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In order to promote healing, minimize discomfort, and decrease your chances of developing an infection, we ask that you carefully read and follow these recommendations. Proper postoperative care will greatly diminish your risk of complications and increase your postoperative comfort.
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1. Maintain firm, steady pressure on the gauze in your mouth for 2 hours. At the end of that time, gently remove the gauze, wait a minute, and observe the amount of bleeding that is still taking place. If it is minimal, do not replace the gauze; if it is enough to be annoying, double over two pieces of gauze and repeat firm pressure for 30 minutes. Repeat as necessary.
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2. Do not spit out or drink through a straw for 24 hours after surgery. This will dislodge the blood clot, and the healing process must start all over again.
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3. Do not brush your teeth or rinse your mouth out today. Tomorrow begin toothbrushing again, and gently rinse your mouth, including the extraction site, with warm salt water (one tablespoon of salt dissolved in an 8 oz. glass of warm water).
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4. If so directed, apply ice to the affected area for the first 24 hours. The ice should feel cool on the face but not frigid. Avoid extreme cold by placing a towel between the ice and your skin.
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5. Keep your head elevated for the first 24 hours. Sit up instead of lying down. When you go to bed, use two pillows, or fold your pillow in half. (We suggest you put an old towel over your pillowcase because you will likely drool a small amount of blood-tinged saliva while you sleep. Blood-tinged saliva is a normal post-operative finding, so try not to let it alarm you.)
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1. You will find chewing to be difficult for several days. However, a good, high protein diet can help healing. Therefore, try to eat a lot of eggs, soup, milk, yogurt, and ice cream. Any of the instant foods - e.g., Metrecal, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Sustical, etc., are excellent supplements.
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2. Even more important than eating will be keeping your fluid intake up. In order to expedite healing, replace lost blood volume, and avoid infection and dehydration, it is important to drink a glass of water, milk, or juice approximately one glass every hour while awake.
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3. Avoid the following for 36 hours: hot drinks, spicy foods, peanuts, potato chips, popcorn, strong alcoholic beverages.
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4. Try not to smoke while healing. Smoking will greatly increase the risk of a "dry socket" forming. This is a very uncomfortable condition which greatly extends your healing time. The first week is a very critical time for dry socket formation.
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1. You will have been given a prescription for an analgesic to control pain. Follow the instructions given to you (instructions are also on the labels on the medicine bottles). To avoid an upset stomach, always take these medications with a full glass of water. Try to take these medications after meals, when convenient.
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2. DO NOT DRIVE FOR 24 HOURS following your sedation.
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3. A certain amount of discomfort
is inevitable after surgery, and even the potent analgesics will not get
you really comfortable the first day or two. However, if severe pain is
present after a couple of days, or if the pain was going away and then
starts to increase in intensity, come back to the office, or call and
speak to your doctor. Also, if significant bleeding (more than just a
couple of drops a minute) continues for more than a day, call the office.
Remember, if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to call the
office to get an answer. Information from other sources may not always
be the best thing for you.
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