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Before Oral Sedation Procedures
The prescribed medications are to be taken once you arrive at the office. Do not take the
medications before. We may need you to sign additional documentation, and if you have
already taken the prescribed medication you are not legally allowed to sign any forms
which may result in your surgery being canceled
It is OK to take your blood pressure medication in the morning as prescribed by your
doctor. All other medications should be taken after surgery. If you have any questions
about what can be taken prior to surgery please contact the office directly.
Prior to the surgery, a light meal such as plain toast or yogurt is OK. Do not have
anything 2 hours prior to surgery.
No smoking for at least 24 hours before surgery. Ideally, cut down or stop smoking as
soon as possible prior to the day of surgery.
A responsible adult (over the age of 18 years old) must accompany the patient to the
office, remain in the office during the procedure, and drive the patient home.
The patient should not drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours following
anesthesia or while taking pain medication.
Please wear loose fitting clothing with sleeves which can be rolled up past the elbow,
and low-heeled shoes.
Contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery.
Please do not wear nail polish on the day of surgery. We will be using different monitors
that measure your vital signs and polish can interfere with the monitors.
If you have an illness such as a cold, fever, sore throat, runny nose or productive cough,
please notify the office before your surgery.
​
Before General Intravenous Anesthesia Procedures
If you have been scheduled to have general anesthesia, it is important that you follow these
instructions. Failure to do so could be life-threatening, and your appointment will be rescheduled
if these instructions are not followed. If you have questions about these instructions, please call
our office.
​
You may not have anything to eat or drink (including water) for eight (8) hours prior to
the appointment.
If you are taking prescription medications for other medical reasons, such as high blood
pressure, these may be taken at their normal times with small sips of water. Please
check with the office if you have questions about any other prescribed medications. Do
not take any anti-anxiety medications prior to surgery that have not been prescribed by
your surgeon.
No smoking for at least 24 hours before surgery. Ideally, cut down or stop smoking as
soon as possible prior to the day of surgery.
A responsible adult, over the age of 18 years old, must accompany the patient to the
office, remain in the office during the procedure, and drive the patient home. The patient
will not be able to drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours following
anesthesia. This person should also be able to stay with you for several hours once you
get home and situated after surgery.
Your escort may accompany you in a car service such as Uber/Lyft if they do not drive.
You may not take a car service to and from the procedure without an escort.
Please wear loose fitting clothing with sleeves which can be rolled up past the elbow,
and low-heeled shoes.
Please do not wear lipstick, contact lenses, facial jewelry of any kind, pantyhose, or
high-heeled shoes to your appointment. Please tie hair back away from your face.
Please wear a short-sleeved shirt or blouse and closed toe shoes. Please remove all
dark fingernail polish for our monitoring equipment.
If you have an illness such as a cold, fever, sore throat, runny nose or productive cough,
please notify the office before your surgery.
The use of alcohol or recreational drugs can have an adverse effect on the anesthesia
medications that we use. Please discontinue the use of such for at least 72 hours prior to
your procedure.
Women, please note: Some antibiotics may interfere with the effectiveness of your birth
control pills. Please check with your pharmacist
After Wisdom Tooth Removal or Dental Extraction
Having impacted wisdom teeth removed is a serious surgery. You must follow the post-
operative instructions for your care to avoid potential complications such as infection or
increased pain and swelling.
​
Immediately Following Surgery:
DO NOT TOUCH THE SITE. Avoid exploring the area with your tongue or fingers. By
touching the area with your tongue, you will irritate the tissues which can lead to
increased pain, poor healing, and tissue loss.
Keep the gauze pad placed over the surgical site and gently bite down for 30 minutes,
after which it should be removed and discarded
Avoid mouth-rinsing or touching the surgery site as this can dislodge the blood clot
forming over the wound
Take the medications prescribed as soon as you have something to eat. Do not wait until
you feel pain, which generally happens around the time the anesthetic starts to wear off
Limit your activities on the day of surgery. It is okay to resume light activity such as
house chores the following day or when you begin feeling comfortable. No strenuous
activity for one week following surgery
Place ice packs on your cheeks over the surgery site. Refer to the section, below, about
swelling for further information
For the first 3 days after surgery, avoid spitting or drinking with a straw.
