Steps,
- Make sure you make your appointment on a day that gives you a couple of days to recuperate after the surgery.
- Stock up the night beforehand. Make sure you buy lots of soft foods. (soup, yogurt, canned peaches, pears, pudding, cottage cheese, etc.) You won't be able to have hard, cold/hot foods for at least 48 hours after surgery.
- Right after your teeth are pulled, depending on the circumstances, your doctor will have certain things he/she wants you to follow. Make sure you read the material he/she gives you about how to take care of your teeth.
- Leave the gauze on for at least 30 minutes. Do not attempt to change the gauze as it will disrupt the clotting process. Think of it as a band-aid; you wouldn't want to have one stuck to the wound and be pulled off every time it clotted. Once the first gauze pad has been taken off, keep the area clean and leave it be. Do not attempt to spit the blood out as the pressure change in your mouth will affect clotting.
- Use a teaspoon of sea salt with about 8 ounces of warm water to rinse your mouth out after food and before bed, it helps the healing process.
6. Have someone with you the first day you get them removed; you might want some extra help since you may be drugged. - Ice may be applied to your cheek(s) to help prevent swelling for the first 24 hours. After 24 hours ice may continue to help ease the pain, but will be useless in prevention of swelling. If the operation was just a simple extraction of erupted teeth swelling may be very minor or not present in which case ice is not necessary.After the first 24 hours, apply a heat pad to your cheek(s). The body's natural response will cause additional swelling if the ice pack is reapplied
- When lying down or sleeping have your head elevated with a couple of pillows. This will help with the swelling as well.
- Always have some water, your pain killers, and antibiotics (if prescribed any) near you. You'll want them near you when you need to take them again.
- Have lots of movies, games, books, and other things around you. You may be in a lot of pain, so you want to make sure you have a lot of resources around to keep your mind busy.
- Within a couple of weeks the gum tissue should be mostly healed and discomfort should be minimal. If a dry socket has developed, healing will take longer.
- Have someone answer your phone if it rings. Text messaging is the best alternative, if possible.
- Use bags of frozen peas instead of ice cubes to numb your cheeks--they do not leak moisture and are more comfortable.
- Ask the dentist to give you your teeth in a bag. They make a good souvenir (not for the faint-hearted). Dipping bloody, fleshy teeth in bleach for a few minutes is very effective at cleaning them. Depending on local health regulations, the dentist or oral surgeon may not be allowed to return the teeth to you.
- DO NOT USE sipping STRAWS for about a week. The pressure change in your mouth can cause clots to become loose or dislodged. Clots are important in the healing process. A dislodged clot can often lead to a "dry socket" (exposed bone and nerve endings) which can be extremely painful.
- Do not spit (if you have lots of blood, use gauze), spitting also affects the clots.
- Even though you may feel no pain the day of the surgery, it may be because the drugs haven't worn off. Take your pain killer as soon as you can, otherwise you might be in a lot of pain before you know it.
- Do not drive or operate any machinery
- Be careful of using asprin as a pain killer as it has anti-coagulant effects (stops blood clotting - promotes bleeding). Ibuprofen/Nurofen are usually recommended as they also reduce inflammation.
- Do not drink any alcohol (or use mouthwash) the first day. This will affect clotting.
- DO NOT SMOKE. In addition to introducing toxins to the wound site, this can also dislodge clots, leading to a dry socket.
- Many people experience vomiting after taking the prescribed pain medication. if this happens call your dentist and they might refer a different medication
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