Do not disturb the wound. Avoid rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound on the day of surgery. Be as gentle as you can around the bone grafting area. Try to maintain all graft material at the surgical site.
Bleeding
Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills up rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If excessive bleeding continues, please call for further instructions. (In general, use as little pressure as is needed.)
Swelling
Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling, apply an ice pack (or a plastic bag or towel filled with ice) on the cheek in the area of surgery. Apply the ice continuously, as much as possible, for the first 24–36 hours. Swelling generally reaches a peak in 24–36 hours and then subsides over the next 3–5 days. If swelling begins to increase after the third post-operative day, please contact your doctor immediately.
Diet
Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot liquids or foods. Soft foods and liquids should be consumed on the day of surgery. Keep all solid food away from the surgical site.
Pain
You should begin taking pain medication prior to the local anesthetic wearing off. For moderate pain, 1 or 2 Extended Release Tylenol® (325 mg) or 2 Aleve® may be taken every 8 hours (no more than 2600 mg/24-hour period). Ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin®) may be taken instead of Tylenol®. Ibuprofen bought over the counter comes in 200 mg tablets: 3–4 tablets may be taken every 4–6 hours as needed for pain (no more than 3200 mg/24-hour period). For severe pain, the prescribed medication should be taken as directed. (Please note: if this prescription has Tylenol® [APAP] in it, see the above comments.) Do not take any of the above medication if you are allergic or have been instructed by your doctor not to take it. This may include patients with liver or kidney disease.
Antibiotics
Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics as directed to help prevent infection.
Oral Hygiene
Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. If you are given a prescription for Peridex™ Oral Rinse, rinse for 30 seconds and spit twice per day. Do not brush the 2 adjacent teeth on either side of the graft site for the first 7 days. After 7 days, you may gently brush the tooth surfaces of the adjacent teeth, as long as the bristles don’t disturb the graft site. You may floss normally, starting the day of surgery, if comfortable.
Activity
Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you are exercising, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking in normal nourishment. This may weaken you and further limit your ability to exercise.
Wearing your Prosthesis
Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures should not be used immediately after surgery. You may wear these prostheses as soon as it is comfortable but only if the prosthesis doesn’t touch the graft site.
Sinus Lift
If you’ve undergone a sinus lift in preparation for dental implants, please follow these specific instructions.
The treatment was performed to increase the height of bone available for your implant(s). It is imperative that you follow the instructions listed below carefully to maximize your healing and improve the long-term outcome of your dental implant(s).
Do NOT blow your nose for 14 days, as the pressure will delay or damage your sinus healing. If you have to sneeze, do NOT hold it back — sneeze out. Open your mouth and try to minimize the pressure in your nasal/sinus passages.
You may use nasal decongestants, such as over-the-counter Sudafed® tablets or Afrin® nasal spray, to keep your passages dry, especially if you have noticed continued drainage or feel the need to blow your nose.
Take the antibiotics prescribed by your doctor until they are finished, even if you feel fine. They protect the surgical site from infection. Also, 1 or 2 servings of yogurt or an acidophilus probiotic tablet are recommended daily to reduce gastrointestinal complications (such as diarrhea).
Do not drink through a straw. This creates suction, which may damage a healing clot. You may drink out of a cup or bowl, or use a spoon.
Do not smoke because smoking reduces the blood flow, contaminates the healing wound, and frequently leads to infections.