Home Instructions After Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Immediately Following Surgery

  • Keep the gauze pad over the surgical site for 1-2 hours. Minor oozing is normal.
  • Avoid rinsing your mouth or touching the area to prevent dislodging the blood clot.
  • Take prescribed pain medication before the anesthesia wears off.
  • Limit physical activities for about a week; expect to feel better in 3-5 days.
  • Apply ice packs to the sides of your face to reduce swelling.

Managing Bleeding

  • Mild bleeding is typical. If bleeding is excessive, rinse out old clots and place gauze on the area, biting firmly for 60 minutes. Repeat if needed. If bleeding continues, try biting a moistened black tea bag for its clot-promoting properties.
  • Stay calm, sit upright, and avoid strenuous activity while managing any bleeding. If it persists, contact our office.

Swelling and Discomfort

  • Swelling around the mouth, cheeks, eyes and sides of the face is not uncommon, this is a normal reaction to surgery and eventual repair 
  • Swelling is normal and usually peaks on the second day. Ice packs can help reduce it, and applying moist heat after 4-5 days can ease muscle stiffness. 
  • You should take pain medication before local anesthetic starts wearing off, Dr. Ali will prescribe an anti-inflammatory for moderate pain and an opioid for breakthrough pain
  • Do not take any medication that you are allergic to or have been instructed by your doctor not to take
  • Do not drive an automobile, operate heavy machinery, or consume alcohol while on pain medications 
  • Pain should subside gradually over the course of seven days. Should pain persist, please contact our office 

Diet

  • After anesthesia, start with liquids and avoid straws to prevent bleeding. Soft foods can be eaten while chewing away from the surgical sites. Maintain a high-calorie, high-protein diet and drink 5-6 glasses of liquid daily.

Maintaining Oral Hygiene

  • Do not rinse your mouth until the day after surgery. Then, rinse with sea salt (1 teaspoon in 1 cup warm water) twice daily for 2-3 weeks.

Discoloration

  • The development of black, blue, green or yellow discoloration is due to blood spreading beneath the tissues. This is a normal post-operative occurrence and if it does happen, it may appear 2-3 days after the surgery. Moist heat applied approximately 4-5 days after surgery may speed up the removal of the discoloration.

Antibiotics

  • If you have been placed on antibiotics, take them as directed. Antibiotics will be given to help prevent infection. Discontinue antibiotic use in the event of a rash or any other unfavorable reaction and contact our office immediately. 

Nausea and Vomiting

  • In the event of nausea and/or vomiting following surgery, do not take anything by mouth for at least an hour, including the prescribed medication. You should then sip on coke, tea or ginger ale. Do not use a straw to sip the beverage. You should sip slowly over a fifteen-minute period. When the nausea subsides, you can begin taking foods and the prescribed medicine.

Additional Notes

  • Temporary numbness in the lip, chin, or tongue is common. Be cautious of biting these areas.
  • A slight fever is normal; use Tylenol or ibuprofen if needed.
  • You should be careful going from a lying down position to standing. You could get light headed from low blood sugar, low blood pressure or medications. Before standing up, you should sit for one minute before getting up.
  • Notify us if you experience severe discomfort, stiffness in jaw muscles (Trismus), or if you notice hard projections in your mouth as they usually smooth out on their own.
  • Keep your lips moist with ointment such as vaseline 
  • Sore throat and pain while swallowing are not uncommon and will subside in 2-3 days 
  • Sutures placed during surgery will dissolve on their own in about a week. Don’t worry if they dislodge; simply remove and discard them.

While oral surgery is a common occurrence, you are an individual, and therefore, unique. Thus, because no two mouths are alike, we are here to address your personal and individual needs, concerns, experiences and responses to your surgery. Thus, Dr. Ali and your POMS family are available to you and for you, at any point before, during or after the procedure. If you call our office after hours, Dr. Ali will be notified and he will personally return your call to ensure you get the attention and care you very much deserve.

Contact Precision Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery online or by phone at Precision Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Phone Number (623) 518-2325.