Before any oral surgical procedure you should:

• Eat a light and easily digestible meal the night before your appointment
• If you are going to be sedated, DO NOT eat or drink anything on the day of your appointment
• Wear short sleeves and loose-fitting clothing
• Arrange for a relative or friend to stay in the office with you and be ready to drive you home
• You may NOT drive a car on the day of the surgery if you are to be sedated!

Fold a piece of clean gauze into a pad thick enough to bite on and place directly on the extraction site. Apply moderate pressure by closing the teeth firmly over the pad. Maintain this pressure for about 30 minutes. If the pad becomes soaked, replace it with a clean one as necessary. Do not suck on the extraction site (as with a straw). A slight amount of blood may leak at the extraction site until a clot forms. However, if heavy bleeding continues, call your dentist. (Remember, though, that a lot of saliva and a little blood can look like a lot of bleeding.)

The Blood Clot

After an extraction, a blood clot forms in the tooth socket. This clot is an important part of the normal healing process. You should therefore avoid activities that might disturb the clot.

Here's how to protect it:

1. Do not smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously or drink through a straw for 24 hours.
2. Do not clean the teeth next to the healing tooth socket for the rest of the day. You should, however, brush and floss your other teeth thoroughly. Gently rinse your mouth afterwards.
3. Limit strenuous activity for 24 hours after the extraction. This will reduce bleeding and help the blood clot to form. Get plenty of rest.
4. If you have sutures, your dentist will instruct you when to return to have them removed.

Medication

Your dentist may prescribe medication to control pain and prevent infection. Use it only as directed. If the medication prescribed does not seem to work for you, do not increase the dosage. Please call your dentist immediately if you have prolonged or severe pain, swelling, bleeding, or fever.

Swelling & Pain

After a tooth is removed, you may have some discomfort and notice some swelling. You can help reduce swelling and pain by applying cold compresses to the face. An ice bag or cold, moist cloth can be used periodically. Ice should be used only for the first day. Apply heat tomorrow if needed. Be sure to follow your doctor's instructions.

Diet

After the extraction, drink lots of liquids and eat soft, nutritious foods. Avoid alcoholic beverages and hot liquids. Begin eating solid foods the next day or as soon as you can chew comfortably. For about two days, try to chew food on the side opposite the extraction site. If you are troubled by nausea and vomiting, call your dentist for advice.

Rinsing

The day after the extraction, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water (teaspoon of salt in an 8 oz. glass of warm water). Rinsing after meals is important to keep food particles away from the extraction site. Do not rinse vigorously!

Anesthesia - The feeling of numbness will begin to wear off in 30 minutes to 4 hours. Until that time, avoid all hot foods or liquids, and do not chew. This is to prevent accidentally burning or biting the lips, cheeks, inside of your mouth or tongue until the feeling has returned

Gauze Pack - Fold the gauze into a small pack and place over the extraction site and apply firm pressure for one to two hours. Change the gauze pack every 15-30 minutes.

Bleeding - It is normal for the extraction site to bleed slightly or ooze blood for 12 to 24 hours following surgery.

Ice Pack - For the first 2 to 8 hours after surgery, ice packs should be applied to the outside of the face over the area of the extraction site. The ice pack should be held in place for 15 minutes on, and then removed for 15 minutes. Doing this throughout the day will help reduce discomfort and swelling.

Medications - DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN PRODUCTS due to the possible increase in bleeding potential. If prescription medications were prescribed please follow label instructions carefully. For most extractions, a non-aspirin over the counter pain medication will provide good pain relief. Do not take more than the recommended dosage!

Diet - A liquid or soft diet should be adhered to for the first 12 to 24 hours after surgery. It is important to drink plenty of liquids for the first day or two. Avoid the use of a straw as it may dislodge the blood clot that is forming in the extraction site.

Oral Hygiene - Clean the rest of your mouth as usual, however avoid bumping or brushing the extraction site. DO NOT RINSE OR SWISH YOUR MOUTH for the first 24 hours following surgery.

Possible Complications:

Dry Socket - This is sometimes a problem after surgery. The symptoms associated with dry socket are constant moderate to severe pain, bad taste, putrid odor, and poor clot formation at the surgical site. If you think you have ANY of these symptoms call our office as soon as possible.

Fever - Monitor your temperature for the first 24 to 48 hours. Any elevated temperature should be reported to our office.

Swelling - Some swelling during the first 24 to 48 hours can be expected.

Post-operative care of the removal of impacted teeth is very important. Carefully follow instructions to minimize unnecessary pain and complications of infection and/or swelling.

BLEEDING. A certain amount of bleeding is to be expected following surgery. Slight bleeding, oozing, or slight blood traces in the saliva is not uncommon. To help minimize bleeding, avoid any sort of exercise or excitement. Excessive bleeding may be controlled by first rinsing or wiping any old clots from your mouth, then placing a gauze pad over the area and biting firmly for thirty minutes. This action should create a blood clot and bleeding will stop; however, if bleeding does not stop repeat as necessary. As an alternative to the gauze gently bite on a moistened tea bag for thirty minutes. The tannic acid in the tea bag helps to form a clot by contracting bleeding vessels. If bleeding does not subside, call the office at (718) 229-4933 (Queens Office) or (516) 773-4133 (Great Neck Office) for additional instructions.

