Post Oral Surgery Instructions

Things To Expect

• Swelling — normal after a surgical procedure; peaks at 24–48 hours and fades by day four.
• Discomfort — most noticeable as sensation returns to your mouth.
• Bleeding / oozing — expected for the first 12–24 hours.

Things To Do

1. Bleeding. Bite on the gauze placed in your mouth for at least one hour. If bleeding continues, remove excess clot with gauze, place a dampened gauze pad firmly over the area for twenty minutes, and repeat as needed.
2. Swelling. Minimize with ice or a cold pack: 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off, for a few hours. Prolonged icing offers no extra benefit.
3. Diet. Wait one hour, then take fluids. Keep to a liquid or soft diet (soups, soft drinks, cereal, mashed potatoes) for the first two days, with at least two quarts of fluid daily.
4. Medications. Take all prescribed medications exactly as directed to control pain and prevent infection.
5. Mouth rinse. Do not rinse on the day of surgery. Afterward, rinse gently with warm salt water (1 tsp salt to 8 oz water) after meals to speed healing.