Post-Operative Instructions

POST OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXTRACTIONS

The first two days after an extraction are the most critical. The day of the extraction, our biggest concern is the formation of a good, strong blood clot. It is from the blood clot that new bone formation begins. This is necessary in order to fill in the holes left by the tooth that was removed

In order to protect the clot, we STRONGLY recommend the following:

The days following the extraction our primary concern is to keep the area(s) clean. The area cannot heal, and new bone cannot form if food debris is allowed to stay in the sockets

AVOID: CHIPS, NUTS, CRACKERS, RICE, CRUNCHY FOODS

Starting the second day, you may rinse your mouth with a Hydrogen Peroxide solution. This solution you can make at home. It will be a 1:10 dilution (one part hydrogen peroxide, ten parts water) that you can rinse with after each meal. You may brush the rest of your teeth (avoid the socket area). 

Rinse with warm salt water between meals is recommended to aid in healing. Continue to refrain from ​Smoking. ​ No Smoking is recommended for 3 to 4 days. The longer you go without smoking, the less likely you are to develop a dry socket. Any type of smoking is very irritating to the freshly exposed bone. 

If you have been told to return to have the sutures removed or to have the area checked, please be sure to keep this appointment. 

Pain Management:​ If you have not been prescribed a pain medication and are able to take Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol), we recommend taking 800mg of Ibuprofen and 1000mg of Tylenol every 8 hours. Do not exceed this dosage. 

 If in the days following your extraction(s), you have ANY questions, please call us. We prefer that you do that rather than worry unnecessarily. 

Antibiotics– You may have been given an antibiotic. Please take it as directed until it is gone.

Peridex (Chlorhexidine) Mouth Rinse – GENTLY rinse with ½ ounce twice daily after brushing the remaining teeth in the nonsurgical sites.

Diet:​ Drink plenty of liquids, but not through a straw. Stay on a soft diet for the first 48 hours after the procedure. 

Swelling:​ It is natural to expect some swelling after surgery. To keep swelling to a minimum, apply an ice pack to the outside of your face for 15 minutes and then 15 minutes off for the next 24 hours (except while sleeping). Sleep with your head on two pillows; keeping your head slightly elevated will help minimize swelling.

Bleeding: It is natural to have some blood mixed with your saliva for the first two or three days after surgery. However, a bleeding problem would be considered if your mouth were to fill rapidly with blood in just a few minutes. Should this occur, do not rinse to stop the bleeding. Take a wet tea bag and place it over the bleeding area and press firmly for twenty minutes. If the bleeding will not stop, call the office.

Hygiene: In the first 24 hours you are not to rinse or spit as this may disrupt the blood clot and cause further bleeding. After 24 hours you may begin to brush your teeth and gums gently. Do not floss. If you have a denture or partial, because of swelling, it may not fit well the first week or two but should settle in over time. Please leave the denture out as much as possible the first 3 weeks after surgery, especially at night. If the partial or denture is hitting an implant, please call our office immediately to have the denture adjusted. Early trauma to the implant could cause it to be compromised.

In some cases, swelling may cover the healing abutment for a few weeks until the swelling subsides. The healing abutment will hold the gum tissue back from the implant until your dentist is ready to place the final crown. The healing abutment may, on occasion, come loose or even

fall out during the healing period. If this occurs, please call the office at the phone number below and it will be tightened or replaced. Loosening or loss of the healing abutment will not damage the implant if it is addressed promptly. Failure to inform your surgeon of a loose abutment could cause infection or even loss of the implant if ignored.

​For Pain:​ If the doctor prescribes a medication for pain, please make sure you take the medication as directed. Also, if not prescribed a medication, you may take Ibuprofen and Tylenol alternating every 2 hours or as recommended by the doctor.