Post-Operative Care

Healing following surgery is usually quick and uneventful if you follow the instructions below.

  1. Sit down and rest. Any activity during the first 24 hours after surgery may make you bleed more.
  2. DO NOT drink through a straw, smoke, or drink carbonated beverages for 48 hours. This may cause your blood clot to loosen and a dry socket to form.
  3. Bleeding: Replace the gauze on the surgical site every 20-30 minutes until bleeding subsides. If bleeding continues for an extended time, bite on a moist black tea bag. If bleeding continues after 12 hours, contact the dentist.
  4. Rinsing: On the first day, rinse gently with cool water. On the second day through the fifth day, rinse with warm salt water (one level teaspoon of salt to one-half cup of water. Rinse after meals and before bed.
  5. Stay on a liquid diet until numbness is gone. Do not eat hard or crunchy foods for a few days. This could disturb the healing process.
  6. Sutures: If absorbable sutures were placed they will come out on their own in 3-6 days. If they come out prior to this, call the dentist. If silk sutures were placed you will come back to our office to have them removed.
  7. You have been given a homeopathic remedy. Gently tap the bottle 20 times and place 3-5 drops under your tongue 3 times a day for two weeks. Do not let the dropper touch your tongue.
  8. Do not take the antibiotic you were given unless you develop swelling or run a fever over 101 degrees. Swelling without fever is normal.
  9. Take your pain prescription at your discretion. However, you may try managing your pain with one Aleve or three (200mg) Ibuprofen every 6 hours. DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL WITH THE PRESCRIPTION.
  10. Dry sockets rarely occur, but if they do, you will probably see a dry-looking opening. Instead of a dark blood clot, there will just be whitish bone. The pain typically starts about 2 days after the tooth was pulled. Over time it becomes more severe and can radiate to your ear. Other symptoms of dry socket include bad breath and an unpleasant smell and taste in your mouth. If you have dry socket, start taking your antibiotics and rinse with salt water after each meal. Also, Chloraseptic throat spray will help control the pain.