After Wisdom Tooth Removal
CARE OF THE MOUTH FOLLOWING SURGERY
1. DO NOT SMOKE FOR 5 DAYS AFTER SURGERY. IF YOU INSIST ON SMOKING, THE FOLLOWING MAY HAPPEN: (because the chemicals and gases in tobacco smoke contains ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, lead, nicotine, pesticides, radioactive polonium, and many other deadly gases).
- You will greatly increase your pain and prolong healing time.
- You will have a 4 times greater chance of developing a ‘dry-socket’.
- You will significantly increase your chance of infection.
2. Place and bite firmly on the gauze pad over the surgical area for a half hour. After this time, the gauze pad should be removed and discarded. Some bleeding is to be expected for 24 hours after surgery. Remember, only a very small amount of blood will turn the saliva pink. To reduce bleeding, keep your head elevated on two pillows and keep activity to a minimum for the first day.
3. If bleeding persists, additional gauze may be placed using steady, firm pressure directly over the extraction sites for at least another 2 hours.
4. Control of bleeding if the above pressure does not work. If bleeding persists or is heavy, follow these instructions:
- Fill a coffee cup with hot water (not scalding)
- Rinse your mouth vigorously, a mouthful at a time.
- Place a damp tea bag directly over the bleeding site and bite FIRMLY for two hours without letting up on the pressure. The tannic acid in the tea bag helps to form a clot by contracting bleeding vessels.
5. DIET: Following surgery, liquids should be initially taken. Do not use straws. Drink from a glass. The sucking motion can cause more bleeding by dislodging the blood clot. You may eat anything soft by chewing away from the surgical site. High calorie, high protein intake is very important. Nourishment should be taken regularly. You should prevent dehydration by taking fluids regularly. Your food intake will be limited for the first few days. You should compensate for this by increasing your fluid intake. At least 5-6 glasses of liquid should be taken daily. Try not to miss a single meal. You will feel better, have more strength, less discomfort and heal faster if you continue to eat. Caution: If you suddenly sit up or stand from a lying position you may become dizzy. If you are lying down following surgery, make sure you sit for one minute before standing.
6. PAIN: You may have been prescribed prescription-strength Motrin by Dr. Burnham. Take your first does of Motrin as soon as you get home, before the numbness wears off. Scientific studies consistently show the superiority of regular does of ibuprofen (Motrin) over a five-day period for postoperative pain associated with oral surgery procedures. You should take this for five (5) days, every eight (8) hours, while you are awake. Please take your Motrin whether you are experiencing pain or not. This will keep you pain-free in most cases.
You may have been prescribed a narcotic pain pill as well. Take one pill one hour after you have taken your Motrin. Be sure to eat something one hour before taking the narcotic. Do this while you are still numb. As this will insure that you will be free of pain for the first (4) to six (6) hours. After the first initial narcotic pill is taken, the pain medication is then only used when you experience breakthrough pain. Breakthrough pain is pain that you experience even though you are on the regular dose of Motrin. Be sure to leave at least 60 minutes between your last Motrin dose and the narcotic dose.
Following these above guidelines will greatly reduce your pain following your oral surgery.
7. SWELLING: If any major swelling occurs, it will reach its maximum in 48 hours and will begin to go down after that. Ice to your face, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, for the first 2 days helps reduce the swelling.
8. ORAL HYGIENE: Eight hours after surgery, begin to clean your mouth. Brush your teeth thoroughly and rinse well. Brush your tongue. Clean directly over the extraction sites using your finger and a dab of toothpaste. Rinse with warm water. The cleaner you keep your teeth and mouth, the less change of infection and ‘dry socket’.
The day after surgery you should being rinsing 7 to 10 times a day, especially after eating, with warm salt water, using Dr. Burnham’s recipe for salt water rinse. (1 tablespoon of salt mixed with 20 ounces of warm water in a clean, empty, plastic water or soda bottle).
9. Three days following your surgery, use the syringe provided by our office to irrigate the lower sockets with warm tap water. This will result in faster healing.
In the case of deeply impacted teeth, or difficult surgery, all of the above may be exaggerated. The skin may be bruised and your jaws may be stiff and difficult to open.