Post-Treatment

Post-Op Gingival Repair Surgery

Connective Tissue Graft

WE RECOMMEND AVOIDING STRENUOUS EXERCISE OR HEAVY LIFTING FOR 72 HOURS.

1.	Use ice in a towel or ice pack on the outside of your face to minimize swelling. Use for 5 – 10 minutes on, then 5 – 10 minutes off, as much as possible for the first 24 hours.
2.	For the first 24 hours, your first 3 meals should consist of cold liquids alone. Dietary supplements suck as Instant Breakfast or Ensure work well. AVOID chewing on the side of surgery for 4 weeks.
3.	After 24 hours, eat regularly and whatever you can tolerate. Soft foods like cooked vegetables, fish, pasta, and meatloaf work well. AVOID chewing on the side of surgery for 4 weeks.
4.	After 48 hours, moist heat may be used if desired to help speed up the decrease in swelling. A hot, moist towel or hot water bottle works well. If swelling persists or is increasing, call the office. Light bleeding or oozing is normal during the first 1 – 2 days.
5.	No brushing of the site until we give you the go-ahead. This could take 4 – 8 weeks.
6.	Instead of brushing, use the Chlorhexadine mouth rinse twice daily for the 4 – 8 weeks. Use only half the amount instructed on the bottle for rinsing. After the first 2 week, you may dab it on the site instead of rinsing to reduce staining of teeth. Staining is common. Do not use a Water Pik for at least 4 weeks after surgery.
7.	If you have been given a covering for your palate, leave it in for the first 24 hours and then you can remove it for cleaning. We suggest using it during eating and sleeping for at least the next 2 weeks or until you feel the palate is fully comfortable.
8.	DO NOT SMOKE FOR 3 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY. Smoking slows healing and affects the results of treatment.

If you have any problems or questions, please contact our office anytime.

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Post-Op Tooth Extraction

Anesthetic:

The length of time you experience numbness varies, depending on the type and amount of anesthetic you’ve received and the area that what anesthetized. While your mouth is numb, you’ll want to be careful not to bite your cheek, lip, or tongue. For this reason, it is important that you do not have any foods that require chewing while your mouth is numb. If you have liquid foods, it is very important that you do not drink through a straw. The sucking action may loosen the blood clot and prevent proper healing. The numbness should subside within a few hours. If it does not subside, contact our office.

Diet:

Drink lots of liquids and eat soft, nutritious foods. Avoid hot liquids and alcoholic beverages for 24 hours. Do not use a straw. Begin eating solid foods the next day or as soon as you can chew comfortably. For the first few days, try to chew food on the side opposite the extraction site.

Cleaning your mouth:

Do not clean the teeth next to the healing socket for the rest of the day. You should, however, brush and floss your other teeth thoroughly. Gently rinse your mouth afterward, but do not forcefully spit out excess. You may begin cleaning the teeth next to the healing socket the next day. The tongue should also be brushed. This will help eliminate the bad breath and unpleasant taste that are common after an extraction. The day after the extraction, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8 ounce glass of warm water) after meals to keep food particles out of the extraction site. Remember not to rinse vigorously, as this may dislodge the blood clot. Avoid using a mouth rinse or mouthwash during this early healing period unless Dr. Boone advises you to do so.

Bleeding:

Dr. Boone may place a gauze pack on the extraction site to limit bleeding and confine the blood while clotting takes place. This pack should be left in for 1 hour after you leave the office. Do not chew on the pack. If there is still some bleeding or oozing after the pack is removed, follow this procedure:

Fold a piece of clean gauze into a pad thick enough to bite on.
Dampen the pad with clean, warm water and place it directly on the extraction site.
Apply moderate pressure by closing the teeth firmly over the pad. Maintain this pressure for 1 hour.
Replace as necessary.
A slight amount of blood may leak from the extraction site until a clot forms; however, if bleeding continues, contact our office. (A little bit of blood mixed with a lot of saliva can look like a lot of blood – to check if you are having excessive bleeding, see how fast the gauze pack fills with blood.)

The Blood Clot:

After an extraction, a blood clot forms in the tooth socket. This clot is a critical part of the normal healing process. You should avoid activities that might disturb the clot. Here’s how to protect it:

Do not smoke, or rinse your mouth vigorously, or drink through a straw for 24 hours. These activities create suction in the mouth which could dislodge the clot and delay healing.
Limit strenuous activity for 24 hours after the extraction. This will reduce bleeding.
Sometime the blood clot doesn’t form in the first day or two after the extraction, or forms and breaks down for some reason. The result is a dry socket. This can be very painful and should be reported to our office. A dressing may be placed in the socket to protect it until the socket heals.

Swelling and Pain:

After a tooth is removed, you may have some discomfort and notice some swelling. As directed by Dr. Boone, we may have you use cold compresses to your face to help reduce swelling and pain. If you have severe pain, swelling, bleeding, fever, nausea, or vomiting, call our office immediately. If you cannot reach Dr. Boone, go directly to a hospital emergency room.

Medication:

If a prescription for pain is prescribed, make sure to eat soft, nutritious foods after anesthetic has worn off, as some pain medication can cause an upset stomach. Contact our office if you have any difficulties with the medication prescribed.

Follow up one week post-operatively to remove any suture placed and to make sure extraction is healing normally.

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