Standard After Surgery Instructions:
- The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for a half hour prior to removal.
- Vigorous mouth rinsing the surgical area following surgery should be avoided. Vigorous sucking through a straw should be avoided. Touching the surgical area should be avoided. These actions may cause the blood clot to become dislodged and cause excess bleeding.
- Begin taking the prescribed pain medications as soon as you begin to feel discomfort.
- Place ice packs to the sides of your face where surgery was performed.
- Restrict your activities the day of surgery and resume normal activity when you feel comfortable.

SWELLING. Swelling around the mouth, cheeks, eyes and sides of the face is not uncommon as it is the body’s normal process in repairing itself. Swelling does not always appear immediately. It may take 12 to 24 hours before swelling becomes apparent. Swelling may not reach its maximum until 2-3 days post-surgery. Swelling may be minimized by the immediate use of ice packs post-surgery. Two baggies filled with ice, or ice packs should be applied to the sides of the face where surgery was performed. The ice packs should be left on continuously while you are awake. After 36 hours, ice has no beneficial effect. If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days, there is no cause for alarm. This is a normal reaction to surgery. Thirty-six hours following surgery, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face is beneficial in reducing the size of the swelling.

PAIN MEDICATION. For moderate pain, one or two tablets of Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol may be taken every three to four hours or Ibuprofen, (Motrin or Advil) two-four 200 mg tablets may be taken every 3-4 hours. For severe pain, take the tablets prescribed as directed. The prescribed pain medicine will make you groggy and will slow down your reflexes. Do not drive or operate machinery and avoid alcoholic beverages. Pain or discomfort should subside more every day. If pain persists, it may require attention and you should call the office for assistance.

DIET. After general anesthetic or I.V. sedation, liquids should be initially taken. Do not use straws. Drink from a glass. The sucking motion can cause more bleeding by dislodging the blood clot. You may eat anything soft by chewing away from the surgical sites. Nourishment and regular fluid intake is important to your recovery. At least 5-6 glasses of liquid should be taken daily. Try not to miss a single meal. You will feel better, have more strength, less discomfort and heal faster if you continue to eat.

HOME HYGIENE CARE. There will be a cavity where the tooth was removed. The cavity will gradually over the next month fill in with the new tissue. In the mean time, the area should be kept clean especially after meals with salt water rinses or a toothbrush. No rinsing of any kind should be performed until the day following surgery. You can brush your teeth the night of surgery but rinse gently. The day after surgery you should begin rinsing at least 5-6 times a day especially after eating with a cup of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt.

ANTIBIOTICS. If Danoff Dental & Associates, LLP has prescribed antibiotics, take the tablets or liquid as directed. Antibiotics will be given to help prevent infection. Call the office in the event of a rash or other unfavorable reaction at (718) 229-4933 (Queens Office) or (516) 773-4133 (Great Neck Office).

NAUSEA. Occasionally, a prescribed pain medicine may induce nausea and/or vomiting following surgery. Do not take anything by mouth for at least an hour including the prescribed medicine. You should then sip on coke, tea or ginger ale. You should sip slowly over a fifteen-minute period. When the nausea subsides you can begin taking solid foods and the prescribed medicine.

Other Complications
- NUMBNESS. As discussed in your pre-surgery consultation numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue can occur, but there is no cause for alarm. This is usually a temporary condition. If you do experience numbness be careful not to bite your lip of tongue as you will not feel the action. Call Danoff Dental & Associates, LLP if you have any questions.

- TEMPERATURE. Slight elevation of temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon. If the temperature persists, notify the office. Tylenol or ibuprofen should be taken to reduce the fever.

- DIZZINESS. Taking pain medications can make you dizzy. You can get light headed when you stand up suddenly. Before standing up, you should sit for one minute then get up.

- SUTURES. Sutures may be placed in the area of surgery to minimize post-operative bleeding and to help healing. Sometimes they become dislodged, this is no cause for alarm. Just remove the suture from your mouth and discard it. In about a week post surgery the sutures will be removed by one of our doctors. It is a simple procedure that does not require any anesthesia or needles and only takes a few minutes.

- SORE THROAT PAIN. Sore throats and pain when swallowing are not uncommon. The muscles get swollen. The normal act of swallowing can then become painful. This will subside in 2-3 days.

- JAW STIFFNESS. Stiffness of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is a normal post-operative event which will resolve in time.

1) DO NOT RINSE MOUTH TODAY
Tomorrow rinse mouth gently every 3 to 4 hours (especially after meals) using one quarter teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water. Continue rinses for several days.

2) BLEEDING
Following extractions, some bleeding is to be expected. If persistent bleeding occurs, place gauze pads over bleeding area and bite down firmly for one-half hour. Repeat if necessary.

3) SWELLING
Ice bag or chopped ice wrapped in a towel should be applied to the operated area; one-half hour on, and one-half hour off for 4-5 hours.

4) PAIN
For mild to average pain, use any non-aspirin type of medication you like. If the doctor prescribes a specific pain medication, follow the instructions and do not mix with other medications unless approved by your doctor.

5) FOOD
Light diet is advisable during the first 24 hours.

6) BONY EDGES
Small sharp bone fragments may work up through the gums during healing. These are not roots; if annoying, return to our office for their simple removal.

7) If any unusual symptoms occur, call the office at once.

8) The proper care following oral surgical procedures will hasten recovery and prevent complications.