For most of us, oral surgery is inevitable at some point. Whether having your wisdom teeth removed, root canal therapy or having a dental implant placed, most of us will need to at some point recover from dental surgery.
There are some tips available to help you recover faster and more comfortably.
- Before coming to our office, prepare your home for you to return not feeling well. This may mean making arrangements to miss a day or work, or asking for rides for your children, or making sure necessary groceries are in the house for a couple of days to reduce your needing to get them in the first day or two following.
- DO NOT smoke while recovering from oral surgery. This may be very difficult for someone who smokes to do, but smoking creates a sucking sensation in your mouth, and sucking can have serious results for you wound area, either invoking more bleeding or disrupting the healing process.
- Do not drink using a straw after oral surgery. Straws may sound like a good idea, but like smoking, straws cause a sucking sensation in your mouth that can cause bleeding and slow the healing process.
- Take prescribed medication as long as indicated on the bottle. In some situations, your dentist may have prescribed medication due to infection present, take the entire amount given as directed. Be sure to notify your dentist of all medications you are currently taking to ensure that your new medicine does not disrupt the process of your current medication.
- Take it easy the first day or two. Relax. Use an ice pack compress to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
- The day following your procedure, you can start gargling salt water, this will help promote healing.
- Notify our office if anything seems unusual, extended bleeding, or severe pain.
Please contact us if you have any questions about recovering from an oral surgery.