Following an oral surgery or the removal of teeth, you will want to make sure that you take proper care of yourself in order to ensure a speedy recovery and in order to prevent infections. The first thing that must happen in order for the healing process to begin is that a blood clot must form in the area where the tooth was removed or where the surgery was performed.
The blood clot covers the injured areas and protects it as it heals. This is very important as you will still need to eat and drink as it heals and you do not want those things interfering with the healing process.
However, you will want to be careful to make sure that you do not accidentally scrape of the blood clot as you eat and drink either. Here are several things that you should and should not do during the recovery period if you want to ensure a speedy recovery.
The first thing to know is that the area will be tender and even painful for the first couple of days. As a result, it is a good idea to start taking some kind of pain killer before the numbness has worn off.
This will help you avoid experiencing most of the discomfort associated with the procedure. Some operations will require the dentist or surgeon to prescribe a strong painkiller while in other cases you will be able to simply use Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
Do not wait until you start feeling the pain to take these things as you do not need to wait and it can be quite painful. Once you have felt the pain, it can be difficult to forget it or make it go away, even if you start taking painkillers.
Most of the time dentists tend to recommend taking ibuprofen or ketoprofen. However, you should check with your dentist or surgeon to make sure this is the right choice for you.
They will be familiar with your condition and your oral health history and they should be able to advise you appropriately. In general, it is best to avoid taking aspirin though as this will make your blood thin.
When your blood thins, your mouth will be more prone to bleeding and it will be more difficult to form a blood clot. Even if your dentist does not prescribe something stronger to you, but you feel a lot of pain, you can ask your dentist for something stronger and he or she will probably give it to you.
Following the appointment, you will want to make sure that you do not have any other obligations. As you are numb and sore, you will probably not be able to speak well anyway.
It is best to go home and rest for the rest of the day. This will keep your blood pressure down so that you do not bleed more than you have to.
It is also inadvisable to exercise for the next 24 hours and sometimes longer, depending on the severity of your surgery. As you are resting, you will want to prop your head up with pillows.
This will keep too much blood from rushing to your head. It is important to avoid moving your head to a lower point than some of the rest of your body by bending over or lifting things the next couple of days as well for the same reason.
A sudden rush of blood can dislodge the blood clot and cause the healing process to start over again. Following the appointment, the numbness should wear off by the time that six hours have passed since the surgery was completed.
If it has not worn off, you will need to call your dentist or oral surgeon immediately. If you can return to the office in the next 24 hours, the surgeon or dentist should be able to give you a shot that will reduce the swelling, which can help you recover faster.
Before you leave the office, you should also make sure that your surgeon reviews with you how to stop the bleeding. Most of the time, they will give you several gauze pads and instruct you to change them as needed.
The gauze pad should be applied with pressure and changed about every half an hour. Remember that the blood is mixing with your saliva, so it is not really as much blood as you think it is.
It is also best to only eat soft foods during the first day. This will make sure that you do not irritate the sore area too much.
Ignacio Lopez has authored hundreds of articles relating to oral health and dentistry. He recommendsWisdom Teeth Utah for your wisdom teeth services. He has been a guest dental lecturer for over 15 years.
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Ignacio Lopez
IgnacioLopez09@gmail.com
http://uaoms.org/wisdom-tooth-removal
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