Post-Operative Instructions
Portland, OR
Right After Surgery
Because the removal of impacted teeth is an outpatient surgical procedure, there are some steps you will need to be careful to follow on your way home as well as once you arrive. Right after the surgery, you will find a gauze pad that has been placed over the area where surgery was conducted. Keep this gauze in place for half an hour. You might consider biting down gently, but yet firmly in order to place consistent and steady pressure on the wound as this will help keep any bleeding under control. After the half hour has passed, you can replace the gauze with a clean pad if bleeding persists.
Do not irritate the wound! This means that you should avoid vigorous “swishing” or mouth rinsing, no matter how tempting it might seem. The strong motion of liquid rolling around in your mouth as well as the force with which you expel it can disturb the wound and dislodge the blood clot that has formed. This can instigate more bleeding and set back the healing process. Also, avoid touching the area for the same reason.
Take your pain medication as soon as the local anesthetic begins to wear off. When it comes to dental pain, you want to stay ahead of the curve rather than play “catch up”. Take the medication as prescribed. You should also apply ice packs on the your face where the surgery was conducted.
Bleeding
If you experience bleeding or oozing, don’t worry – this is normal. Continue to place fresh gauze over the wound and bite down firmly for thirty minutes or longer in order to stem this for at least a few rounds. Try using a moistened tea bag if the gauze does not seem to be helping. You should also ensure you are sitting upright and are avoiding exercise. Contact us if neither of the aforementioned options work.
Diet
Make sure that you take in enough liquid to remain hydrated! This is especially true right after the procedure, when you should avoid any hard foods and stick to soft food and liquids in order to help the wound heal and the blood clot form. You also should stick to cool or lukewarm beverages because hot liquid (or food) can dissolve the blood clot that needs to form in order for your wound to heal.
If you find yourself with questions or concerns after surgery that the above information does not help to quell, give us a call at (503) 455-4673 and let us help.