Post-Operative Care
What to expect:
Certain tissue responses
ALWAYS follow surgical procedure. Oral surgery, be it simple
tooth extraction or more complicated, is a surgical
procedure and the following responses can be expected.
1. SWELLING: Swelling will
vary from slight to extreme puffiness. There is no way to
predict the amount you will have. Usually fair-skinned
people experience more swelling. Maximum swelling is in 2-3
days and should recede afterwards.
2. TRISMUS: The muscles that
control your mouth are directly involved with impacted
teeth. They are very often divided or reflected to gain
access to the surgical areas. Of course, they will be sore
and may not function properly for several days.
3. PARESTHESIA: The nerves
that supply the lower jaw, lips, gums, tongue, and teeth
pass through the surgical area. They are sometimes disrupted
by the surgery or by the local anesthesia needle. In most
instances this is only a minor nuisance and will disappear
in a few days or a week. On rare occasions this may persist
for a month or longer.
4. SWALLOWING: You will
experience some difficulty in swallowing. This is transient
and will disappear in a few days.
5. BRUISING: Some bruising on
your face may be visible. This is due to leaking of blood
into the tissue space. Discoloration will range from blue to
a yellowish green and will persist for about a week. The
discoloration may "gravitate" to areas below the
surgery.
6. DISCOMFORT: Any injury to
the body causes discomfort. It may vary from minimal to
extreme discomfort depending upon the individual patient and
the extent of surgery.
7. MALAISE: It is normal for
you to feel poorly for a few days after surgery and/or while
taking medication for pain.
8. FEVER: A temperature of
101°F may occur during the first two or three days. It
normally responds to two aspirin or two Tylenol every four
hours. Make sure your fluid intake is high.
9. DRY SOCKET: Sometimes the
body will not properly nourish the blood clot in a tooth
socket. The clot will then disintegrate and wash out. This
leaves the bone uncovered and becomes very painful. Should
this happen to you, you will begin to notice on about the
4th post-operative day that you feel worse and not better.
The pain will frequently occur in your ear. If this happens,
please call the office so we can help you.
Things for you to do:
Generally speaking. YOU MAY
DO ANYTHING THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WHILE DOING. IF ANY
ACTIVITY MAKES YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE... STOP!
1. BLEEDING: When you leave
the office, you will be biting into a gauze pad that has
been placed over the surgical area. MAINTAIN CONSTANT
PRESSURE OVER THE PAD FOR AT LEAST 1 HOUR. DO NOT DISTURB.
THIS A SURGICAL DRESSING. If, after removal, active bleeding
continues, replace this pack with a fresh one and continue
to maintain pressure for another hour. Repeat this cycle
till the bleeding stops. If you use all the gauze before the
bleeding stops, you may use a moist tea bag as you would the
gauze. Expect slight oozing for 72 hours.
2. DISCOMFORT: This is an
extremely variable problem. The usual discomfort is
experienced for about two to three hours after surgery; it
may be severe. Pain medication has been prescribed, and it
is suggested that you start taking the medication before the
local anesthesia wears off. DO NOT OVERDOSE. Discomfort the
following day should not be as intense. Soreness will be
your chief complaint. Headache the next day is common.
3.DIET: Eat anything that you
can chew or swallow with comfort. YOU MUST KEEP YOURSELF
WELL NOURISHED. Milk products may cause nausea, but warm
broths, soups, soft drinks or Gator Aide will usually make
you feel better.
4. MOUTH CARE: Do not
forcefully rinse your mouth for twenty-four hours. This will
often cause clot breakdown and continued bleeding. In
twenty-four hours you may begin active mouth soaks with
warm, mild salt solution. Do not pump water around in your
mouth; just let it soak The more this is done, the better
you will feel. You may brush your teeth by using an
extremely soft-bristled brush.
5. NAUSEA: This is usually
due to not eating or taking too much pain medication. If you
were given an anti-nausea medicine and it is not working,
please call.
6. SUTURES: If stitches have
been placed in your mouth, they should be removed in four to
seven days. If they fall out in twenty-four hours, do not be
alarmed. You will be given an appointment for you
post-operative visit.
7. SORE ARM: Sometimes the
medications given into the vein in you arm will cause the
vein to be sore and feel hard. If this happens, place a hot,
wet towel over the area for 30 minutes three times a day.
8. WORKING, DRIVING, ETC.:
You will need to use good judgment concerning whether to
return to work, to drive, or to manage anything complicated.
The pain medication and the results of the surgery may
interfere with your judgment. If you are feeling poorly or
can notice that you are affected by the medications, stay
home and take care of yourself. Hair washing can be done any
time you desire.
We hope your recovery is an
easy one and sincerely desire to help you any way we can. If
you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call
our office.
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