It is our goal at Dulles Oral Surgical Center that your recovery be as smooth and comfortable as possible. By following your at home post-operative instructions carefully, you can minimize unnecessary pain, complications of infection, and excessive swelling.  

 

Please read these instructions carefully. If after reading these directions you have any questions call the office and your doctor will be happy to speak with you.

 

FIRST HOUR FOLLOWING YOUR PROCEDURE 

 

  • GAUZE PRESSURE – Bite down firmly on the gauze packs that have been placed over the surgical areas. Do not change them for the first 30 minutes unless the bleeding is heavy. After 30 minutes, place enough new gauze to obtain pressure over the surgical site for another 30 minutes. The gauze may then be changed as necessary (typically every 20 to 30 minutes). It is best to slightly moisten the gauze with tap water and loosely fluff for more comfortable positioning. Bleeding from oral surgery may take 24 hours to fully stop.
  • PAIN MEDICATION – If instructed by your surgeon, you should take over-the-counter Motrin or Advil, 2 tablets every 6 hours continuously for the first two days. The active generic ingredient is ibuprofen and you may find the store brand equally effective and less expensive. Take the first dose immediately and before the local anesthesia has worn off. If you were treated under general anesthesia and have not eaten, it is important that you eat as the medications can cause upset stomach. You may use the prescription medication on top of and in-addition-to the Motrin/Advil tablets as needed.
  • PROTECTING THE BLOOD CLOT – Do not rinse, smoke, or drink with a straw for at least 48 hours after your surgery. The chemicals in cigarettes are caustic and will delay healing, increase post-operative pain, swelling, risk of infection, and dry socket.
  • ICE PACKS – Swelling is common following oral surgery. Swelling can be minimized by using cold packs, or a bag of frozen peas applied firmly to the cheek nearest to the surgical area. This should be applied twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off during the first 24 hours after surgery. Do not use any ice after the first 24 hours. 

AFTER THE FIRST HOUR

  • PERSISTENT BLEEDING – Mild bleeding or oozing is normal during the first 24 hours. If bleeding persists or becomes heavy you may substitute a tea bag (soaked in warm water, squeezed damp-dry and wrapped in a moist gauze) for 20 or 30 minutes. The tea contains a beneficial chemical that locally constricts blood vessels. If bleeding remains uncontrolled after a full hour of using the tea bags, call our office. Remove the gauze while you eat and sleep. It is completely normal to experience mild oozing of blood from the surgical area for a full 24 hrs. Once the bleeding has stopped you do not have to use anymore gauze.
  • MANAGING POST-OPERATIVE PAIN – Unfortunately, most oral surgery is accompanied by some degree of discomfort and you may be given a prescription for pain medication. To best manage your discomfort, you should take the first pill before the numbness has worn off.
  • NAUSEA – Nausea can occur after anesthesia or surgery. It generally improves within 4-6 hours. Nausea following anesthesia is normal. Try sipping small amounts of clear liquids to prevent dehydration. 
  • PAIN MEDICATION PRECAUTIONS – The prescription pain medication given to you by the doctor may cause drowsiness, decreased reaction time, blurred vision and change in mental status. Do not drive, operate dangerous machinery, make important decisions or perform strenuous exercises while taking these medications. Failure to follow these instructions increases your risk of causing injury to yourself and others.​

POST-OP DAY #2 AND BEYOND

  • ORAL HYGIENE – Keeping your mouth clean after surgery is essential. In addition to any prescription mouthwashes you may have been given, you may use 1 teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8 ounce glass of warm water and gently rinse with portions of the solution, taking five minutes to use the entire glassful. Repeat as often as you like, but at least twice a day. Avoid commercial mouthwashes, the alcohol they contain may irritate the surgical site. Please use caution when brushing around the surgical site for the first two weeks. We do encourage you to brush and floss all other areas as you normally would.  Good oral hygiene is key to a healthy surgical site.
  • HEALING – Normal healing after tooth extraction should be as follows: The first three days after surgery are generally the most uncomfortable and there is usually some swelling. On the 4th day you should be more comfortable and, although still swollen, can usually begin a more normal diet. The remainder of the post-operative course should be a gradual, steady improvement. If you do not see continued improvement, please call our office.
  • DRY SOCKET – A dry socket is a painful condition that results from premature loss of the blood clot. Symptoms of a dry socket typically occur on the 3rd or 4th post-operative day. Severe throbbing pain, which is not responsive to pain medications and bad breath, are the usual complaints. This condition requires an office visit where your surgeon will gently place a medicated dressing into the tooth socket. 
  • SUTURES –  Dissolvable stitches will begin to break on their own with good use of salt water rinsing, typically around 5-7 days after treatment. 

Contact our office immediately if you experience any excessive bleeding or drainage from the surgical site, have unusual redness or pain, or start running a temperature higher than 101°.