- Some pain, bleeding, swelling, and seeping is normal following oral surgery. Please do not try to view the site by pulling on your lip and do not probe the area with your tongue or fingers. If you experience excessive bleeding or discomfort after 48-72 hours, please call our office immediately.
- You can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen according to the instructions on the label or those provided by our office as needed.
- Swelling around the face, eyes, and surgical site is not uncommon and may become more noticeable two to three days following surgery. Applying a cold compress to the face near the implant site will help minimize swelling. If using an ice pack, please do not apply ice directly to your skin but place a cloth between the ice and your skin at all times. You may apply the cold compress for up to 20 minutes on and at least 20 minutes off as needed. After 36 hours the cold compress will have no further impact on swelling. After this period, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face can help reduce swelling.
- A warm salt water rinse, approximately ½ teaspoon in an eight-ounce glass of water, three times a day can be helpful.
- Avoid brushing your teeth near the surgery site but brush and floss the rest of your mouth as instructed by our office.
- For 24 hours following your surgery, do not suck on a straw, brush, rinse, spit, or smoke.
- For the first 24 hours, you may experience some cold and heat sensitivity. Avoid hot and spicy foods as well as carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
- Restrict your activities on the day of your surgery. Avoid excessive work or play, and resume normal activity the following day as tolerated.
- After the first day, gently rinse with a warm salt water rinse, approximately one-half teaspoon of salt in an eight-ounce glass of water, three times a day.
- During the first few days after surgery restrict your diet to liquids and soft foods such as soups, yogurt, juice, and smoothies.
- Follow any other instructions provided by the office on your visit. Please take all medications as prescribed including your prescribed antibiotics to help prevent infection.
- If you have a denture that overlaps the implant site, please minimize the use of the denture following surgery to allow the site to heal. After the first week, you should be able to gradually increase the amount of time you can wear your denture.
- It is extremely important to keep your follow-up appointment(s) so that we can monitor the healing process.
- If pain and swelling are increasing after a few days, please call our office right away.
- It is important that you avoid chewing and hot liquids until all of the numbness has worn off. You may unknowingly bite or burn your tongue, cheek, etc.
- Some mild discomfort is to be expected. Your gums, teeth, and jaw all have the potential for being sore or sensitive to pressure or changes in temperature. Generally, this only lasts for a few days.
- We recommend that you take a single dose of an over-the-counter pain medication before your anesthetic wears off. The ideal dosage and medication is 400 mg of ibuprofen. If you are not able to take this medication, 500 mg of acetaminophen is the second best choice. Additional pain medications/prescriptions, if provided, will be explained to you. Do not take any medication to which you are allergic or which any doctor has instructed you not to take.
- Please take the provided antibiotic to help clear/prevent infection. It is important that you take the antibiotic as directed and complete the full course of the antibiotic. Do not take any medication to which you are allergic or which any doctor has instructed you not to take.
- If provided, gently rinse your mouth with the chlorhexidine oral rinse after breakfast and before bed to keep the surgical area clean in the absence of brushing and flossing in that area.
- It is important that you respect the fragility of the bone graft area. Eat only recommended soft foods for 1 week. Eat slowly and carefully. Concentrate on chewing your food away from the area of the bone graft. Drink plenty of fluids.
- You may experience minor bleeding for the next 48 hours. If bleeding occurs, bite down on the provided gauze for 30 minutes at a time until the bleeding stops. Do not brush or floss in the area of the procedure for 1 week. Avoid significant exercise for the next 24 hours as it may negatively affect your healing.
- Do not use drinking straws, spit, smoke, or drink alcohol for the next 72 hours.
- Sometimes the cover dislodges from over the bone graft. It looks like a small, mushy sponge. If this occurs, it is of little consequence, and you do not need to let us know. Also, the sutures may become loose. Unless the loose strands are bothersome, you do not need to let us know about this.
- We would like to see you for a quick post-treatment visit in about 1 week. Any sutures will be removed at this appointment. Removing sutures does not require any needles or anesthetic.
- If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for 2-3 days, or a reaction to the medication, call our office immediately.