It is very important not to smoke for 5–7 days after surgery. Smoking, even electronic
cigarettes, will increase your pain and delay healing. It is difficult to control pain caused
by wound damage due to the use of tobacco products. Defined as the loss of a blood
clot, a dry socket results in exposed bone and can be very painful, usually in the fourth
or fifth day after surgery.
Sleep with your head elevated for the first 3 days. This can be done by propping extra
pillows under your head. This is very important to help reduce swelling.
Bleeding:
You may notice some moderate bleeding, redness, or oozing in your mouth and saliva for the
first 24 hours after your wisdom tooth removal. If you experience excessive bleeding (mouth
filling with bright red blood), you can control this by gently biting on a gauze pad placed over the
wound for 30 minutes. This can be repeated if necessary. Light pink blood on the gauze is normal. This is caused by very small amounts of blood mixing with your saliva. This may take up to 48 hours to completely stop. You may also notice a little bleeding after you brush your teeth or eat for the first few days after surgery. This is normal.
Additionally, you can gently bite down on a COLD moistened tea bag for 30 minutes to reduce
bleeding. The tannic acid in tea helps your body in forming a blood clot. If this excessive
bleeding continues, please call our office for instructions.
Swelling:
Swelling after surgery is not uncommon and can be expected around the mouth, cheeks, eyes,
and sides of the face. You may not notice this right after the surgery. Swelling will increase and
be worse the first 2-3 days after your surgery. To minimize the swelling, place ice packs on each side of the face immediately following surgery. Continue to use ice every 20-30 minutes for the first 36 hours. After 36 hours post-
surgery, you can switch to moist heat, which will continue to reduce swelling. The ice packs
have instructions for warming as well. Follow the instructions closely and be careful not to burn
the skin. You can cover them with a warm moist towel. Swelling and jaw stiffness several days after surgery are also normal and are no cause for alarm.
Pain:
Once you are able to have some liquids or soft foods after surgery, you should start taking pain
medication. Begin with Ibuprofen and gradually progress to stronger prescribed medication as
needed. DO NOT wait until the anesthesia wears off and you feel pain to begin your medication.
It is better to manage the pain with medications early on. If you are experiencing moderate pain, 1 or 2 Tylenol (325mg) or Extra Strength Tylenol (500mg) can be taken every 3-4 hours. If you prefer, Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) can be taken instead. Ibuprofen bought over-the-counter comes in 200 mg tablets; 2-3 tablets (400-600mg) can be taken every 3-4 hours. If you are in severe pain, take the medication prescribed as directed. This pain medication may make you feel tired or groggy. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery while taking them. Avoid alcoholic beverages. The pain or discomfort after surgery should become less each day. If the pain persists or grows worse after 2-3 days, it may require attention. Please call the office so we can help better control your pain.
General anesthesia and pain medication can make you feel nauseous. This is normal. Benadryl
(25-50mg) can be taken over the counter to help. Make sure to take your pain medications with
a light meal to help prevent this. Ibuprofen can be taken at the same time as the prescribed pain medication and is preferred over Tylenol. If you can not take Ibuprofen, and take Tylenol, be mindful that the pain medication may have Tylenol already in it. You can take a maximum of 3,000mg of Tylenol per day. DO NOT take more than 8 regular or 6 extra strength Tylenol when taken alone. If you are taking pain medication with Acetaminophen (Tylenol) in it, the amount of over the counter
tylenol per day has to be limited. If you are allergic to any of the above medications or have otherwise been instructed not to, do not take them.
​
Diet:
Anesthesia medications can male you feel nauseous after surgery. Start slowly with COLD
liquids such as juice, smoothie, milkshake, etc. Avoid straws and drink directly from the glass
instead. The sucking motion required to use a straw can easily dislodge the blood clot that
forms after surgery.
Dehydration can happen very quickly, making you feel tired and ill, and will slow your recovery.
