After Care Instructions - Danbury and New Milford Oral Surgery

1) You may have dressings in place. These dressing are there to help protect your surgical site, and to help with any bleeding or oozing that may still be occurring. It is normal to have some bleeding and oozing from your surgery. If there is gauze in your mouth, biting and holding pressure will help to slow or stop the oozing. You should bite on this gauze for at least one hour. After one hour the bleeding may still be present. You should then change the gauze and continue to keep pressure on it. The oozing commonly lasts around 24 hours, and this is normal.

2) You should NOTbe spitting, using a straw, or rinsing on the day of your surgery unless your doctor specifically told you to do so. Following these orders will also help to stop the bleeding and oozing and will help to prevent certain complications.

3) The day after your surgery, rinsing with a glass of warm salt water (about a teaspoon of salt in full glass of water) several times throughout the day will help to keep the area clean and prevent infections. Do not vigorously rinse, and do not spit, rather let the water just fall back into the sink. It is best to do this every few hours, especially after eating and drinking.

4) NO SMOKING. This is a big reason that complications occur. It is advised to remain from not smoking for at least 3 days after any procedure. The longer you wait the better, and as always quitting entirely would be the best. Unfortunately, this can cause significantly painful complications, so please do not smoke.

5) Eating and drinking are OK as soon as you feel comfortable. You should be sure to keep well hydrated. Common sense says to eat softer foods for the first few days, and stay away from crunchy foods that can get caught in the surgical site. In addition it is advisable to eat when taking pain medications. You may want to stay away from temperature extremes if you are still numb, because it may burn without you even knowing it. Also, spicy foods and highly acidic foods may be uncomfortable at first.

6) The best treatment to prevent swelling is ICE. Ice from the freezer in a plastic bag, wrapped with a towel is best. A regimen of 20 minutes with the ice against your face, and then 20 minutes without it should be used as much as possible for the first 24 hours. You will still have swelling, but this will help to minimize it.

7) The day after your surgery it is a good idea to start brushing your teeth again. Be very gentle the first few days, and stay clear of the surgical sites. Be sure not to rinse or spit too vigorously.

8) The pain medication prescribed is for your comfort. Take it as directed and only if needed. Any other prescriptions should be taken as directed from the doctor and on the bottle. Often over-the-counter medications are advised, and these too should be taken as directed. Always be sure to complete the full course of any antibiotic, if one is prescribed.

Understanding how to help take care of yourself after an Oral and Maxillofacial surgical procedure will ease your post-operative recovery period. If you have any questions or need assistance someone is always available for your urgent needs.

We can be reached at all times at (203)-790-0183 if you need any assistance. Thank you for choosing us for your surgical needs.