Surgery Post-Operative Instructions

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Please read instructions and follow post op care exactly as recommended. It is vital to proper healing and attaining desired results.

Diet: Liquid to soft foods are required for the first 3 days. Examples are; tomato soup, cream of mushroom, celery or any “cream of” soups, mashed potatoes, avocados, bananas, Jello, applesauce, protein shakes, Ensure, oatmeal, cottage cheese, eggs, and yogurt with NO seeds. After 3 days, firmer foods such as pasta, fish, and steamed veggies are ok. No gum, seeds, nuts, chips, popcorn, sticky or hard candy for 2 weeks. Any grains that can be lodged in gum tissue should be avoided for 2 weeks. Anything you can cut with a fork is acceptable. No alcohol and no carbonated drinks for 2 weeks.

Oral Hygiene: You will be prescribed an oral rinse that will replace brushing of treated areas for 2 weeks. Start the mouth rinse the following morning after your procedure. Gently bathe treated areas with rinse 2 times per day after breakfast and before bedtime. DO NOT swish hard, let the rinse sit in area and gently move your head around, open and let the rinse fall into the sink. DO NOT SPIT. After 2 weeks you will be given new instructions explaining oral hygiene. Please continue to brush untreated areas, wait until the following day resume brushing untreated areas. DO NOT use any other mouth rinses unless instructed. DO NOT FLOSS, OR USE ANY SORT OF TOOTH PICKING TOOLS. If you have an electric toothbrush please do not use for 1 month as it can hurt the treated areas.

Activity: For the first 3 days after procedure please limit activity. No heavy lifting, running, or strenuous activities. Heavy activity or movement increases heart rate which creates more swelling, bleeding and pain. After 3 days you can resume normal exercise and activities.Do not travel by air for 14 days.

Pain Management: In order to control pain, swelling must be managed. Take 600mg Ibuprofen every 6 hours for the first three days. After day three take ibuprofen only as needed. You will be prescribed a painkiller as well. This pain medication is a narcotic and can make you sleepy. Please do not drive if you need to take this medication. You may take Ibuprofen and the pain med together. Ice outside of face with ice pack or a bag of frozen veggies in intervals of 20min on face, 20 min off face for the first 2 days. CONTROLLING SWELLING CONTROLS PAIN.

Sutures & Dressings: You may have a purple tissue glue placed over your sutures. The purple tissue glue will flake and break off for the next 2 weeks, this is normal. You may have a pink dressing that looks like bubble gum placed over your treated areas. This may fall off an hour after leaving or stay on until your post-op appointment, it is simply there for added comfort. You will be alerted which dressings have been placed before you leave. DO NOT PICK AT, OR OFF, ANY OF THE DRESSINGS OR SUTURES. IF THEY BECOME AN IRRITANT PLEASE CALL AND DISCUSS WITH THE DOCTORS STAFF. You may have dissolvable or non-dissolvable sutures the assistant will let you know at time of surgery.

Other: No straws or spitting for 2 weeks, no smoking for at the very least the first 3 days (marijuana or tobacco). If you use a straw or create any suction in your mouth it will dislodge your blood clots, bone or tissue grafts. Take all medications as directed and make sure to finish the whole round of antibiotics (if prescribed). Be aware you will ooze and have light bleeding mixed with saliva for the first 48hrs. DO NOT PULL, STRETCH OR TRY TO LOOK AT ANY OF YOUR SURGICAL SITES. THEY HEAL BEST WHEN LEFT ALONE. If you pull or disturb any areas, you will move materials that your doctor has purposely sutured into place.