Bleeding:

Bleeding is to be expected after your surgery. After gauze is removed, you should drink and eat soft and cold things. If bleeding continues gauze can be placed on the area for 30 minutes or a moist black tea bag can also be used. If there are any concerns or questions, please call the office.

Swelling:

Swelling is normal after a procedure and usually will become more apparent on the third and fourth day. The day of surgery, ice should be applied to the face for 48 hours (15 minutes on and 15 minutes off). After 48 hours, heat should be applied to the face. Bruising may also become noticeable around day 3-5 after your procedure, this is normal and will gradually subside.

Diet:

Day of surgery you diet should be soft and cold foods only. Soft foods will remain your diet for a few days. Your diet will advance based on what is comfortable to do, usually a week until diet resume normally.

Pain:

If pain medication was prescribed by Dr. Reisman, follow all instructions given to you after surgery. If over the counter medication was suggested to manage discomfort than Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) up to 800mg can be taken every 6 hours.

If pain is persistent and is not being managed by your pain prescriptions, please call the office for further instructions.

Oral Hygiene:

All remaining teeth need to be brushed and flossed as usual the day after surgery. You can also introduce warm salt-water rinses after every meal to cleanse the surgical sites and remove any food particles.

Sutures:

If sutures are placed, they will dissolve or fall out on their own which can take up to 2-10 days. If non-dissolvable sutures are placed, you will be given a one week post-operative appointment to have them evaluated and removed.

Activity:

Keep physical activities to a minimum after your procedure. If you experience throbbing, bleeding or feel light headed when physical activity is reintroduce, you should stop immediately.

Other complications:

If prolonged numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue occurs there is no cause for alarm. As stated before the surgery, this is usually temporary in nature. If there are concerns or question regarding this matter, please call the office.

A slight elevation of temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon. Tylenol or ibuprofen should be taken to reduce the fever. If the temperature persists, notify the office.

You should be careful going from the lying down position to standing. Taking pain medications can make you dizzy, as will not eating or drinking enough, so it wouldn’t be uncommon for you to get light headed when you suddenly stand up. To avoid dizziness, sit up for a minute or two before standing up completely.

Occasionally, patients may feel hard projections in the mouth with their tongue. They are not roots; they are the bony walls, which supported the tooth. These projections usually smooth out on their own, but if not, further treatment may be necessary.

Sore throats and pain when swallowing are not uncommon. The muscles get swollen so then the normal act of swallowing can then become painful. This should subside within two to three days.

Stiffness (trismus) of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is a normal post-operative event that will resolve with time.