with your head elevated (2 pillows) for 2 weeks.

To prevent postoperative bleeding and aid in healing, sutures are used in areas of surgery. It is possible for them to become dislodged. There is no need to be alarmed. Taking it out of your mouth is as easy as removing it. Needles or anesthesia are not required for suture removal. Most patients find this procedure to be painless, and it takes about a minute or two. It is normal for the gums to appear open during healing, but they will close up in time.

In the days following surgery, swelling and pain should diminish more and more. We can advise you if your pain or swelling worsens or if you experience unusual symptoms after your surgery.

When a tooth is removed, a void will remain. It will take a month for new tissue to fill in the void. During this time, it is advisable to keep the area clean, especially after meals, by using salt water rinses or a toothbrush.

There is no such thing as a similar case. Contact Dr. John Doe if you have any problems.

Dry sockets occur when clots dissolve prematurely from the tooth socket. Following surgery, patients may experience pain near the ear as well as the surgical site. If this occurs, please contact us.

It is important to understand that your normal calorie intake will be reduced if you regularly exercise. You may become weaker after exercising. Exercise should be stopped if you become lightheaded.

Ideally, you will feel fine after a few days and be able to resume doing your normal activities. Call our office immediately at 000-000-0000 if you are experiencing heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for 2-3 days, or if you are experiencing a reaction to the medicine. You can reach him by phone after hours: 000-000-0000. You can reach him by phone or by text.