How to Recover From Dental Surgery

Recovering from dental surgery can take from just a few days up to a few weeks depending on the procedure. Knowing what to expect and being prepared for aftercare will help you ease your anxiety about your surgery and recover faster.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gauze or teabags
• Prescribed antibiotics or painkillers
• Ibuprofen
• Soft foods like yogurt and mashed potatoes

Recover From Dental Surgery

1. Ask your surgeon for specific instructions on what you can and cannot do during your recovery time. Most doctors will give you a list of foods you can eat and instructions for cleaning the surgical site. Visit the WebMD site for more information on what to expect after surgery (see Resources below).

2. Fill your antibiotic or painkiller prescription immediately after surgery. Taking any prescribed medicine in its entirety is important to clear infections or minimize your discomfort. Take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen if you still experience pain.

3. Eat only foods you can handle. If you've had minor surgery, it is usually fine to chew your food on the opposite side from the surgical site. If you are not sure, eat soft foods like yogurt and mashed potatoes.

4. Check the surgical site for bleeding. If you have had a tooth extracted and are experiencing bleeding, place a piece of moist gauze or a moist tea bag over the empty socket and bite down firmly for 45 minutes. Contact your surgeon if heavy bleeding occurs.

5. Stop your unhealthy habits. After most oral surgeries, patients should not drink, smoke or chew tobacco. All three activities can aggravate the surgical site.

6. Change your bed configuration. Consider foregoing a pillow or try rolling your pillow and placing it under your neck to prevent undue stress on the surgical site. Sleeping upright in a chair may also be a comfortable alternative for the first night.

7. Make a follow-up appointment with your oral surgeon. He should check the site to make sure you're healing well.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult your employer before you have dental surgery. Some surgeries might have an effect on how you speak, so people with phone-based jobs should make other arrangements with their bosses or take more days off to recover completely.
• Don't push yourself while in the healing process. Your surgeon's instructions are meant to help you heal properly, so be sure to follow them stricly. Visit the WebMD site to learn what to expect before and after surgery (see Resources below).
• Avoid sucking through a straw, rinsing or spitting and hot liquids if you have had a tooth extracted. These actions can dislodge the blood clot and cause dry socket, a painful condition that can cause a foul mouth odor.

Resources

• WebMD for what to expect before and after surgery

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