Your treatment today involved the complete removal of teeth, from the part of the tooth that you can see to the roots that are in the jawbone.

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Anesthetic

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• Your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment.  Avoid any chewing and hot foods or liquids until the numbness has completely worn off.  It is easy to bite or burn your tongue or lip while numb. 

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• It is recommended that you take some Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) before the anesthetic completely wears off.  This will help with any swelling or pain at the injection sites where your anesthetic was administered. 

 

Bleeding

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• It is normal to have oozing of blood from the surgical site for up to two days after the procedure. Remember, a little bit of blood mixed with your saliva will look like a great deal of blood. You are not having a bleeding problem unless large clots are being produced. 

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• After the procedure, it’s important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. After the blood clot forms, it is important not to disturb or dislodge the clot as it aids healing. 

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• Do not rinse vigorously or brush teeth at the surgical site for 7 days. Do not suck on straws for at least 3 days. Do not blow your nose for 3 days after the procedure. These activities will dislodge or dissolve the clot and slow the healing process. 

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• Your dentist has placed gauze over the surgical site. Please continue to bite down firmly on the gauze  the first hour after surgery to help stop any bleeding.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.

 

Pain & Discomfort

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• After the procedure you may feel some pain and experience some swelling. To reduce swelling, apply an ice pack to the area for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off while you are awake. After 36 hours, ice has no beneficial effect and can make swelling and pain worse. DO NOT apply the ice pack directly to your skin; rather, use a paper towel to prevent irritation to the skin.

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• Occasionally, small sharp fragments of bone may work through the gum tissue during the healing process. This is more common after multiple extractions and is nature’s way of reshaping the ridge. This process of “shedding” slivers of bone may last anywhere from one to four months.

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• Take pain medications as prescribed. Do not take medications that you are allergic to.  If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone.

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• If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for 2-3 days, or a reaction to the medication, please call our office immediately.  

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• There may be a slight elevation in temperature for 24 to 48 hours after surgery. This is a normal body response to the surgery. If the temperature persists or is greatly elevated, please notify the office. 

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• Stiffness of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth. This will usually resolve within a few days.

 

Diet

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• Drink lots of fluids and eat nutritious soft food on the day of the procedure. Avoid foods and drinks that are hot in temperature for 48 hours. You can eat normally as soon as you are comfortable. 

 

• Avoid spicy foods, raw hard vegetables, crunchy foods, foods that produce lots of crumbs, foods with small seeds and carbonated beverages until the surgery site is completely healed.

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• Whenever possible during the healing process, try to chew on the opposite side from the tooth we have just treated until the surgery site is healed.

 

Oral Hygiene

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• It is important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours. This should include gentle brushing with an ultra soft brush and flossing your teeth at least twice a day. This will speed healing and help keep your mouth fresh and clean. 

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• Please wait a full 24 hours after your procedure before rinsing your mouth. After 24 hours you may rinse after each meal or snack and before retiring at night. For rinsing, use one teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Lightly swish the solution around in your mouth for 30 seconds by shaking your head instead of agitating the rinse. 

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• No commercial mouthwash is to be used during this time (as it is very irritating) but an antibacterial rinse may be prescribed by your dentist if necessary. 

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• Some surgeries require stitches that dissolve on their own within a week.  If you do have stitches, avoid vigorous rinsing and flossing in that area until the stitches have dissolved.  Some stitches may feel long and hard, but will start to soften and dissolve within 24 hours.

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• Do not rinse vigorously or brush teeth at the surgery site for 7 days. After 7 days, use a manual toothbrush with ultra soft bristles. Brush in a gentle up or down motion, do not use circular motions.

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• Do not use an electric toothbrush or a waterpik for 6 weeks following surgery. 

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Activities

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• Sleep with your head in an elevated position for the first few nights if you do not have any physical limitations.

 

• No strenuous exercise for the next 3-5 days as this will increase blood pressure and may cause more bleeding from the surgery site.  After a few days you will feel fine and can resume your normal activities. 

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• Avoid smoking for at least 4 days.  This is very important, since nicotine will penetrate the socket and cause an infection called dry socket, which is very painful and requires additional treatment. If you do need to smoke, please cover the extraction site with gauze.  When done smoking, remove the gauze and replace it with clean gauze.

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• Avoid alcohol for 4 days.  Alcohol is a blood thinner, which will prevent the blood from clotting and will slow the healing process. Do not drink any alcoholic beverages while taking the prescribed medication.

 

Follow Up Treatment

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The success of your treatment depends on keeping all of your scheduled appointments and maintaining your home care as explained by your dentist.  Failure to follow these instructions will result in serious complications that will require further treatment and incur additional fees.

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Following most dental procedures there may or may not be pain, depending on your threshold of pain.  You will be provided with a prescription for appropriate medication for discomfort.  In most cases, a non-narcotic pain regimen will be given consisting of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil).  If a narcotic has been prescribed, follow the directions carefully.  If you have any questions about these medications interacting with other medications you are presently taking, please call our office, your physician and/or your pharmacist.

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IF FOR ANY REASON YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CONDITION, NOTIFY DR MORRIS OR A MEMBER OF OUR OFFICE STAFF IMMEDIATELY BY CALLING THE NUMBERS BELOW IN THE ORDER LISTED.

 

Office (780) 962-3414

The cell number provided by your primary dentist at our office

WestView Health Centre (780) 968-3600 or your nearest hospital