The instructions below are general. The written sheet you are given at your appointment is specific to the procedure you had, and it always takes priority over anything on this page. If the two disagree, follow the sheet, and call us at 720-676-1231 if you are unsure.
The first 24 hours
- Bleeding. Some oozing is normal on the first day. If bleeding is brisk, bite firmly on damp gauze for 20 minutes without peeking, and repeat if needed. Keep your head elevated, including when you sleep.
- Swelling. Apply a cold pack to the outside of the face, roughly 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, for the first day. Swelling usually peaks around day two or three and then settles.
- Rest. Take the day off. Avoid exercise, heavy lifting, and bending over.
- Do not disturb the site. No rinsing, spitting, straws, or smoking on the first day. The suction and pressure can dislodge the clot the site depends on to heal.
Eating and drinking
Stay with cool, soft foods for the first few days: yogurt, smoothies eaten with a spoon, eggs, soup that is not hot, pasta, mashed potatoes. Chew on the opposite side. Avoid anything crunchy, seedy, spicy, or very hot until the area is comfortable. Drink plenty of water. If you have had a bone graft or a sinus procedure, avoid straws entirely, and do not blow your nose forcefully.
Keeping the area clean
From the day after surgery, unless told otherwise, rinse gently with warm salt water several times a day, particularly after meals. Brush your other teeth normally but keep the brush away from the surgical site and any stitches until we tell you it is safe. If you were given a prescription rinse, use it exactly as directed rather than in addition to vigorous rinsing.
Stitches, dressings and healing
Many stitches dissolve on their own over one to two weeks. If a dressing was placed over the site and it comes away early, that is usually not an emergency, but let us know. Expect the area to look worse before it looks better: white or yellowish tissue over a healing graft is normal granulation, not infection.
Call us if you notice any of the following
- Bleeding that will not stop after 30 minutes of firm pressure with gauze.
- Pain that gets worse after day three rather than better.
- Swelling that keeps increasing after day three, or spreads to the eye, the floor of the mouth, or the neck.
- A fever, a bad taste that will not clear, or pus from the site.
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing. This one is an emergency: call 911.
Reaching us
Call 720-676-1231 during office hours. For urgent problems outside office hours, follow the after-hours instructions on your post-operative sheet.