Post Operation Patient Care Instructions
Post-Op: Periodontal Surgery
ACTIVITY: After leaving our office today, we
suggest you relax and limit your activity for the remainder of the
day. You can start light activity the day after surgery if you feel
up to it. For the first 2-3 days avoid extreme exercise,
heavy lifting or anything that will cause you to strain.
DISCOMFORT: It is normal to experience
some discomfort for a few days after periodontal surgery.
Your doctor will review specific instructions for you, but
generally, 400 to 800mg Ibuprofen (i.e. two to four
over-the-counter tablets of Advil, Motrin, or generic ibuprofen)
every six hours, is all that is needed for post-operative soreness.
If you have an allergy or sensitivity to Ibuprofen, or have been
advised not to use it, you may take up to 1000mg of Acetaminophen
(i.e. three regular Tylenol tablets or two extra-strength Tylenol
tablets) every six hours. It is a good idea to take these medicines
for one to two days even if the area is not sore to help prevent
soreness. If more severe discomfort is anticipated, we will
prescribe medicines to be used as directed.
BLEEDING: Bleeding will stop slowly, typically
in one to three hours, and oozing is normal. If bleeding persists,
use gauze with gentle but firm pressure or a dampened tea bag in
the area until the bleeding has subsided.
INFECTION: If you have been given an
antibiotic, please continue taking it as directed without missing a
dose, until completed.
SWELLING: It is normal for some swelling to
occur after surgery. To minimize swelling, use ice packs over the
site - 20 minutes on / 10 minutes off - as much as you can for the
first 24 -36 hours. Icing the area will help reduce the
swelling which will accelerate the healing down the road and also
reduce your post op discomfort.
EATING AND DRINKING: Try not to eat until all
anesthetic (numbness) has worn off. You can then eat right
away starting with ice cream, soup, mash potatoes and other soft
non-abrasive foods. Try to avoid hard, spicy, acidic foods.
You can drink as much as you want, but for the first week, never
use a straw as this causes negative pressure in your mouth which
can pull on the sutures and loosen things up.
ORAL HYGIENE : You may brush all your other
teeth anytime after the surgery but you should avoid the site of
the surgery for a week. You may gently rinse around the treated
area after 24 hours with warm salt water (1/4 tsp. of salt in a cup
of warm water) or mouth wash.
USE OF REMOVABLE DENTAL APPLIANCES : If you
normally wear a removable appliance which replaces missing teeth,
and it rests on the treated area, you should refrain from wearing
it after surgery as pressure on the surgical site could be
detrimental to healing and cause discomfort. Our office will
specify directions as each case is specific.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please call our
Binghamton office at 724-1389, or our Endicott office at
754-3080.
