Dental surgery, as with any surgery, requires that you get plenty of rest and take care of yourself. Please read the following instructions carefully and ask your dental care professional if you have any further questions.

HEMORRHAGE CONTROL
Bite on gauze placed in your mouth so that you exert mild continuous pressure on the wound. Keep the gauze in place until the bleeding has subsided. You may need to change the gauze packs as they become saturated but avoid frequent pack changes, as this will prolong bleeding. Do not go to bed for the evening with the gauze packs in place. Do not drink with a straw or spit unnecessarily as this will also prolong the bleeding. It is normal to have some blood in your saliva for 24 to 48 hours. This should not alarm you.

If brisk bleeding persists, please follow these directions: With a piece of gauze wipe away all excess blood clots. Make a compress by folding a piece of gauze into a ball and place it over the bleeding area and bite down to exert firm pressure for at least one to two hours. It may be necessary to repeat this procedure. A moist teabag placed on the bleeding site with firm pressure for two hours may also be helpful.

REST
Avoid over-fatigue. Go to bed early at night and get adequate rest during the day. Remain inactive for 24 hours after surgery.

PAIN CONTROL
If you were not given a prescription, two aspirin, Anacin, or Tylenol tablets every 4 hours for discomfort should be adequate. If you were given a prescription, use only prescribed medication according to directions. If this does not control the pain, call the office. Avoid taking pain medication on an empty stomach.

SWELLING CONTROL
To minimize swelling after extensive and difficult oral operations, the application of ice packs to the face is effective. The ice packs should be used for 30 minutes out of each hour for the first 24 hours. Ice may be used continuously if placed in a towel to protect the skin from freezing. This will prevent ice burn.

If swelling is present after 24 hours, heat should be placed on the swollen face in the form of a heating pad or hot towels. Use as often as possible until the swelling subsides. Be careful not to burn your skin. The swelling is usually the greatest on the 2nd or 3rd day after surgery and then slowly resolves.

DIET
You may have a clear liquid diet (soups, juices, Jell-O), avoiding dairy products, the day of surgery. Drink plenty of fluids. You may advance to a soft diet as tolerated the following day.

LIPS
If the corners of your mouth are cracked or sore from the retractors during surgery, keep them lubricated with a little Vaseline.

ORAL HYGIENE
Do not rinse for 24 hours as this may dislodge the blood clot. After 24 hours, if the bleeding has stopped, a warm salt-water mouth rinse (1/2 teaspoonful to a glass of warm water) will aid in the healing. Use four times daily after eating and between meals. Do not use mouthwash for at least 24 hours after the surgery.

BLACK AND BLUE
Do not be alarmed if a yellowish blue-black discoloration appears on your face after surgery. It may take a week or more to fade away.

ANTIBIOTICS
It is not always necessary to take antibiotics after a surgical procedure. If you are given a prescription for an antibiotic, have it filled and TAKE ALL OF THE MEDICATION according to the instructions on the label. It is important that you finish all of the antibiotic medication.

SUTURES
Occasionally sutures are placed. Although you may feel them with your tongue, it is best to leave them alone.

POST-OP VISITS
You should return to the office for your post-operative visits at the suggested time. However, feel free to call if you are having problems before your appointment.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

Following any oral surgical procedure (particularly the removal of impacted lower wisdom teeth) several undesirable effects may occur.

• You may have pain that becomes worse after a few days and does not respond to medication you are taking. This may indicate an inflammation of the bone socket. It is necessary for you to call the office and arrange to come in for a sedative dressing.
• Other teeth on the same side may ache temporarily.
• You may have a sore throat or earache for a few days. If the medication you are taking does not make you comfortable, call the office.
• You may develop a fever. If the temperature reaches 101.5 degrees, call the office.
• A numbness of the lower lip or tongue may occur on the same side as the surgery. This should cause no alarm since it will usually disappear in time. Mention this at your post-operative visit.
• There may be a "hole" in your gum after surgery. This will fill in with time. Rinse your mouth after meals to keep it clean.

If you are in doubt about your post-operative course, telephone the office. It is better to discuss your problem with the doctor or his staff than to listen to the advice of a "well meaning" neighbor or friend.

DO

• Do rinse out extraction sites after meals.
• Do rinse with warm salt water several times a day starting the day after the surgery.
• Do finish ALL your antibiotics if they have been prescribed.
• Do get plenty of rest and remain inactive for 24 hours after surgery.
• Do call the office if the pain in not managed by the prescription provided by the doctor or with over-the-counter pain medication.
• Do call the office if you develop a fever over 101.5 Fahrenheit.
• Do call the office if you have additional questions or concerns relating to your dental surgery.
• Do attend your post-operative appointments.

DO NOT

• Do not smoke or drink alcohol for at least 48 hours, as these can dry out the sockets.
• Do not eat or drink milk products for at least 24 hours.
• Do not use a straw to drink liquids.
• Do not use mouthwash for at least 24 hours.

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