WE USUALLY PRESCRIBE THE FOLLOWING:

ORAL RINSES: Rinse twice daily with Warm Salt Water (1/4 teaspoon in 8oz water), Do not use alcohol type mouthwashes such as Scope® or Listerine® during the first week after surgery.

ANTIBIOTICS: take as prescibed, usually beginning the day before surgery.

PAIN MEDICATION: is most effective when taken before the local anesthetic or numbness wears off.. Most patients experience little or no pain if taken before the onset of pain. Take with food or milk.

STEROIDS: help reduce swelling and inflammation, start dose the day after surgery and continue for 5 days as directed.

DIETARY: ENSURE®, BOOST®, or SLIMFAST® is a liquid, "meal in a can", over-the-counter supplement or substitute to help insure a balanced nutrition and better healing response. Patients should eat a soft bland diet for several days after surgery, and avoid spicy, crisp, or tough foods. Usually whatever you can eat with a spoon works well. Also, you may use a blender to soften and make different meals eatable.

ORAL SEDATIVES: may be recommended in some cases, take as directed. Usually patients will take one tablet the night before surgery to help insure a good night’s rest, then take one or two tablets one hour before their appointment. Do not drive or operate machinery until the next day following surgery.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DENTAL SURGERY BEFORE YOUR SURGERY: A healthier mouth heals better! Eat a well balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, take an all natural multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, and thoroughly brush and floss to maintain a clean and healthy mouth. Begin oral rinses such as Peridex®, Listerine®, Warm salt water, or Diluted Hydrogen Peroxide (50% water) as prescribed. ALWAYS continue to take your regular prescriptions and medicines as directed. If any unusual symptoms, mouth ulcers, swelling, or fever occur, please contact our office immediately.

A DAY OF REST: Please make arrangements for complete bed rest the day of your surgery. Most patients can return to their normal schedule on the 2nd or 3rd day following surgery. You will want to avoid vigorous exercise or work in which you may get hot and sweaty for the first 7 days following most surgeries.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR: [For patients that will be sedated or having major dental procedures or surgery] you will need to have someone drive you to and from the office. Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS: All financial arrangements, payments, and consent forms should be taken care of at the time of scheduling your first appointment.

THE DAY OF YOUR SURGERY: Do not drink or anything after midnight (NPO) before your appointment, except to take your medicines or prescriptions as directed. Dress in comfortable casual clothes (jogging or sweats suits are recommended). Take all medications as prescribed and bring all your prescriptions with you to the office in case we may want to increase your medications.

POST SURGERY INSTRUCTIONS ANESTHETICS: The length of time you experience numbness varies, depending on the type of anethetic you’ve received (2-4 hours). While your mouth is numb you’ll want to be careful not to bite your check, lip, or tongue.

BLEEDING: A small gauze pack is usually placed on the extraction or surgery site to limit bleeding and confine the blood while clotting takes place. This gauze pack should be left in place for 1-2 hours after you leave the office. Do not chew on the pack. There may be some bleeding or oozing after the pack is removed. If so, follow this procedure: Fold a piece of clean gauze into a pad thick enough to bite on. Dampen the pad and place it directly on the area. Apply moderate pressure by closing the teeth firmly for about 30 minutes. If the pad becomes soaked, replace it with a clean one as necessary. A slight amount of blood may leak at the extraction or surgery site until a clot forms. However, if heavy bleeding continues, call the office or Dr. Williams immediately. (Remember, though, a lot of saliva and a little blood can look like a lot of bleeding. If persistent bleeding or oozing occurs you may bite firmly on a moistened tea bag for 30 minutes (Tea contains tannic acid which helps the blood to clot).

SWELLING AND PAIN: Some swelling is expected following surgery. Most discomfort and pain can be controlled if pain medication is taken before the numbness and anesthetic wears off. Keeping an ice bag on the operated area for the first 24 hours following surgery will significantly decrease swelling and pain. You do not need to freeze the area, but just try to keep the area cool.

FOR THE FIRST 24 HOURS DO NOT USE HEAT FOLLOWING SURGERY. HEAT NCREASES SWELLING AND PAIN. NO SMOKING, NO VIGOROUS RINSING, NO SPITTING, NO DRINKING OR SUCKING THROUGH A STRAW, NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NO CARBONATED DRINKS, NO LISTERENE® OR SCOPE® TYPE MOUTHWASES, NO PEROXIDE RINSES TODAY.

ORAL HYGIENE: Twice a day gently brush your teeth with a soft and warmed toothbrush and a ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste, being careful not to dislodge or break any sutured gums loose from around your teeth. Also, don’t forget to brush your tongue, which helps eliminate bad breath.

BONE SPLINTERS: It is not unusual following extractions and dental surgery for small bone splinters or particles to migrate up through the gums as the area heals and remodels. They usually will come out naturally, but it some cases we may need to remove them for you.

DENTURES AND PARTIALS: In most cases, patients should not remove their new dentures or partials until the next morning following surgery. (Immediate dentures or partials act as a bandage and help keep swelling down.) Then gently remove your new teeth after each meal and at bedtime, rinse your mouth with warm salt water, and brush your remaining natural teeth, tongue, and any gums that are not near the surgical areas. Clean your dentures or partials with soap and warm water over a sink half full of water to prevent breakage in case of you drop them. Do Not Use Commercial Denture Soaks or Cleansers, Just soap and water. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF HEALING AND SWELLING AND SORENESS HAS GONE, IT IS USUALLY RECOMMENDED TO NOT SLEEP IN YOUR DENTURES OR PARTIALS, but to let your mouth and gums rest overnight. Remember to keep your dentures or partials in water when you are not wearing them (Do Not let them dry out, they like moisture).

SORE SPOTS, ULCERS, PAIN CHEWING, etc.: Please call the office for an appointment so we can help you. We save appointments at the end of every day just for our surgical patients.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL. WE ARE HERE TO HELP !