Post-op instructionsCare after minor oral surgery

Sometimes, after minor oral surgery, you may experience pain, bleeding and/or swelling. Proper care after oral surgery will help your mouth heal quickly and cleanly.
Once the anesthetic (freezing) wears off, feeling some pain is normal. You might have the most pain in the first 24 to 48 hours after your surgery. Some soreness or discomfort at the site of the surgery may last for 3 to 5 days. The amount of discomfort varies from one person to another and from one operation to another.

Keep firm and constant pressure on the gauze pad given by the dentist by closing your teeth firmly on the pad for 30 minutes after the procedure. If you are still bleeding after 1 hour, put a new gauze pad on the area and continue to apply firm and constant pressure for another hour.

Rest and keep your head raised.

Do not rinse your mouth within the first 24 hours—even if the bleeding and oozing leave a bad taste in your mouth.

• Do not chew on the gauze pad or suck on the wound. Do not use straws to drink.
• Do not strain yourself for 2 full days after your surgery.
• Avoid hot liquids like coffee and tea. If you eat soup, let it cool first. Hot liquids increase the flow of blood and your wound may start to bleed again.
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco for the 2 weeks following the surgery. They make it harder for your blood to clot and easier for an infection to start. Alcohol and tobacco will also delay healing.

Call us immediately if bleeding lasts for more than 4 hours after the surgery, if swelling is still getting worse, if you have a fever, or if your pain does not lessen. After a couple of days, you will begin to feel better and you will be able to return to your normal routine.