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POST-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWING SURGICAL PROCEDURE

Our goal is for your healing process after an extraction to be as comfortable as possible. The removal of teeth is a surgical procedure and post-operative care is imperative. Please follow all instructions carefully to avoid any unnecessary pain and possible infection. If you have any difficulties or concerns following your surgery, please do not hesitate to call us or return to our office for a follow-up exam.

THE FIRST 48 HOURS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME FOR HEALING!

TAKE CAREFUL NOTE OF THE INSTRUCTIONS TO AVOID INFECTION or DRY SOCKET

FIRST 48 Hours

  • Keep the gauze pad placed over the surgical area with pressure applied by biting down for the first 30 minutes
  • In case of swelling, place ice pack on the side of your face where surgery was performed for 15-20 minutes at a time
  • Do NOT eat or drink anything HOT (it disturbs healing)
  • Do NOT suck on a straw, spit or smoke (it disturbs healing)
  • Restrict your activities the day of surgery, and resume normal activity in 2-3 days.
  • For mild discomfort, take Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Maximum dosage 4 tabs (200mg tablets) every 4-6 hours
  • Place a towel on your pillow tonight! There will be oozing of blood for the first 24-48 hours (do not be alarmed, saliva mixed with blood may appear to be a lot of blood)

AFTER First 48 Hours

  • Continue to be careful! After the first 48 hours is when patients feel a lot better and resume normal eating and drinking too quickly. If you experience increasing pain, you have disturbed the healing process!
  • Use a warm salt water rinse every 4 hours and after meals to disinfect and flush out particles of food and debris that may lodge in the area
  • Slowly ease into warm and regular hardness foods
  • Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva is not uncommon. Bleeding is best controlled by the use of pressure. Excessive bleeding may be controlled by placing a gauze pad over the area and biting firmly for thirty minutes. Repeat if necessary. If bleeding has not decreased in 3-4 hours, bite on a dampened tea bag placed directly over the surgical site. The tannic acid in the tea helps the blood to clot

When in doubt, call us or come see us. We are available for you! Remember we are here on Sundays and weekday evenings till 8pm for your convenience!

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