Preserving your natural teeth is always our first choice, but on occasion, patients need to have a tooth extraction surgery or an orthognathic surgery. Post-extraction instructions are as important as the extraction itself to promote proper healing and a faster recovery.
Here’s a list of 12 tips to care for your mouth after oral surgery:
#1. No Smoking
#2. Do not use a straw to drink beverages for at least 24 hours.
#3. Only consume cold drinks for at least 24 hours.
#4. Do not rinse or spit for 24 hours post-extraction.
#5. Avoid any strenuous exercise for 48 hours.
#6. Only eat soft foods that don’t exacerbate the extraction site.
#7. Avoid spicy or heavily seasoned meals.
#8. In the first 48 hours post-extraction apply ice packs over any facial swelling – 20 minutes on and 10 minutes off.
#9. Don’t remove the gauze that we placed over the extraction site unless instructed to do so.
#10. Unless we have instructed you otherwise, we recommend Tylenol or ibuprofen every 3–4 hours. Analgesics should be consumed before the effect of the local anesthesia wears off.
#11. Don’t touch the extraction site with your tongue or fingers.
#12. Use a warm salt water rinse (1 tbsp of salt for a cup of warm water) after your meals on the day following the extraction to ensure the site area remains clean.
If you experience any of the following symptoms after your extraction, please contact us immediately.
- Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite
- Fever, chills, and/or fatigue.
- If the site does not seem to heal for 3 days
- If your jaw becomes very stiff and hinders speech and eating
- If you have heavy bleeding that persists for 4 hours after the extraction
- If the surgical site becomes painful and the swelling doesn’t resolve in 3 days
