AFTER MINOR ORAL SURGERY

Recommended care here must be respected to promote healing. Note that after the surgery it is normal to feel some discomfort and swelling.

Day of Surgery:

• Keep the gauze in the mouth for an hour or so by maintaining firm pressure and change them every half hour, as needed.
• Apply ice on the cheek at regular intervals (20 minutes of ice every hour).
• If you bleed, take a compress gas or a moistened tea bag and bite the gauze or tea bag for 20 minutes.

Avoid:

• Do not rinse your mouth or spit.
• Do not drink through a straw.
• Avoid smoking.
• Avoid foods or hot drinks. Eat cold food and soft.
• Avoid strenuous activities.

Pain:

• In the first 24 to 72 hours, taking a medicine containing acetaminophen (Tylenol, Atasol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or the medication you were prescribed to alleviate pain. Avoid taking aspirin.

The next day until recovery:

• Rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water (2 ml or 1/2 tsp. Salt in 250 ml or 1 cup water).
• May be some bruising on the skin. They will disappear after five to seven days.
• Perhaps you have difficulty opening the mouth. This should diminish the after four to five days.
• If, after three days, the pain increases instead of decreasing, call us.

After a few days you will feel better and you can resume your normal activities. If you experience heavy bleeding, feel pain, continued swelling for two or three days or if you react to the medicine, call us.