It is very important to drink plenty of fluids - at least 5 to 6 glasses every day. Even if you do not
feel like eating solid foods, make sure to drink plenty of liquids. Juice and sports drinks will help
replenish electrolytes. Avoid carbonated beverages such as soda. You can eat soft foods, but care should be taken to eat in areas of the mouth away from the surgical site(s). Avoid HOT food for 24 hours after surgery. Room temperature food is ok, however hot food can increase bleeding and cause burning of the mouth while you are still numb. Since you will likely be eating a little less than usual, it is important to consume nutritious, high calorie, high protein foods to maintain your strength and help with healing. You should continue to eat as regularly as possible and avoid skipping meals. Foods similar to yogurt, apple sauce, soft pasta, mashed potatoes are all OK. Avoid hard crunchy foods such as nuts, chips, hard toast for 5-7 days.
Caution: After surgery, sitting or standing suddenly from a lying position can cause dizziness.
Be sure to sit slowly, and continue sitting for at least 1 minute before attempting to stand.
​
​
Oral Hygiene:
You should not spit or rinse in any way on the day of your surgery. Brushing your teeth the night
of surgery is acceptable, but rinsing should be done very carefully to avoid dislodging the blood
clot forming over your surgery site. Gently tilt your head side to side and let the liquid fall out of
your mouth, DO NOT SPIT. Avoid ALL over the counter mouthwash for one week as the alcohol
can damage the healing tissue and cause worsening pain.
The day after surgery you can start gently rinsing with warm salt water (one teaspoon of salt
dissolved in a cup of warm water) at least 5-6 times per day. Gently tilt your head side to side
and let the liquid fall out of your mouth, DO NOT SPIT. Rinsing is especially important after
meals and snacks. Increased pain levels are usually from food being trapped in the surgical site.
On day 3 you can begin to rinse more aggressively.
If you were given a syringe, you can begin to use the syringe on day 3 after surgery. Fill the
syringe with warm salt water, or with a rinse if you were prescribed one. Point it towards the
area, but do not stick it in the surgical site. Push the syringe plunger down to let out all the fluid
and rinse any food that may be stuck in the socket. It is important to do this each time you eat
for days 3-7 after surgery.
​
Discoloration:
Discoloration (bruising) of the skin is not uncommon following swelling. Because blood from the
surgery will begin to move under the skin, you may notice some black, blue, green, or yellow
bruising. This discoloration is normal after surgery, and may begin to appear 2-3 days later. To
speed up healing, you can apply moist heat to the area.
​
Antibiotics:
If you have been prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. You must complete the entire
prescription as directed, even if you feel well. Only discontinue if a rash or other reaction such
as watery diarrhea occurs. If you have any questions about a reaction, please call our office.
Nausea and Vomiting:
If you begin feeling nauseated or vomit, avoid taking anything by mouth (including prescribed
medications) for at least one hour. We recommend slowly sipping ginger ale, carbonated
beverages, juice, or tea over 15 minutes. After the nausea subsides, you can resume eating
solid foods and taking the prescribed medications. Benadryl (25-50mg) over the counter will
help. If the nausea or vomiting continues for more than 24-48 hours after surgery please
contact the office.
Other Complications:
Numbness in the lip, cheek, and tongue are completely normal after surgery and should be no
cause for alarm. You might not be able to feel if you bite one of these areas, so extra care
should be taken until you can feel them again, especially while eating. Make sure to avoid hot
food while you are numb as you may burn yourself. If the numbness lasts longer than 1 week
please contact the office.
Immediately following surgery, you may have a slightly elevated temperature. This is also
common and can be managed with Tylenol or Ibuprofen. If the fever persists (greater than
101F), please notify our office.
After the surgery, you might feel lightheaded or dizzy. This will be intensified by the fact that you
weren’t allowed to eat or drink before surgery. Sitting or standing up suddenly from a lying
position can cause dizziness. Be sure to sit up slowly, and continue sitting for at least 1 minute
before attempting to stand.
Sometimes, patients report feeling hard projections in their mouth following wisdom tooth
removal surgery. These are not roots, but rather the boney walls that supported the tooth. Over
time they will smooth out on their own, but if not, or if they are especially bothersome, we can
remove them once the area has healed.
