Post-operative Instructions For Surgery Patients

We know having dental surgery isn't your idea of a fun time. But we are committed to helping you recover from your necessary surgical procedures. Please read the information below and call your DentFirst doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

Bleeding


Be sure to bite on the gauze you were given. This keeps pressure on the wound and allows the socket to fill properly with its clot. It keeps saliva from washing away the healing tissues which are trying to form.

After you have clamped down on the gauze for a period of 30 minutes or so, please remove the soaked pack and look at the extraction site in the mirror. If the oozing has stopped then you are done with the gauze. If there is still oozing from the site then repack it with the extra gauze you were given by the surgical assistant.

Spitting, rinsing, sucking on a straw or smoking will cause the clot to be washed or sucked out of the socket. If this happens the healing will not occur as desired. Instead of spitting (which causes suction) just wipe the saliva with a tissue.

Remember that a little bit of blood mixed with a lot of saliva looks like more blood than there actually is.

Call the office, or answering service, if the bleeding is profuse and will not stop or if you look into your mouth and see a large clot which looks like a piece of raw liver.

24 hours after your surgery you can rinse your mouth with warm salt water. By that time the clot will have formed and be strong enough so that gentle rinsing will not dislodge it.
 

Swelling

 To minimize swelling, if there was no infection and if instructed, place an ice pack on your face over the affected area for 20 minutes and then remove it for the next 20 minutes. Repeat this as necessary. This technique only works during the first 24 hours after your surgery. After the first 24 hours it is best to apply a hot wet washcloth, instead.
 
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