After Treatment Instructions
Routine Post-Op Instructions
LANAP Post-Op Instructions
Grafting Post-Op Instructions
Routine Post-Operative Instructions
Patients who have undergone IV sedation should be carefully attended by a responsible person for at least six hours after leaving the office. The patient is not permitted to operate machinery on the day of surgery.
NO EXERCISE FOR ONE WEEK! ONLY EASY WALKING AROUND THE HOUSE AND NOT FOR EXERCISE. EXERCISE IN THE FIRST FEW DAYS EQUALS MORE SWELLING AND MORE PAIN LATER IN THE WEEK!
BLEEDING – Bleeding follows any oral surgery and should not alarm you unless it is excessive or persistent. Bleeding can usually be controlled by placing a firm roll of gauze over the bleeding area and exerting FIRM PRESSURE by closing the teeth together for approximately ONE HOUR. The gauze may be removed after an hour and should not be replaced unless the wound continues to bleed. Slight oozing for 24 hours post-op is normal and is not unusual for your saliva to be blood-tinged for one or two days following surgery. If bleeding continues, despite the use of several applications of gauze, a moistened tea bag may be placed over the extraction site for 30 minutes followed by clean gauze for an additional 30 minutes. Sleep with your head slightly elevated the first 1-3 days after surgery.
NAUSEA & VOMITING – Nausea and vomiting is not unusual following sedation and oral surgery. It is usually caused by a combination of the narcotic in pain medication and the swallowing blood after surgery. These symptoms will usually pass within 6 to 12 hours after surgery. Nausea and vomiting may be relieved by staying in a semi-reclined position and remaining as motionless as possible.
PLEASE CALL IF YOUR NAUSEA DOES NOT GO AWAY WITHIN 4 TO 6 HOURS.
ICE BAG – An ice bag/cold pack should be used on the face during the first 48 hours to help decrease swelling. Leave it on for 15 minutes; then off for 45 minutes a few times per day. Ice does not need to be applied during the night. NEVER USE HEAT.
PAIN – A certain amount of discomfort is to be expected following oral surgery. This varies with the severity of surgery required. It is advisable to take the pain medicine before the numbing wears off! Pain medication may be repeated every 3 to 4 hours and should be taken before pain become unbearable. It is advisable not to take medications on an empty stomach as this may cause nausea and vomiting. If antibiotics have been prescribed, please take as directed on the label until all the medication is finished. Should you develop nausea, vomiting, skin rash, or diarrhea with prescription medication, PLEASE STOP TAKING MEDICATION AND CONTACT OUR OFFICE.
SMOKING – Smoking is not advisable for the first 7 days following surgery. This is one of the main causes of dry sockets. Smoking delays healing.
ALCOHOL – consumption of alcohol is also responsible for many dry sockets. Avoid drinking for the first 7 days post-op care. Alcohol increases bleeding.
SWELLING AND DISCOLORATION – these are a part of the healing process and unless extreme are of no practical importance. Swelling is usually the greatest 72 hours after surgery.
DIET – a soft diet should be maintained for a week or so following your surgical procedure.
RINSING – do not rinse your mouth vigorously as this could dislodge blood clots and slow down healing.
BRUSHING – You must clean your teeth as usual with very gentle brushing and flossing especially in the treated areas. Rinse with one ounce of Peridex after you have brushed and flossed. Brush and floss every 8 hours starting the day after surgery. Peridex is usually not given for regular extractions.
Proper care following oral surgery procedures will hasten recovery and reduce complications. If any unusual symptoms or complications occur, please call our office at once.
Laser Therapy Post-Operative Instructions
- Take all antibiotics as directed (if prescribed to you).
- Take pain medications as directed (if prescribed to you).
- Do not brush or floss the teeth that have been treated for one week. Use only the PerioScience Gel for those areas for the first week, which we will give you. Brush and floss all your other teeth as normal.
- Eat soft foods for the first week (anything you can cut with a fork).
- After your first full week, you may return to brushing, flossing, and eating as normal.
- If you have a night guard, please wear it.
Your final results will be determined after one full year. You will need to come to our office for your Periodontal Maintenance visits every three months to obtain optimal result. Your full compliance will make your treatment more successful. These visits are not included in your initial fees.
Instructions Following Grafting
Post-Operative Schedule: We would like to see you approximately once per week during the first month or so. These visits are included as part of your initial treatment.
Home Care Instructions After Grafting:
- Day 0-7: Use gel (we will provide) on the surgical areas, do not brush or floss these surgical sites (clean all other teeth as usual).
- Day 7-14: Use red brush (we will provide) on enamel and continue to use gel.
- Day 14-21: Use red brush, begin flossing twice daily, and continue with gel.
- Thereafter: use an “extra-soft manual” toothbrush and floss twice daily until we say to use an automatic toothbrush.
Bacterial Control Plan During the First Year After Grafting: We would like to see you for hygiene visits at three-month intervals while the sites are maturing. It takes about 12 months for the grafts to mature. These visits are not included in your initial fees.
The goal of hygiene is to be gentle and not disturb the areas that were grafted for 2 weeks while the new tissue clots, attaches, and heals. Do not pull your lip out to look at it or directly push on the grafted areas. We want you to specifically avoid brushing, flossing, water picking, and all forms of oral hygiene aides and in general, anything else imaginable to touch the graft area with during the first two weeks or until we ask you to. Above are some guidelines, but we may alter them for your case. Please be patient since everyone heals at different rates.
Try to eat soft foods. If it can be easily cut with a fork, then I would consider it soft. Try to avoid hard, crunchy foods even if you can cut them with a fork.
Begin using gel the day after your surgery. For oral hygiene between office visits, use the Perio Science Gel five times a day for the first week, and three times a day the second week. Place a small pea-sized amount on tongue and spread around all teeth especially surgical sites and spit. We will help you clean your teeth as needed at the post-op visits. Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after use of each product. We will remove any sutures as needed at the post-op visits.
It is helpful to apply a cold pack to the outside of the cheek as often as practical during the first 48 hours. This will help reduce the swelling which is expected and is usually the worst on the third or fourth day after surgery. Swelling usually slowly goes down over the first two weeks. Swelling and bruising usually come together and go away together.
There may be some bleeding afterwards for the first day. Use the gauze we provided and apply gentle pressure for 30 minutes. Moisten the gauze with water before putting it against the gum tissue.
Do not exercise for the first week after surgery. Just rest and walk around to do your daily activities. If what you are doing is causing your heart rate to increase and you are sweating, then you should stop doing it unless you want more swelling, pain and possible graft failure.
The grafted areas will go through a number of color changes and will start looking good again around 6 weeks. Please don’t pull your lips out to look at it. We will give you feedback on how it is going at the post-op visits.
Tooth sensitivity is common during the healing the and usually resolves, but if it is still a problem after 6 weeks, we can try a number of treatments to try and help reduce the symptoms.
Please take your pain medications as prescribed and call us if the medicine is not helping you.