Health Centered Dentistry

Extraction & Immediate Denture Post-Op Instructions

General Expectations

  • Slight swelling of the operated area is not unusual.  Even bruising and chapped lips may occur. A reusable ice bag or a frozen vegetable bag, wrapped in a soft towel, may be applied to the area of surgery to help minimize the swelling of your face.  Alternating 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off will usually be adequate during the first 24-48 hours after surgery.
  • Keeping your head elevated above your heart will also help.  One to two days after surgery, moist heat will help resolve minor swelling.  Major swelling should be reported to the doctor at once.
  • You may experience some tooth sensitivity after surgery, especially to cold.  Sensitivity usually decreases within several weeks after surgery and can be minimized by keeping the area as free of plaque as possible.  If the sensitivity is extreme, contact the doctor for recommendations or medications to relieve the discomfort.
  • Minor bleeding, such as a pinkish tinge to your saliva, may occur during the first 48 hours following surgery.  Avoid extremely hot foods for the rest of the day and do NOT rinse out your mouth, as these will often prolong the bleeding.  If bleeding continues, apply light pressure to the area with a moistened gauze or moistened tea bag.  Keep in place for 20-30 minutes without looking to see if bleeding has stopped.
    • DO NOT SLEEP WITH GAUZE IN YOUR MOUTH.
    • If bleeding increases or occurs past the initial 48 hours, please call our office as soon as possible to notify the doctor and receive further instructions.  Avoid any strenuous physical activity for the next 2-3 days to prevent or minimize severe bleeding.
  • DO NOT play with the surgery area with your fingers or tongue.
  • DO NOT pull down the lip or cheek to look at the area and do not have someone else look at the area.

Medication

Do NOT eat anything until the anesthesia wears off, as you might bite your lips, cheek, or tongue and cause damage.  You will probably have some discomfort when the anesthesia wears off; take your non-aspirin pain medication(s) as directed, whether it is prescribed or over-the-counter.

  • Please take Ibuprofen or Advil 600 mg (equal to 3 tabs of over-the-counter Ibuprofen or Advil) every 4-6 hours for the next 3-5 days.
  • Please take it as instructed whether the area hurts or does not hurt.
  • Do NOT exceed 2400 mg (12 tabs) in a 24 hour period.
  • Please take Extra Strength Tylenol 1000 mg (equal to 2 tabs of over-the-counter Extra Strength Tylenol) every 4-6 hours for the next 3-5 days.
  • Please take it as instructed whether the area hurts or does not hurt.
  • Do NOT exceed any more than 4000 mg (8 tabs) in a 24 hour period.

If an antibiotic has been prescribed to prevent or minimize infection, please take the antibiotics as instructed until all tablets/pills are finished.

Food & Drink

  • Please follow a soft food diet, taking care to avoid the surgical area(s) when chewing.  Chew on the opposite side and do NOT bite into food if the procedure was done in the front of the mouth.
  • Do NOT use a drinking straw, as the suction may dislodge the blood clot.
  • Avoid extremely hot foods.  Cold foods such as ice cream or shake are OK as long as you use a spoon.
  • Avoid sticky, hard (such as ice cubes, nuts, popcorn, chips), brittle, spicy, highly seasoned, or acidic foods in your diet.  Foods such as soups, pasta, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese etc. are best.  Be sure to maintain adequate nutrition and drink plenty of fluids.
  • Avoid alcohol (even beer and wine) and smoking until after your post-operative appointment.  Smoking is not advised during the 7-14 days following surgery.

Oral Hygiene

  • Do not brush the surgery site today. Tomorrow you may brush carefully avoiding the site; soften the bristles of your toothbrush by holding it under hot water before use.
  • Maintain normal oral hygiene measures in the areas of your mouth not affected by the surgery.  In areas where there is dressing, lightly brush only the biting surfaces of the teeth.
  • Beginning the day after surgery, gently slosh mouth with warm saltwater (1tsp of salt to 8 oz. of warm water) and/or mouth rinse. Do not vigorously rinse mouth or use “chipmunk cheeks”. AVOID any mouth rinses that contain ALCOHOL.
  • Starting tomorrow, you can use Periogard, Peridex, or Chlorhexidine mouth rinse 2X (morning and night) a day; 30 seconds of swooshing with each use. If these are not available to you, continue to use the warm salt water rinse.


Wearing an Stent or Denture

  • If you are instructed to wear a clear stent or an upper denture that covers up the roof of the mouth, do NOT REMOVE it for 24 hours NO MATTER WHAT!
  • It may pool with blood, but leave it in there and rinse with Chlorhexidine rinse or lukewarm salt water.
  • After 24 hours, you are to wear it as much as you please, especially while you eat for your comfort.

We will schedule an appointment 24 hours after surgery and 1 week after surgery. At those appointments, the denture will be adjusted as needed and sutures may be removed if they haven’t already dissolved. It is important that you keep this appointment to ensure there is no infection at the surgery site and that your denture fits you properly.

After any oral surgery procedure, it is not uncommon for bone fragments to work up through the gum tissue. If needed, call the office to setup an appointment to have them removed at no charge.

Try to relax and practice the best oral hygiene possible and your healing should progress well.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call the office at 907.276.4537.