Post-Surgery Dos and Don'ts
For the first 24 hours after any surgical procedure in the oral cavity, the initial blood clot at the surgical site is soft and delicate and some bloody discharge is expected.
Therefore, for the first 24 hours, follow these instructions:
- Refrain from spitting and rinsing out your mouth
- Refrain from brushing your teeth
- Refrain from smoking
- Refrain from eating hot or hard foods
In addition, for 72 hours after the surgery, refrain from any strenuous sports activity.
Put an ice pack on your cheek for the first 30 minutes after the procedure. In order to prevent frostbite, make sure to remove the ice pack for 30 seconds every two minutes.
You may drink cold, non-carbonated drinks immediately after the procedure, and you can start eating cold, soft food when the local anaesthesia wears off, two to four hours after the procedure.
Only 24 hours after the procedure, start rinsing your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash that contains chlorohexidine gluconate 0.2%, such as Tarodent or Corsodyl. Alternatively, you could rinse your mouth with salt water.
If heavy bleeding starts, dress the area with a pad and contact the surgeon.
If you were given a prescription for antibiotics, make sure to take them as per the doctor's instructions.
If the surgical procedure involved the sinus cavity, refrain from blowing your nose and increasing pressure in the nasal cavities for 10 days.
Foods you can eat in the first 24 hours include ice cream, yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, pudding, fruit shakes, applesauce, tomato puree, tahini and any other cold food in puree form that can be swallowed without chewing.