During surgery, the corners of your mouth were probably stretched a little bit, which can lead to
cracking or dryness. We recommend keeping them moist with an ointment like Vaseline or
chapstick.
You may experience a sore throat and pain when swallowing. This is mostly due to the swelling
in the throat muscles and should subside within 2-3 days. If this continues longer than 5-7 days
then please contact the office. If you experience difficulty breathing, then please contact the
office immediately.
Jaw muscle stiffness is also common following oral surgery and may lead to difficulty opening
your mouth for a few days. It is a normal reaction and will resolve on its own. Around Day 3, you
should begin to open your mouth as wide as possible to stretch out these muscles. If you
continue to keep your mouth closed and do not try and open normally again, the stiffness will
last longer than normal.
Sometimes the dissolvable sutures placed after surgery to minimize bleeding and aid in healing
may become dislodged. This is no cause for alarm - simply remove the suture from your mouth
and discard it. Most often, the sutures will dissolve on their own in 3-7 days.
Pain and swelling will be the worst at days 2-3 but should begin to diminish with each day that
passes after that. If at any time it begins to worsen or if unusual symptoms appear, please call
our office for further instructions.
Where we remove the tooth, there will be a cavity or hole left behind. This area will begin to fill
with tissue as it heals over the next month. During this time, extra care should be taken to keep
the area clean, especially after meals. You can do this by rinsing with warm salt water and
brushing regularly.
A “dry socket” may occur if the blood clot becomes dislodged too early from the tooth socket.
Symptoms may include pain at the surgical site, in the jaw, or ear pain and usually starts 3-5
days post-surgery. If this happens, call the office.
No two mouths are alike, and your case is unique to you. While friends and family may offer
some advice on their experience, we recommend that you discuss any problems with our highly
trained staff.
It is okay to brush your teeth, but be gentle around the surgical site.
Regular exercise routines should wait until you’ve fully recovered, one week, due to decreased
nourishment and increased risk of dizziness or lightheadedness. Exercise may make these
things worse, and care should be taken to return to exercise slowly. If you feel lightheaded while
exercising, stop. This will reduce the chances of injury. Exercise too early can cause problems
like a dry socket and worsening pain.
Extractions with Bone Grafting
Immediately Following Surgery:
DO NOT TOUCH THE SITE. Avoid exploring the area with your tongue or fingers. By
touching the area with your tongue, you will irritate the tissues which can lead to
increased pain, poor healing, and soft and hard tissue loss. Touching the area with your
tongue WILL lead to complete loss of the grafting material
Keep the gauze pad placed over the surgical site and gently bite down for 30 minutes,
after which it should be removed and discarded
Avoid mouth-rinsing or touching the surgery site for the first 3 days as this can damage
the graft and membrane protecting the graft. You brush your teeth, however avoid the
surgical site.
Take the medications prescribed as soon as you have something to eat. Do not wait until
you feel pain, which generally happens around the time the anesthetic starts to wear off
Limit your activities on the day of surgery. It is okay to resume light activity such as
house chores the following day or when you begin feeling comfortable. No strenuous
activity for one week following surgery
Place ice packs on your cheeks over the surgery site. Refer to the section, below, about
swelling for further information
For the first 3 days after surgery, avoid spitting or drinking with a straw.
It is very important not to smoke for 5–7 days after surgery. Smoking, even electronic
cigarettes, will increase your pain and delay healing. It is difficult to control pain caused
by wound damage due to the use of tobacco products. Defined as the loss of a blood
clot, a dry socket results in exposed bone and can be very painful, usually in the fourth
or fifth day after surgery.
Sleep with your head elevated for the first 3 days. This can be done by propping extra
pillows under your head. This is very important to help reduce swelling.
​
Bleeding:
You may notice some moderate bleeding, redness, or oozing in your mouth and saliva for the
first 24 hours after your wisdom tooth removal. If you experience excessive bleeding (mouth
filling with bright red blood), you can control this by gently biting on a gauze pad placed over the wound for 30 minutes. This can be repeated if necessary.
Light pink blood on the gauze is normal. This is caused by very small amounts of blood mixing
with your saliva. This may take up to 48 hours to completely stop. You may also notice a little
bleeding after you brush your teeth or eat for the first few days after surgery. This is normal.
