Post-Op Instructions I

Postoperative Instructions I


If there is an emergency, please do not hesitate to call us.

Crestal Health Periodontics Office: 413.584.2229


Things to Avoid until our first postoperative visit in 7-10 days

  • Exercise (i.e. any activity that gets your heart pumping quickly)
  • Heavy lifting (i.e. lifting heavy boxes, weight lifting)
  • Hard foods (i.e. apples, hard candies)
  • Crunchy, crumbly foods (i.e. pretzels, potato chips)
  • Spicy foods (i.e. Cajun, certain ethnic foods)
  • Hot foods (i.e. steaming hot coffee/tea)
  • Smoking
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Drinking through straws
  • Creating suction between your tongue and palate
  • Brushing and flossing the involved area(s)

Oral Hygiene
Do not brush or floss the area(s) where the procedure was performed until our first postoperative visit in 7-10 days. Do the best you can to keep your tongue away from the surgical site. At night, gently pull back your lip and to be sure no food is lodged in the involved area. Q-tips can help to gently rub the area if there is debris to remove. Brush and floss all the other areas of the mouth normally.

Diet
Keep your diet cool and soft. Some examples are: well cooked vegetables, soup, yogurt, ice cream, any drinks, soft fruits (i.e. bananas) and pasta.

Ice
Placing an ice pack (or bag of frozen vegetables) wrapped in a cloth on the cheek will help keep swelling and discomfort to a minimum. During the next week, ice your cheek as much as possible. The more icing you do, the easier the healing process will be for you.

Bleeding, Swelling, Bruising, Numbness
Expect some minor bleeding during the next week. Sleep with an extra pillow under your head. If bleeding occurs, sip ice water and place an ice pack on the cheek. If bleeding continues, soak a tea bag (any flavor and it can be caffeinated or decaffeinated) in cold water. Place the tea bag with gentle pressure on top of the area that is bleeding. Swelling and bruising should be expected. Swelling will begin to subside on day 3-4, while bruising on the cheek/chin/eyes could last up to 2 weeks and be quite large in size. Numbness should wear off within 4 hours. Sensation always returns, but in rare cases numbness can persist for weeks or even months.

Discomfort
Expect discomfort this week. It will begin today, and possibly before you leave the office. Today you will feel quite a bit of throbbing, and it will be similar to a bad toothache. The throbbing will subside by tomorrow morning. You may continue to have discomfort for up to 7-10 days. It is usually well managed by the medications we prescribe for you.

Medications
Your medications will include a medicated rinse, an anti-swelling medication, a pain medication, and an antibiotic. The medications you should use every day are the rinse, anti-swelling, and antibiotic medications. The pain medication is there if you feel you need it. If you take the pain medication, please do not drive or operate any dangerous machinery for a period of 6 hours. Antibiotics may or may not be prescribed, depending on the specific needs of the procedure that was performed for you.

Dressings
If a dressing was placed, it should stay in place until the first postoperative visit in 7-10 days. It may fall out by itself. As a matter of fact, it’s quite common for it to fall out before the postoperative visit. Do not be alarmed if this occurs. If you experience pain after it falls out, please call the office to have it replaced. If you are not in any discomfort, there is no need to replace it and the area should simply be inspected at night to be sure it is clean. Any debris in the surgical area can be wiped away gently with a q-tip.