Post-Op Instructions

DENTAL DEPOT 

2 E 5 th St, Morris, MN 56267

Kevin Williamson, DDS (320) 589-4481

Care After Bone Graft Surgery

After bone graft surgery it is normal to have:

  • Slight oozing of blood for a few hours
  • Swelling which usually reaches the maximum 2 to 3 days after surgery
  • Moderate discomfort which can be controlled by taking pain medication, as instructed by the doctor
  • Discoloration or bruising on the side of the surgery
  • A slight fever during the first 24 hours

 

Pain

  • Take your pain medication as instructed.
  • If your pain is not decreasing by the end of the third day after surgery, call the office

 

Swelling

  • Apply an ice bag/frozen vegetable bag to your face, directly over the area that was operated on
  • Do this for the first 12 hours after surgery
  • Follow the schedule below:
    • 20 minutes on
    • 20 minutes off
    • 20 minutes on, ect
  • Do NOT use ice after the first 12 hours

24 hour after surgery, it may feel good and soothing to put a warm compress on your face every few hours, increasing blood flow to the area helping with the healing process

 

Rinsing

  • Rinse 3 times daily for 2 weeks with prescription mouthrinse
  • Rinse with warm salt water anytime after eating for at least the next two weeks (add ½ teaspoon of salt to full glass of warm water)

 

Oral Hygiene

  • Brush and floss all your teeth as normal
  • Avoid brushing over gums where bone graft placed for 6 weeks
  • After six weeks can start to gently massage gums with toothbrush
  • The cleaner the area is kept, the greater the chance for success

 

Diet

  • Drink plenty of liquids
  • Eat soft foods for first 24 hours, or longer depending on the doctor’s instructions
  • After that eat foods that are easy to chew for a few days

 

Tobacco

  • Using tobacco after grafting reduces the prognosis of success by at least 15%

 

Problem Signs

  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Severe pain/Not controlled by medications
  • Swelling that does not decrease after three days
  • Temperature above 100 degrees F or chills

 

Healing Period

  • Depending on where the bone graft is placed, healing can take anywhere from 3-5 months
  • Studies show the initial graft will shrink up to 30%
  • The grafting material is slowly dissolved by your body and replaced by your own bone

 

Care After Dental Implant Surgery

 

After dental implant surgery it is normal to have:

  • Slight oozing of blood for a few hours
  • Swelling which usually reaches the maximum 2 to 3 days after surgery
  • Mild discomfort which can be controlled by taking pain medication, as instructed by the doctor
  • Discoloration or bruising on the side of the surgery
  • A slight fever during the first 24 hours

 

Pain

  • Take your pain medication as instructed.
  • Minimal pain is expected
  • If your pain is not decreasing by the third day after surgery, call the office

 

Swelling

  • Apply an ice bag/frozen vegetable bag to your face, directly over the area that was operated on
  • Do this for the first 12 hours after surgery
  • Follow the schedule below:
    • 20 minutes on
    • 20 minutes off
    • 20 minutes on, ect
  • Do NOT use ice after the first 12 hours

24 hour after surgery, it may feel good and soothing to put a warm compress on your face every few hours, increasing blood flow to the area helping with the healing process

 

Rinsing

  • Rinse 3 times daily for 2 weeks with prescription mouthrinse
  • Rinse with warm salt water anytime after eating for at least the next two weeks (add ½ teaspoon of salt to full glass of warm water)

 

Oral Hygiene

  • Brush and floss all your teeth as normal
  • Avoid brushing over gums where implant is located for 2 weeks
  • After two weeks can start to massage gums with toothbrush
  • After 3-4 weeks, begin brushing over healing abutment as normal
  • The cleaner the area is kept, the greater the chance for success

 

Diet

  • Drink plenty of liquids
  • Eat soft foods for first 24 hours, or longer depending on the doctor’s instructions
  • After that eat foods that are easy to chew for a few days

 

Tobacco

  • The use of tobacco reduces the prognosis of success by an average of 15%

 

Problem Signs

  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Severe pain/Not controlled by medications
  • Swelling that does not decrease after three days
  • Temperature above 100 degrees F or chills

 

Healing Period

  • Depending on the stability of the dental implant, there are two options for what will be placed on the implant:
    • Healing cap: Completely covered by gums
    • Healing abutment: Silver “button” that will stick through your gums
      • If seems to be loose, inform the office as soon as possible

Will wait 3 to 6 months before taking impression for implant crown

 

Care After Oral Surgery

What to Expect

After oral surgery it is normal to have:

  • Slight oozing of blood for a few hours
  • Swelling and any discomfort usually reaches the maximum 2 to 3 days after surgery
  • Moderate discomfort which can be controlled by taking pain medication, as instructed by the doctor
  • Discoloration or bruising on the side of the surgery
  • A slight fever during the first 24 hours

 

Pain

Take your pain medication as instructed. If your pain is not decreasing by the third day after surgery, call the office number listed at the end of this sheet

 

Bleeding

You can control moderate bleeding by:

  • Rolling sterile gauze into a ball
  • Make it damp with some water P
  • Place it over the surgical site
  • Use firm pressure for 40 minutes

If the above instructions do not stop the bleeding try the following:

  • Repeat the above instructions
  • Or use a black tea bag
    • Place under faucet and run water for 10 seconds
    • Place over surgical site and bite for 40 minutes

If the bleeding does not stop after the second set of instructions, call the number above

Swelling

  • Apply an ice bag/frozen vegetable bag to your face, directly over the area that was operated on
  • Do this for the first 12 hours after surgery
  • Follow the schedule below:
    • 20 minutes on
    • 20 minutes off
    • 20 minutes on, ect
  • Do NOT use ice after the first 12 hours

24 hour after surgery, it may feel good and soothing to put a warm compress on your face every few hours, increasing blood flow to the area helping with the healing process

 

Rinsing

  • Do NOT rinse for at least 24 hours after surgery, or until bleeding has completely stopped
  • GENTLY rinse your mouth with warm salt water (add ½ teaspoon of salt to full glass of warm water) every four hours

 

Activity

  • Avoid strenuous activity for first 24 hours after surgery do avoid dislodging healing clot
  • Avoid using straws- can cause a negative vacuum removing the healing clot

 

Smoking

  • Do NOT smoke for 48 hours after surgery
  • Nicotine in smoke causes blood vessels to become smaller, thus slowing healing
    • Drawing in on a cigarette is the same as using a straw

 

Diet

  • Drink plenty of liquids
  • Eat soft foods for first 24 hours, or longer depending on the doctor’s instructions
  • After that eat foods that are easy to chew for a few days

 

Problem Signs

  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Severe pain
  • Swelling that does not decrease after three days
  • Temperature above 100 degrees F or chills