Care Guide After Oral Surgery
Many people underestimate the seriousness of oral surgery and do not do enough to ensure smooth recovery. The mouth contains plenty of germs and because surgery is invasive, it does leave you in a vulnerable position to infections. To help control the bleeding and limit the chances of infection, you should ensure you have a good stock of gauze pads you will use to absorb blood and saliva around the surgery area. They may need replacing about two times an hour for the first day. Make sure to be careful about biting your inner cheek and touching the area with dirty hands so as not to undo the stitches or promote infection.
With oral surgeries there is also the problem of swelling. Surgeries such as the removal of impacted or wisdom teeth often result in serious swelling that can be painful and uncomfortable. To help ease this problem, make use of icepacks you can lay upon the affected cheek. Apply the icepacks for about 15 minutes at a time with 15 minute breaks in between. This will be a great relief whenever you are not asleep and will soothe the inflammation. At the same time you need to avoid actions that may promote continued swelling and pain like drinking hot drinks or anything with acids or spice.
You are likely to be given painkillers to manage the pain after surgery. Be sure to pay attention to the guidelines given by the surgeon on how to use them. If he recommends over the counter prescriptions like ibuprofen, also follow his instructions. In fact, try to have a second party involved who will keep track of how many pills you swallow. The surgeon may also prescribe a mouthwash to help you keep your mouth free of debris. Make sure to rinse gently and avoid spitting. Spitting makes use of some force that could hurt you by undoing stitches or blood clots that have formed. Blood clots help to allow the healing process advance and you should also avoid taking pain medication like aspirin that will thin your blood and prolong the healing stage.
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