Mountain View Oral Surgery

Mountain View Oral Surgery 105 South Drive, Suite 130, Mountain View, CA 94040 
Tel: (650) 938-7703
 
ALL APPOINTMENTS MUST BE CANCELED OR RESCHEDULDED TWO BUSINESS DAYS IN ADVANCE: NO EXCEPTIONS CANCELLATION FEE: $350
 
 POST – PROCEDURE INSTRUCTIONS
*** PLEASE READ BOTH SIDES OF THE INSTUCTIONS CAREFULLY, THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CALL OUR OFFICE***
 
Sometimes the after-effects of dental procedures are minimal, so not all of the instructions may apply. Common sense will often dictate what you should do. However, when in doubt follow these guidelines or call our office for clarification.
 
FIRST HOUR: Bite down gently but firmly on the gauze packs that have been placed over the extraction areas, making sure they remain in place. Do not change them for the first hour of leaving our office. AFTER ONE HOUR, BE SURE TO REMOVE THE GAUZE. Then eat something and take the medication. Take one antibiotic pill and one Motrin (if prescribed). Then if active bleeding persists, which is a dark red color that keeps filling your mouth quickly, you put more gauze in your mouth for one hour. You want to avoid putting in new gauze if there is very little blood, meaning it is slowly bleeding, or if it is a light pink color. If bleeding still persists after the second hour call our office. Do not keep changing the gauze you could pull out the stitches.
 
PERSISTENT BLEEDING: Bleeding should never be severe, severe meaning that your mouth is completely filling up with blood. Remember if your mouth is filling up with a light pink color that means you are only bleeding a little bit, but it may look like a lot when it mixes in with your saliva. If bleeding is severe it usually means that the packs are being clenched between teeth only and are not exerting pressure on the extraction areas. Try repositioning the packs to make sure they are placed in the actual extraction area and are not sitting on top of the teeth. If bleeding persists after you’ve already changed the gauze once then, please call our office. Sporadic bleeding or oozing overnight is normal. Do not be alarmed by a little occasional bleeding throughout the first few days, especially when eating or drinking. Minimal talking is necessary to keep the gauze clenched between the teeth and in order to decrease blood flow. If bleeding does not stop after you have changed the gauze once, you can soak a tea bag in cold water, squeeze out the excess water, and place the tea bag in the extraction areas and bite down firmly for 30 minutes, if bleeding still persists after that make sure to call our office.
 
DIET: Be very careful when eating after the surgery, your mouth will be very numb so it may be hard for you to swallow.  Get fed slowly with a spoon, but it is important that you eat as much as possible. Some pain while eating is normal. Do not eat or drink anything while you have the gauze in your mouth.  You can remove the gauze to eat after one hour, and replace the gauze after eating if necessary. If you must eat/drink before it is time to change your gauze take the gauze out, eat/drink then replace it until the hour is up. Eat any nourishing food that can be taken with comfort, anything cold and soft is advisable. Avoid hot foods, as they tend to increase the bleeding. DO NOT USE A STRAW for 2 weeks after surgery; this can cause the blood clots to be sucked out. For the first day foods such as cold soup, puddings, Jell-O, ice cream, yogurt and milk shakes, are ideal. The second day you can progress to warm foods such as pastas, mashed potatoes and eggs, by the third day you can have more solid foods. You should avoid foods with citrus and things like nuts, sunflower seeds, popcorn and rice because they can get lodged in the socket areas, for at least 3 days. Over the next several days you may gradually progress to solid foods, as you feel comfortable doing so. It is important not to skip meals. If you take nourishment regularly you will feel better, gain strength, have less discomfort and heal faster. If you are a diabetic, maintain your normal eating habits or follow instructions given by your doctor.
 
MOUTH RINSES: DO NOT SPIT OR RINSE YOUR MOUTH DURING THE FIRST DAY OF SURGERY. Doing so will pull out the blood clots and you will continue to bleed. If you are lightly bleeding you can wipe the blood out of your mouth with a napkin or you can swallow it but do not forcefully spit. The second day, it is essential to keep your mouth clean after surgery. Use plain warm water, or ¼ teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8 ounce glass of warm water and gently rinse with portions of the solution. If prescribed, you may also use the mouth rinse we prescribe at this time.  Repeat as often as you like, but at least after every meal.
 
SWELLING: Swelling if often associated with oral dental procedures, especially if drilling was done. It can be minimized by using a cold pack, ice bag or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel and applied firmly to the cheek outside the extraction area. This should be applied in ten minute intervals on each side the treatment was done on, during the first 24 hours after the surgery. Swelling tends to peak 3 days after the surgery before it will reduce. Do not apply anything hot to the area; it will increase the blood flow. If you have been prescribed Motrin, this is an anti-inflammatory which will help reduce the swelling, so be sure to take it for as long as you are swollen if you wish to reduce swelling more rapidly. It is normal to be swollen for up to a week, if swelling continues to increase after 4 days, then you should call our office.
 
SHARP EDGES: If you feel something hard or sharp in the extraction areas, it is likely you are feeling the bony walls which once supported the extracted teeth. Occasionally small slivers of bone may work themselves out during the following week or so. If they cause concern or discomfort, call the office. Please also be advised that if you see stitches in your mouth do not pull or tug on any of the strings, they will dissolve within 1-2 weeks unless told otherwise.
 
NAUSEA: Nausea is not uncommon after treatment. Sometimes pain medications are the cause. Nausea can be reduced by preceding each pain pill with a small amount of soft food, and taking the pill with a large volume of water. Try to keep taking clear fluids and minimize dosage of pain medications. 
 
BRUSHING: Begin your normal oral hygiene routine the day after the procedure. Soreness and swelling may not permit vigorous brushing, but please make every effort to clean your teeth within the bounds of comfort. Food may get lodged in the extraction sites, do your best to rinse it out after every meal. Remember to be gentle in the area that was worked on (no vigorous brushing), but do keep it clean with a gentle sweep.
 
 EXERCISE CARE: Do not disturb the procedure area today. DO NOT RINSE vigorously or probe the area with any objects. Do not smoke for at least 48 hours, this is detrimental to healing to avoid causing very painful dry sockets. When returning home after the procedure, it is best to sit up with a pillow slightly propped behind your back to slow the blood flow. You may want to place a towel around the pillow incase you ooze blood. At night you can sleep regularly. Do not engage in any vigorous activity, it is best to sleep and rest for the remainder of the day. If you have children please refrain from  lifting them up after surgery, there should be minimal lifting of heavy objects. The more active you are, the more you will bleed.
 
PAIN: Unfortunately dental procedures can be accompanied by some degree of discomfort. You will have a prescription for pain medication. You should take the first pill before the anesthetic has worn off, one hour after leaving our office even if you are not feeling any pain. This will help you manage any discomfort better. The effects of pain medications vary widely among individuals. Remember that the most severe pain is usually within six hours after the local anesthetic wears off; after that your need for medicine should lessen. If you find you are taking large amounts of pain medicine at frequent intervals, please call our office. If you anticipate needing more prescription medication for the weekend, we appreciate you making every effort to call for a refill during weekday business hours. In the unlikely situation that you need a prescription over the weekend, please call our office and you will be redirected to an emergency number.
 
HEALING: Normal healing after tooth extraction should be as follows: The first two days after surgery are generally the most uncomfortable and there is usually some swelling. On the third day you should be more comfortable and, although still swollen, can usually begin a more substantial diet. The remainder of the post- procedure course should be gradual, steady improvement. If you don’t see continued improvement, please call our office.