Post-Operative Advice
After having undergone dental surgery, such as one or more extraction(s), placement of implant(s), biopsy or other, it is important to follow your dentist’s advice in order to ensure adequate healing and reduce the risk of complications.
To stop the bleeding, bite on 1 or 2 cotton pads for 30 to 45 minutes without changing them. If you’re out of cottons, bite down on a damp, uninfused tea bag for 30 to 45 minutes.
The day after surgery, it is important to resume dental hygiene measures (brushing and flossing), being delicate around the operated areas.
Post-operative pain for 24 to 72 hours is to be expected. If of longer duration, please contact us to help you manage the pain. It should be noted that a larger surgery may be accompanied by pain up to one or two weeks of pain or discomfort.
It is strongly recommended to avoid sucking movements such as smoking, drinking with a straw or expectorating the days following the procedure. The day after the procedure, you can rinse your mouth gently with salt water (1/3 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water) or with a mouthwash prescribed by your healthcare professional.
No significant bleeding is to be expected following the possible placement of stitches. However, there might be traces of reddish saliva on your pillow when you wake up the day after surgery.
Swelling in the case of a surgical procedure under local anesthesia with or without oral or intravenous sedation usually begins the day after the procedure and continues for 3 to 5 days. Apply ice packs for 15 minutes every hour to the face on the side of the surgery on the day of the procedure until bedtime and this for a period of 24 hours. After 24 hours apply moist heat compresses up to 4 times a day for 48 hours.
Take your medications as prescribed by your healthcare professional.
A liquid and cold diet the day of the surgery as well as a soft and lukewarm diet thereafter for 2 to 3 days after the surgery are advised.
In some cases and depending on the proximity of certain nerves or anatomical structures to the surgical sites, a feeling of numbness and/or burning of the lip, gums, chin, teeth and/or tongue, partial or total, temporary or permanent may appear. This is very rare, but if so, the day after the procedure, please contact us to ensure adequate care.
There may also be bruises (ecchymosis) on the face and/or neck. If so, know that it is not dangerous. The duration of the bruises will be 5-7 days. You must apply moist heat compresses for 15 minutes to the site(s) and this 5 times a day for 2 to 3 days.
There may also be difficulty opening the mouth for a few days following the procedure.
In case of complication or emergency, do not hesitate to contact us by phone during our opening hours or write an email to [email protected] in the evening or on weekends and leave your phone number to join you.