Additionally, you can gently bite down on a COLD moistened tea bag for 30 minutes to reduce
bleeding. The tannic acid in tea helps your body in forming a blood clot. If this excessive
bleeding continues, please call our office for instructions.
​
Swelling:
Swelling after surgery is not uncommon and can be expected around the mouth, cheeks, eyes,
and sides of the face. You may not notice this right after the surgery. Swelling will increase and
be worse the first 2-3 days after your surgery.
To minimize the swelling, place ice packs on each side of the face immediately following
surgery. Continue to use ice every 20-30 minutes for the first 36 hours. After 36 hours post-
surgery, you can switch to moist heat, which will continue to reduce swelling. The ice packs
have instructions for warming as well. Follow the instructions closely and be careful not to burn
the skin. You can cover them with a warm moist towel.
Swelling and jaw stiffness several days after surgery are also normal and are no cause for
alarm.
Pain:
Once you are able to have some liquids or soft foods after surgery, you should start taking pain
medication. Begin with Ibuprofen and gradually progress to stronger prescribed medication as
needed. DO NOT wait until the anesthesia wears off and you feel pain to begin your medication.
It is better to manage the pain with medications early on.
If you are experiencing moderate pain, 1 or 2 Tylenol (325mg) or Extra Strength Tylenol
(500mg) can be taken every 3-4 hours. If you prefer, Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) can be taken
instead. Ibuprofen bought over-the-counter comes in 200 mg tablets; 2-3 tablets (400-600mg)
can be taken every 3-4 hours.
If you are in severe pain, take the medication prescribed as directed. This pain medication may
make you feel tired or groggy. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery while taking them. Avoid
alcoholic beverages. The pain or discomfort after surgery should become less each day. If the
pain persists or grows worse after 2-3 days, it may require attention. Please call the office so we
can help better control your pain.
General anesthesia and pain medication can make you feel nauseous. This is normal. Benadryl
(25-50mg) can be taken over the counter to help. Make sure to take your pain medications with
a light meal to help prevent this.
Ibuprofen can be taken at the same time as the prescribed pain medication and is preferred
over Tylenol. If you can not take Ibuprofen, and take Tylenol, be mindful that the pain
medication may have Tylenol already in it. You can take a maximum of 3,000mg of Tylenol per
day. DO NOT take more than 8 regular or 6 extra strength Tylenol when taken alone. If you are
taking pain medication with Acetaminophen (Tylenol) in it, the amount of over the counter
tylenol per day has to be limited.
If you are allergic to any of the above medications or have otherwise been instructed not to, do
not take them.
Diet:
Anesthesia medications can male you feel nauseous after surgery. Start slowly with COLD
liquids such as juice, smoothie, milkshake, etc. Avoid straws and drink directly from the glass
instead. The sucking motion required to use a straw can easily dislodge the blood clot that
forms after surgery.
Dehydration can happen very quickly, making you feel tired and ill, and will slow your recovery.
It is very important to drink plenty of fluids - at least 5 to 6 glasses every day. Even if you do not
feel like eating solid foods, make sure to drink plenty of liquids. Juice and sports drinks will help
replenish electrolytes. Avoid carbonated beverages such as soda.
You will be on a LIQUID ONLY diet for the first week after surgery. This means absolutely NO
CHEWING. After that you can eat soft foods, but care should be taken to eat in areas of the
mouth away from the surgical site(s). Avoid HOT food for 24 hours after surgery. Room
temperature liquid is ok, however hot food can increase bleeding and cause burning of the
mouth while you are still numb. Since you will likely be eating a little less than usual, it is
important to consume nutritious, high calorie, high protein foods to maintain your strength and
help with healing. You should continue to eat as regularly as possible and avoid skipping meals.
Foods similar to smoothies, milkshakes, pureed foods, soup without chunks are all OK. Avoid
chewing anything for the first 7 days.
Caution: After surgery, sitting or standing suddenly from a lying position can cause dizziness.
Be sure to sit slowly, and continue sitting for at least 1 minute before attempting to stand.
