After Exposure of an Impacted Tooth
Pain and Soreness
Bleeding
Swelling
Diet
Pain
Oral Hygiene
Activity
The Post-Operative Appointment
Pain and Soreness
On the day of surgery, patients may still feel the effects of the local anesthetic for a few hours. Pain is usually well controlled with either prescription or over the counter pain medications. On the second or third day, patients may be very sore and their jaw may be stiff. Pain and soreness should lessen daily. If the patient has pain that becomes worse after a few days, (generally 3-5 days after surgery), this may indicate a problem in your recovery. It is important that Dr. Maranon be contacted and arrangements made to have the surgical site evaluated.
Other teeth on the same side of the surgery may ache temporarily. Patients may have a sore throat or earache for a few days. Advil is best for these symptoms.
Bleeding
Care must be taken not to disturb the wound. If surgical packing was placed, it should be left alone. The pack helps to keep the tooth exposed. If it gets dislodged or falls out it should not cause alarm. The office should be contacted as soon as possible. The packing may need to be removed a week or two after surgery.
Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for the first 24 to 36 hours following surgery. Heavy bleeding can frequently be controlled by biting with pressure on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues or if there are concerns about bleeding, please call the office for further instructions.
Immediately after surgery, it is important to bite with continuous firm pressure on moistened gauze, folded into a 2 inch square, and placed over the surgical site for about 2 hours. The gauze can be changed every 30 to 45 minutes thereafter. To minimize bleeding, it is helpful to sit upright or elevate the head.
If there is excessive bleeding, it may be controlled by gently rinsing or wiping out blood clots and then placing a fresh gauze pad over the site and biting firmly for thirty minutes. This can be repeated if necessary. If bleeding continues, this may be controlled by biting firmly on a moistened Lipton or black tea bag for 30 to 45 minutes. If bleeding continues or if there are concerns about bleeding, Dr. Maranon should be contacted immediately.
Swelling
Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. It increases until the second or third post-operative day and resolves in about a week. To minimize swelling, patients will be provided with ice packs to be applied to the face over the surgical sites. Apply the ice for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off as much as possible for the first 36 hours following surgery. Do not use heat unless specifically directed to do so. Light physical activity the day after surgery will help reduce swelling.
Diet
If patients have had their procedure under sedation of general anesthesia, they must read the diet instructions for After Anesthesia. Patients should drink plenty of fluids. They must avoid hot liquids and hot food. Soft food and liquids should be eaten for the first few days after surgery. Return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed.
Pain
You should begin taking pain medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. For moderate pain, 1 or 2 tabs of Tylenol or Extra Strength may be taken. Tylenol may be taken every 3-4 hours. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) may be taken instead of Tylenol. Ibuprofen bought over the counter comes in 200 mg tablets: 2-3 tablets may be taken every 3-4 hours as needed for pain. For severe pain, the prescribed medication should be taken as directed.
Oral Hygiene
Mouth cleanliness is essential to proper healing. Patients must clean their mouths thoroughly after each meal beginning the day after surgery. They should brush their teeth well, taking extra care around the surgical site. Rinse with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) or dilute non-prescription mouthwash after meals. Continue this process until healing is complete.
REMEMBER: A clean wound heals better and faster.
Activity
Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. After surgery, exercise can cause throbbing or bleeding to occur. If this occurs, patients should discontinue exercising. Patients should remember that nourishment and hydration may be reduced after surgery and that exercise may weaken patients further. If you get light headed, stop exercising.
The Post-Operative Appointment
Dr. Maranon needs to monitor the recovery of every extraction patient. Patients will have a number of implant post-operative appointments in our office. It is important that patients keep every appointment, even if they feel they are healing well. Those appointments must be kept except for unforeseen circumstances. If a patient must change an appointment, it is important that they arrange another appointment as soon as possible. Dr. Maranon prides himself on his many implant successes. Patient participation and communication play a big role in the success of the implant treatment.
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