Minimizing Your Discomfort after Oral Surgery

Minimizing your Discomfort with Proper Oral Surgery Aftercare

Oral surgery can be necessary to improve or maintain one’s health and prevent future issues. Following oral surgery, special care must be taken to keep surgery sites clean, preclude complications, and minimize discomfort.

The foremost authority on the post-op treatment of oral surgery patients is the dentist or surgeon himself. At the conclusion of the surgery, there will be a set of patient care instructions given by the dentist. Following these instructions will keep you on the path to recovery, decreasing the healing time and time of discomfort. Ensure the instructions are written down and perhaps request that the person accompanying you to and from the surgery remember additional or specific directions and to help you begin your healing process as you arrive at home.

If prescribed pain medication, it will need to be picked up following oral surgery. Taking the medication as directed will keep pain to a minimum. Other post-op patient care should include eating foods that are cool in temperature and smooth in texture, keeping cold compresses handy, and rinsing carefully with warm salt water. The cool, smooth foods will be easy to eat and comforting on a sore mouth. Cold compresses like frozen gel or ice packs, or even bagged frozen vegetables, in addition to elevation of the head, will work well to reduce any throbbing pain and keep swelling down. Rinsing with warm salt water will remove remaining food particles and kill bacteria in the mouth – make sure this is done gently and that the water is not spat, but rather allowed to fall from the mouth.

As with any healing process, there are behaviors to avoid until healing is complete, or until authorized by the dentist as they may cause dry sockets, or other painful infections. Do not vigorously rinse or spit, use a straw, smoke or use chewing tobacco, rinse with mouthwash, or participate in physical activity. If you have had an extraction, do not remove anything for the extraction site.

These instructions are sure to include plenty of rest, so take it easy and if you have any further questions or concerns contact Dr. VanderMolen and the staff at Advanced Dental Care at (217) 546-3333.  We care about your comfort.  Click here for more information on the services available at Advanced Dental Care of Springfield.