Post-Surgical Instructions

Ice 30 on 30 off
Place an ice bag on your face 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off for the rest of the day until bedtime. If you do not have an ice bag, put ice in a plastic bag and wrap a towel around it. The ice will help to:

• Slow down the bleeding. There may be a slight amount of bleeding the rest of the day. Do not worry.
• Take the edge off the discomfort. The better you are with the ice, the less pain medication will be needed.
• Minimize the swelling and black and blue. Tomorrow there will be some swelling in the area of the surgery and some black and blue.
• Also today, periodically let an ice cube dissolve in your mouth.

No Talking – No talking the rest of the day because you will slightly jiggle the gum tissue causing bleeding and compromise your results.

No Smoking – At least the day of the procedure. Smoking adversely affects initial healing and decreases the long-term results…

Soft foods – Eat soft foods like macaroni and cheese or scrambled eggs. You must eat more than soup because if that’s all you have you will get sick to your stomach from the medication.

Two Pillows – Put two pillows under your head and lie down all day.

Clean the surgical dressing – Brush and floss all teeth except the area in which the surgery was done. Use a damp cotton ball or Kleenex to gently wipe the dressing once a day to remove the debris. If the dressing falls off, do not worry. You can then gently brush and floss. However, if we did a soft tissue (gum) graft or a bone graft, and the dressing falls off, please call. We may wish to place a new dressing.

Antibiotics – Most often, antibiotics are prescribed. Follow the instructions on the vial and complete the entire dose.

Medication for discomfort – Options will be presented depending on your medical and systemic conditions and the extent of the procedure.