Oral Surgery Recovery

Follow Up Care after Oral Surgery

Oral surgery should be treated like any other surgery to other parts of the body. After oral surgery, be sure to pay careful attention to post-operative procedures and take it easy for the first 12 hours of oral surgery recovery. Read on to learn what to do if you experience swelling, bleeding, or a fever after an oral surgery procedure.

Oral Surgery Recovery Tips

Swelling

Place ice packs, 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off, on the area of your face closest to the surgical site(s) for the first 24-48 hours. This will help minimize swelling and discomfort.

Bleeding

Bleeding following surgery is expected. Apply pressure with gauze and maintain for at least 60 minutes. Extra sterile gauze will be provided but refrain from changing too often as this can disrupt the blood clot from forming. Limit activity and exercise 1-4 days post-surgery

Fever

You may experience slight fever or chills. This is normal for the first 24 hours. Contact our office if your fever continues for more than 24 hours or if your temperature exceeds 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

Medications

Please take prescribed medications as directed, your doctor may choose to prescribe an antibiotic. If you are taking an antibiotic finish the entire regime, even if you are feeling fine. Refrain from driving a vehicle or consuming alcohol while on narcotic pain medication.

Oral hygiene

It is important to keep your mouth clean by rinsing. Sometimes your doctor may prescribe a special rinse. Follow the directions on the bottle. You may gently brush the chewing surfaces in the surgical area, however, take special care to avoid brushing and flossing the gum tissues. Do not try to see the surgical area by pulling on your lips, as this may cause extensive damage!

What to eat after oral surgery

Do not eat or drink anything hot for 24 hours. Drink plenty of fluids, and unless otherwise specified, continue a soft diet for 6-7 days. Some suggestions: diet supplement drinks, yogurt, pudding, eggs, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, warm soup, fish and pasta. These are only suggestions, avoid popcorn, spicy, acidic, seedy, nutty and crunchy foods. Please use common sense. Your body needs fuel to heal, if you don’t want to eat a large meal, try several smaller ones. Do not drink through a straw or smoke for 72 hours, as this may disrupt the healing process causing pain and complications.

Miscellaneous Tips for Oral Surgery Recovery

Pain in the ear, difficulty in swallowing, difficulty in opening and closing the jaw and some bruising of the skin are possible side effects of your surgery. These are normal occurrences and should last no more than a couple of days. If a dressing was placed, it should remain in place for a few days but if it comes out don’t worry. Your follow-up appointment will be scheduled for 7-10 days following surgery. Sutures will be removed if necessary and the area will be checked to ensure proper healing is occurring. This is a very important appointment. Please keep physical activity to a minimum the first 72 hours.

Contacting Our Office During Oral Surgery Recovery

If you have any concerns or are experiencing pain that is increasing as time goes by, you may contact our office. A doctor is on call 24 hours a day to assist you in case of an extreme emergency.