Oral Hygiene:
You should not spit or rinse in any way on the day of your surgery. Brushing your teeth the night
of surgery is acceptable, but rinsing should be done very carefully to avoid dislodging the blood clot forming over your surgery site. Gently tilt your head side to side and let the liquid fall out of your mouth, DO NOT SPIT. Avoid ALL over the counter mouthwash for one week as the alcohol can damage the healing tissue and cause worsening pain.
On day 3 after surgery you can start GENTLY rinsing with warm salt water (one teaspoon of salt
dissolved in a cup of warm water) at least 5-6 times per day. Gently tilt your head side to side
and let the liquid fall out of your mouth, DO NOT SPIT. Rinsing is especially important after
meals and snacks. Increased pain levels are usually from food being trapped in the surgical site.
On day 7 after surgery you can begin to rinse more aggressively.
Discoloration:
Discoloration (bruising) of the skin is not uncommon following swelling. Because blood from the
surgery will begin to move under the skin, you may notice some black, blue, green, or yellow
bruising. This discoloration is normal after surgery, and may begin to appear 2-3 days later. To
speed up healing, you can apply moist heat to the area.
Antibiotics:
If you have been prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. You must complete the entire
prescription as directed, even if you feel well. Only discontinue if a rash or other reaction such
as watery diarrhea occurs. If you have any questions about a reaction, please call our office.
Nausea and Vomiting:
If you begin feeling nauseated or vomit, avoid taking anything by mouth (including prescribed
medications) for at least one hour. We recommend slowly sipping ginger ale, carbonated
beverages, juice, or tea over 15 minutes. After the nausea subsides, you can resume eating
solid foods and taking the prescribed medications. Benadryl (25-50mg) over the counter will
help. If the nausea or vomiting continues for more than 24-48 hours after surgery please
contact the office.
​
​
Other Complications:
Numbness in the lip, cheek, and tongue are completely normal after surgery and should be no
cause for alarm. You might not be able to feel if you bite one of these areas, so extra care
should be taken until you can feel them again, especially while eating. Make sure to avoid hot
food while you are numb as you may burn yourself. If the numbness lasts longer than 1 week
please contact the office.
Immediately following surgery, you may have a slightly elevated temperature. This is also
common and can be managed with Tylenol or Ibuprofen. If the fever persists (greater than
101F), please notify our office.
After the surgery, you might feel lightheaded or dizzy. This will be intensified by the fact that you
weren’t allowed to eat or drink before surgery. Sitting or standing up suddenly from a lying
position can cause dizziness. Be sure to sit up slowly, and continue sitting for at least 1 minute
before attempting to stand.
Sometimes, patients report feeling hard projections in their mouth following wisdom tooth
removal surgery. These are not roots, but rather the boney walls that supported the tooth. Over
time they will smooth out on their own, but if not, or if they are especially bothersome, we can
remove them once the area has healed.
During surgery, the corners of your mouth were probably stretched a little bit, which can lead to
cracking or dryness. We recommend keeping them moist with an ointment like Vaseline or
chapstick.
You may experience a sore throat and pain when swallowing. This is mostly due to the swelling
in the throat muscles and should subside within 2-3 days. If this continues longer than 5-7 days
then please contact the office. If you experience difficulty breathing, then please contact the
office immediately.
Jaw muscle stiffness is also common following oral surgery and may lead to difficulty opening
your mouth for a few days. It is a normal reaction and will resolve on its own. Around Day 3, you
should begin to open your mouth as wide as possible to stretch out these muscles. If you
continue to keep your mouth closed and do not try and open normally again, the stiffness will
last longer than normal.
Sometimes the dissolvable sutures placed after surgery to minimize bleeding and aid in healing
may become dislodged. This is no cause for alarm - simply remove the suture from your mouth
and discard it. Most often, the sutures will dissolve on their own in 3-7 days. If the sutures are
not dissolvable, then they will be removed by your surgeon at the next visit. Don’t worry, this will
not be uncomfortable!
Pain and swelling will be the worst at days 2-3 but should begin to diminish with each day that
passes after that. If at any time it begins to worsen or if unusual symptoms appear, please call
our office for further instructions.
