SURGICAL INSTRUCTIONS

• Before Intravenous Anesthesia
• After Wisdom Tooth Removal
• After Tooth Extractions
• After Exposure of an Impacted Tooth
• After Removal of Multiple Teeth/Immediate Dentures
• After Dental Implant Surgery

OUR SERVICES

We provide the following oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures to the Marlton, Haddonfield, and Moorestown, New Jersey areas:

• Wisdom Teeth
• Dental Implants
• Bone Grafting
• Exposure of Impacted Canines
• Oral Pathology
• Pre-prosthetic surgery
• Facial Trauma
• Orthognathic/Jaw Surgery
• Distraction Osteogenesis
• TMJ Disorders

After Multiple Teeth Removal/Dentures

Bleeding

A small amount of bleeding is to be expected following the operation. Keeping bite pressure on the denture for 30-60 minutes should help stop the bleeding, however, some oozing from around the edges of the denture is expected to persist for several hours, but should eventually stop on its own. If bleeding occurs, avoid hot liquids, exercise, and elevate the head. If bleeding persists, call our office immediately. Do not remove immediate denture unless the bleeding is severe.

Diet

After general anesthetic or I.V. sedation, liquids only should be initially taken. Do not use straws. Drink from a glass. The sucking motion can cause more bleeding by dislodging the blood clot. You should not chew on the day of surgery. High calorie, high protein intake is very important. Suggested examples of acceptable foods include: any beverages, soups without solids which require chewing to swallow, jello, pudding, apple sauce, ice cream, yogurt, eggs, milkshakes, protein shakes, etc.. If you are experiencing any nausea dairy products may not be well tolerated. Nourishment should be taken regularly. You should prevent dehydration by taking fluids regularly. Your food intake will be limited for the first few days. You should compensate for this by increasing your fluid intake. At least 5-6 glasses of liquid should be taken daily.

After the day of surgery, you may eat anything soft. Try not to miss a single meal. You will feel better, have more strength, less discomfort and heal faster if you continue to eat. Due to jaw soreness and stiffness chewing may be difficult for up to 7-10 days following surgery. It is best to limit chewing to those foods of a consistency that does not cause discomfort.

Keep the mouth clean

No rinsing of any kind should be performed until the day following surgery. Leave the denture in place the night of the surgery as it will act as a band-aid over the wounds. You should see your dentist within 72 hours of the surgery for evaluation and adjustment of the fit of the dentures. If you are scheduled to see your dentist the day after the surgery, leave the denture in place until the appointment and let the dentist remove the denture for the first time. If not, the morning after surgery you should remove the denture and rinse vigorously at least 4-5 times a day, especially after each meal with mouthwash or a cup of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt. Do not leave the denture out of your mouth for more than a few minutes as the gum tissues may swell and inhibit reinsertion of the dentures. Beginning on the second night after surgery the dentures should be left out of the mouth overnight each night.

Finally

The removal of many teeth at one time is quite different than the extraction of one or two teeth. Because the bone must be shaped and smoothed prior to the insertion of a denture, the following conditions may occur, all of which are considered normal:

• The area operated on may swell reaching a maximum in 2-3 days. Swelling and discoloration around the eye, face or neck may occur. The application of a moist warm towel will help eliminate the discoloration quicker. The towel should be applied continuously for as long as tolerable beginning 36 hours after surgery (remember ice packs are used for the first 36 hours only).
• A sore throat may develop. The muscles of the throat are near the extraction sites. Swelling into the throat muscles can cause pain. This is normal and should subside in 2-3 days.
• If the corners of the mouth are stretched, they may dry out and crack. Your lips should be kept moist with an ointment like Vaseline. There may be a slight elevation of temperature for 24-48 hours. If temperature continues, notify our office.
• If immediate dentures have been inserted, sore spots may develop. In most cases, your dentist will see you within 24-48 hours after surgery and make the necessary adjustments to relieve those sore spots. Failure to do so may result in severe denture sores, which may prolong the healing process.