Trynot to disturb the wound and temporary stitches. Avoid rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound on the day of surgery. In most instances, there will be a metal healing abutment protruding through the gingival (gum) tissue.

Bleeding

Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills up rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on thebleeding wound for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues please call for further instructions.

Swelling

Swelling is a normal occurrence afterany surgeryand it is most noticeable on the 3rd to 5th day. This is a physiologic phenomenon called “third-spacing”. To minimize the swelling applycold compress for the for the first2 days. After surgery we will provide you with a specially designed ice compress to help you with this task. Addtionally, you can use any over-the-counter ice bag, or a plastic bag filled with frozen vegetables, or towel filled with ice on the cheek. Apply the ice as much as possible,20 minutes on; 20 minutes off.

Diet

Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid extremes of temperature: hot or cold liquids or food. Soft, non-chewing diet andliquids should be the mainstay of your diet for the first few days. As you feel yourself feeling normal once again, you can return to your regular chewing diet. During your daily routine, if you do anything that induces pain, that is your body telling you to slow-down and take a step back. Try to stay hydrated and avoid caffeinated beverages. One of the most common cause of post-surgery nausea is dehydration!

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication as soon as you get home, before the “numbness” feeling ofthe local anesthetic wears off. As with most medications, try to eat something before you take the pain medications. On an empty stomach, the medications may cause nausea and vomiting. Each doctor will prescribe a series of pain medications. Please follow the instructions closely and feel free to call us 24/7 if there are any questions or concerns. We are here for you, anytime!

Antibiotics

Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics as directed to help prevent infection. This sometimes provided on select patients who present with pre-existing signs of infection or those who are immuno-compromised.

Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. You must maintain good hygiene for the surgery to be successful. This includes cleaning your mouth everytime you have a meal. When brushing use extreme care to avoid the areas of surgery, but cleanse the other areas of the mouth. You may be given a prescription mouthwash called “Peridex”. Start using it the following day, at least twice a day or after every meal. Be sure tohold theliquid in the mouth for at least 30 seconds then gently let it out over the sink. Try not to swish to vigorously, as this may disturb the healing site and the temporary resorable stitches. In the absence of Peridex, you can create warm salt water rinse (One teaspoon of salt in an 8 ouncecup of warm water).

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. This is specially true for the first 2 days, if you are interested in keeping the swelling to a minimum. Anything activity that increases your blood pressure will lead tothrobbing pain or new-onset of bleeding. If this occurs, you should discontinue the activity and try to reduce your heartrate and hence blood pressure.

Wearing your Prosthesis

Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures should not be used immediately after surgery and for at least 10 days. This was discussed in the pre-operative consultation.