No two mouths are alike, and your case is unique to you. While friends and family may offer
some advice on their experience, we recommend that you discuss any problems with our highly trained staff.
It is okay to brush your teeth, but be gentle around the surgical site.
Regular exercise routines should wait ONE WEEK, until you’ve fully recovered due to
decreased nourishment and increased risk of dizziness or lightheadedness. Exercise may make these things worse, and care should be taken to return to exercise slowly. If you feel
lightheaded while exercising, stop. This will reduce the chances of injury. Exercise too early can
cause problems like a dry socket and worsening pain.
After Biopsy
​
Bleeding:
You may be asked to keep a gauze pad over the surgical site with firm biting
pressure for one (1) hour. After this time, remove and discard the gauze pad. It does not need to
be replaced unless bleeding continues or recurs. If so, replace with a fresh piece of gauze and
apply pressure for 30 minutes. Light pink fluid is normal, and can occur for several days after
surgery.
Pain:
Take the prescribed pain medication before you begin to feel discomfort. This usually
coincides with the start of the local anesthetic wearing off. Taking pain medication on an empty
stomach may cause nausea, so it is recommended to take the pills with food or drink. Pain
medication may make you groggy and slow down your reflexes. Do not drive an automobile or
work around machinery while medicated. It is also best to avoid alcoholic beverages. Tylenol or
other over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (Advil) may be used when appropriate.
Diet:
​
You may eat anything soft and cool the first day by chewing away from the biopsy site.
Do not drink hot fluids or eat hot food the first day. Avoid hard, crunchy foods that may harm the
incision area as well as salty and spicy foods that may cause additional irritation. It’s best to
progress to more solid foods and return to your normal diet as soon as possible.
Swelling:
Swelling is normally expected after most surgical procedures and is usually related
to the extent of surgery performed. Swelling around the mouth, cheeks, eyes and sides of the
face is common. This is the body’s normal and healthy reaction to surgery. Most swelling will not
begin until the day following surgery and will not reach its maximum until 48 to 72 hours post-
operatively. However, swelling and discomfort may be decreased by the immediate use of ice
packs. Ice packs should be applied to the side of the face over the area where the biopsy was
performed for the first 36 hours. Ice packs should be left on for 20 minutes and then left off for
20 minutes while awake.
​
Sutures:
You may have sutures in the area of the biopsy. If one or two becomes dislodged
early, there is no cause for alarm. Our doctor will tell you if your sutures are dissolvable or if you
will need a return visit to have them removed. The majority of sutures placed are dissolvable.
ORAL HYGIENE: Begin gentle, warm salt-water rinses (1/2 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm
water) the morning after surgery. Rinse three times a day for several days, especially after
meals. Continue to brush your teeth as best you can – remembering to stay away from the
biopsy site.
Biopsy Result:
Biopsy specimens are submitted to the University of Florida Oral and
Maxillofacial Pathology Department. It usually takes seven to ten business days before your
results will be available. You will be informed of your biopsy result either at a scheduled follow-
up visit or via telephone call.
Sinus Augmentation
​
Before a Sinus Lift:
Make sure to begin all of the prescribed medications prior to surgery.
If you have an illness such as a cold, fever, sore throat, runny nose or productive cough,
please notify the office before your surgery. This can negatively affect the results of the
surgery, and it may be best to delay the procedure in order to achieve the best possible
results.
After Sinus Lift:
DO NOT, FOR ANY REASON, BLOW YOUR NOSE FOR THE NEXT FOUR (4) WEEKS. If
indicated, this period may be longer. It is okay to sniffle as much as you’d like, but NO
BLOWING. If you experience leakage from the nose, gently dab it with a tissue. Afrin® Nasal
Spray may be used to help with sinus drainage. A nosebleed can be expected for the first
several days following surgery.
Additionally, for the next 4 weeks DO NOT:
Sneeze while holding your nose. Instead, sneeze with your mouth open.
Drink with straws
Spit
Smoke. If needed, we will prescribe Nicoderm patches.
