Post-Op Instructions
General Guidelines for all procedures:
Do not chew on hard, sticky or chewy foods for a least 24 hours. Never chew on ice. Avoid aggressive chewing and sticky foods such as “hard tack” candies that can loosen or damage a restoration. Carefully follow all guidelines provided by the doctor and their staff and most importantly practice good oral hygiene. Additional instructions following various types of treatment are listed below. Please click on the below topics for detailed instructions. In the event of an emergency, please call our office. If you are experiencing a serious or life threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.
NO MEDICAL AND LEGAL DECISION MAKING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANESTHESIA
Do not smoke, use straws or drink alcoholic beverages. Do not drive or operate any machinery if you have been sedated or have had General Anesthesia. Do not eat hot foods as long as you have any active bleeding. Keep to cool, soft things until bleeding has stopped. Tomorrow, please start rinsing with warm salt water and brush gently around the surgical area. It is important to keep your mouth very clean. When you get home:
- Remove gauze and eat something cool and soft (ice cream, yogurt, popsicles, smoothies, etc.)
- If you have no problems with taking Tylenol and Dr. Malik has recommended Tylenol, take 2 tablets of Tylenol 500 (2 tablets 500mg = 1000mg).
- If you have been prescribed Ibuprofen, take that 4 hours after the Tylenol. Continue with this 4-hour regimen for 24-48 hours. If this regimen is not working, switch the Tylenol to the narcotic (Percocet or Vicodin). Alternate the Ibuprofen and the narcotic every 4 hours.
DO NOT TAKE OR ALTERNATE NARCOTICS AND TYLENOL (NARCOTICS HAVE TYLENOL IN THEM).
If you are prescribed Peridex oral rinse to start on the day after surgery. The directions on the bottle are to rinse twice a day. You may also rinse with warm salt water throughout the day.
Do not drive or operate machinery if you are taking prescription pain medication.
Place fresh gauze in mouth and bite down for one hour. Constant pressure is important. After one hour remove gauze. If bleeding has stopped, there is no need to replace the gauze. If the surgery site is oozing, replace the gauze and bite down to apply pressure. Continue replacing the gauze at one-hour intervals until bleeding has stopped. Some post-operative bleeding is expected for the first 24 hours.
If bleeding is a problem, remove gauze and clean out your mouth with cold water, then moisten a tea bag with cold water and bite down on it for a solid hour.
Swelling is to be expected and will peak in three days and then will go down. Today, apply ice to face for 30 minutes out of every hour. Tomorrow, alternate ice with heat, so that each hour you are applying one or the other for 30 minutes. You should use a heating pad or a facecloth moistened with warm water to apply heat.
If Stitches are dissolvable, they will fall out in several days.
Do not probe operative areas or pick at clots, sutures or white healing material.
Do not smoke for at least 7 days.
Do not make any medical or legal decisions over the next twenty-four hours.
If you have any questions or problems, please call us at 432-3308. If you need to reach Dr. Malik (after hours) urgently, you can call him at (603) 552-0620. He will return your call as soon as possible.
Apply ice to the outside of your face in the area of the surgery for 30 minutes out of every hour today. The first day after surgery apply ice only if there is swelling. If bleeding has stopped completely, you may apply heat to the area.
A cool liquid diet is recommended today. The first day after surgery, you may eat any temperature food; just avoid chewing in the area of the surgery. Avoid spicy or acidic foods until the area has healed.
If you have stitches, they will typically dissolve or fall out after 3-5 days.
Brush your teeth as you normally would, just be careful of the surgical area. Rinse or dab the area with warm salt water after every meal and at bedtime.
Take all prescriptions as directed. When you no longer need prescription pain medicine, you may take whatever you usually take for a headache.
Do not smoke.
If you have any questions or problems, please call us at 432-3308. If you need to reach Dr. Malik urgently, you can page him at (603) 552-0620. After you hear the series of beeps, enter your telephone number and then press the # key. He will return your call as soon as possible.
Ongoing care for your restoration includes brushing your teeth and surrounding tissues after every meal and snack, and flossing at least once a day before bedtime unless you have full dentures, in which case brushing them is very important. Rinsing your mouth with water or mouthwash will also help to remove any additional particles that may have been missed during brushing and flossing.
You should visit our office at least once a year to have your dentures or partial adjusted and checked by the doctor. Wearing ill-fitting dentures or partials without proper care and adjustment can cause severe bone loss and very serious oral disease. Please call our office at the first signs of any symptoms or if you are experiencing ongoing pain or discomfort.
BRUSHING. Do not brush over the surgical area the day of your implant. We would like you to begin to gently brush the surgical area the day following your procedure without scrubbing.
BLEEDING. Following your implant placement, some bleeding is to be expected. Remove the piece of gauze in your mouth after one hour. Replace the gauze every hour, biting down firmly, until the bleeding has stopped. It is very important not to spit, as this will cause more bleeding. If you run out of gauze, then a dampened tea bag may be used. This is an excellent way to stop bleeding. Avoid any activities that create a suction in your mouth, including smoking and using a straw, as this can interfere with the healing.