Go scuba diving or fly in pressurized aircraft, if possible, as these can increase sinus
pressure, and should be avoided
Bear down, such as when lifting heavy objects, blowing up balloons, playing musical
instruments that require blowing
Any other activity that increases nasal or oral pressure
Do NOT disturb the wound. If you had grafting for socket preservation, there might be a cover
protecting the socket held in with sutures. DO NOT touch the site with your tongue or fingers. If
you touch the area with your tongue, the area will not heal and complete loss of the graft and
tissue WILL result. (just like wearing tight shoes and getting blisters, constantly rubbing the area
with your tongue will cause the area to blister and the graft WILL fail). Avoid chewing on the side
of the graft until you are instructed to begin normal eating by your surgeon.
Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures may be worn as soon as it is comfortable but only if
the prosthesis doesn’t touch the graft site.
Activity:
Unless we have instructed you otherwise, no vigorous physical activity for 1 week following
your surgery. Physical activity increases your blood pressure, which will cause an increase in
your swelling, pain, and bleeding. You may gradually increase your activity, such as jogging or
tennis, after a week.
Antibiotics:
If you have been prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. It is crucial that you complete the
entire prescription as directed, even if you feel well. Only discontinue in the event of a rash or
other reaction such as watery diarrhea that lasts longer than 24 hours. If you have any
questions, please call our office.
Oral Hygiene:
On the day of your surgery, DO NOT rinse or spit, as this may disrupt the blood clot that is
forming, open the wound, and slow the time it takes to heal. You should not see a large amount
of blood in your mouth or saliva, but if you do, it is okay to swallow your saliva.
You must keep your mouth clean after surgery to reduce the chances of developing an infection.
The day after the procedure, you should begin gentle saltwater rinses. This should be done by
dissolving a ½ teaspoon of salt in 8 oz of warm (NOT HOT) water and then taking 5 minutes to
work through the entire glass, gently rinsing and spitting. You can repeat this as frequently as
you’d like, but at least 4-5 times each day and ALWAYS after you’ve finished eating for the next
5 days.
DO NOT brush your teeth near the surgical site for the first 48 hours. Be very gentle when you
brush and also when you spit, avoiding any forceful motions.
You may be prescribed an antibiotic rinse, such as Clorhexadine, Periogard, or Peridex. You
can begin using the rinse on day 3 after surgery. You should use the rinse in the morning and at
bedtime with your routine oral care. Do not eat, drink, or rinse your mouth immediately after
using the medicated rinse. Using the rinse more than twice per day can lead to teeth staining.
DO NOT smoke for at least two weeks after your surgery, and consider quitting altogether.
Smoking dramatically increases the chances the bone graft and augmentation will fail. If you
feel you need it, we can prescribe you a Nicoderm patch.
Wearing Your Prosthesis or Nightguards:
Partial or full dentures and flippers should not be worn immediately after your surgery unless
otherwise instructed, until your post-operative appointment. If you have any questions about
this, please contact our office. If we’ve given you a temporary flipper to wear, do not place it until
after the numbness has worn off. Once placed, it should not touch the gums in the area of the
surgery. Doing so can cause ulceration of the edges of the wound, as well as break down the
tissue and sutures, ultimately leading to loss of the graft. If you are unsure about the fit of your
flipper, or partial or full denture, do not wear it until you’re seen by your general dentist or by our
office.
Post-Operative Problems or Complications:
It is possible, as with any surgical procedure, that unexpected healing can occur afterward. If
you notice the unexpected flow of air or liquids between your mouth and nose, please call our
office immediately.
If you notice multiple small particles of graft material coming from your nose, let us know.
Let us know if you have sinus or nasal congestion on the side we performed the surgery.
If you notice an increase in mouth swelling, or under your eye after 3 days, let us know.
It is very important that you avoid smoking for a minimum of 5 days. In fact, avoiding smoking
for the duration of healing will significantly increase the likelihood of a successful bone graft and
implant integration. Smoking will increase your bleeding; the nicotine and tar in tobacco impair
healing. We cannot warranty implants for our patients who use tobacco (pipe, cigar, cigarette, or
chewing).
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We want your recovery to go as smoothly as possible. Following these directions will increase
the chances of success. If these directions are not followed, there is a chance the procedure
can fail. If you have questions about your healing, please give us a call.