SWELLING. An ice pack or a cold, moist cloth should be applied to the outside of your face, in the area of the surgery for 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off.
PAIN. For mild to moderate pain, Tylenol and/or Advil can be used as instructed by Dr. Malik.
FOOD. A cool, soft diet is recommended the day of an extraction. The next day you may return to your regular diet, just avoid anything hard or sharp and chew away from the extraction site. You should NOT chew on the implant during the healing phase. This will last for several months.
BONY EDGES. Small, sharp bone fragments may work up through the gums during healing. These are not roots; if annoying, call the office for an appointment to have them removed.
NO SMOKING. If you smoke, please do not smoke for at least one week following your extraction. Depending on your recovery, you may be required to stop smoking for a longer period of time.
PROPER CARE FOLLOWING AN ORAL SURGICAL PROCEDURE WILL HASTEN RECOVERY AND PREVENT COMPLICATIONS.
If you have any questions or problems, please call us at 432-3308. If you need to reach Dr. Malik (after hours) urgently, you can call him at (603) 552-0620. He will return your call as soon as possible.
Swelling and stiffness are to be expected the first 24 hours after surgery. Swelling around the face, eyes and surgical site is not uncommon. This swelling may not appear until the day following the surgery and may become more noticeable two to three days following surgery. You can help to minimize the swelling by applying a cold compress on the face near the extraction site alternating on for 20 minutes then off for 20 minutes. After 36 hours the ice will have no further impact on swelling. After this period, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face can help reduce swelling.
If you have been prescribed pain medication besides aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), do not drive, operate heavy equipment, work around machinery or tools or engage in any other activity that may be unsafe when groggy, as your reflexes and judgment will be affected by the medication. Medication should not be taken on an empty stomach. If you have been placed on antibiotics, take the medicine as directed. Antibiotics may be prescribed to help prevent infection.
For 24-48 hours following your surgery, do not suck on a straw, drink from a bottle, rinse, spit, or smoke. Doing so may result in dislodging the clot and cause bleeding. Avoid hot and spicy foods, carbonated and alcoholic beverages. During the first few days after surgery, restrict your diet to liquids and soft foods such as soups, yogurt, juice, and smoothies. Avoid vigorous activities for three to four days after surgery. No heavy lifting. You may go back to your normal routine as tolerated.
Rinsing, spitting and brushing should be avoided the day of surgery. Resume brushing the day after surgery, avoiding surgical sites with the toothbrush. After brushing, rinse gently with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt mixed with eight ounces of warm water). Start the day after surgery 3x day for 7-10 days. Rinsing with warm salt water will help keep the surgical areas clean and help dissolve the sutures. Please do not use the irrigating syringe for the first five days. After five days, fill the syringe with warm salt water and flush out the socket. This will flush out any food or debris.
If numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue occurs there is no cause for alarm. This is usually temporary in nature. You should be aware that if your lip or tongue is numb, you could bite it and not feel the sensation.
A dry socket may appear and happens when a blood clot gets dislodged prematurely from the walls of the tooth socket. Symptoms of severe and/or throbbing pain at the surgical site, the ear, chin, adjacent teeth, and jaw three to four days following surgery that does not respond to pain medication can indicate a dry socket.
Please call our office if you experience severe pain, excessive bleeding or swelling, or if you have any questions or concerns. In the event of an emergency, please call our office. If you are experiencing a serious or life threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.
BRUSHING. Do not brush over the surgical area the day of your implant. We would like you to begin to gently brush the surgical area the day following your procedure without scrubbing.
BLEEDING. Following your implant placement, some bleeding is to be expected. Remove the piece of gauze in your mouth after one hour. Replace the gauze every hour, biting down firmly, until the bleeding has stopped. It is very important not to spit, as this will cause more bleeding. If you run out of gauze, then a dampened tea bag may be used. This is an excellent way to stop bleeding. Avoid any activities that create a suction in your mouth, including smoking and using a straw, as this can interfere with the healing.
SWELLING. An ice pack or a cold, moist cloth should be applied to the outside of your face, in the area of the surgery for 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off.
PAIN. For mild to moderate pain, Tylenol and/or Advil can be used as instructed by Dr. Malik.
FOOD. A cool, soft diet is recommended the day of an extraction. The next day you may return to your regular diet, just avoid anything hard or sharp and chew away from the extraction site. You should NOT chew on the implant during the healing phase. This will last for several months.
BONY EDGES. Small, sharp bone fragments may work up through the gums during healing. These are not roots; if annoying, call the office for an appointment to have them removed.
NO SMOKING. If you smoke, please do not smoke for at least one week following your extraction. Depending on your recovery, you may be required to stop smoking for a longer period of time.
PROPER CARE FOLLOWING AN ORAL SURGICAL PROCEDURE WILL HASTEN RECOVERY AND PREVENT COMPLICATIONS.
If you have any questions or problems, please call us at 432-3308. If you need to reach Dr. Malik (after hours) urgently, you can call him at (603) 552-0620. He will return your call as soon as possible.