After Exposure of an Impacted Tooth

Please read the following instructions carefully. Following these instructions is essential to achieve a successful result. Also, these instructions will make your postoperative course more comfortable and will help to avert any unnecessary complications. If there are any questions or problems, please contact our office during normal business hours at (864) 458-9800.

Do not disturb the wound. If surgical packing was placed, leave it alone. The pack helps to keep the tooth exposed. If it gets dislodged or falls out do not get alarmed.

Bleeding

You should expect a limited amount of bleeding from the surgical site. Some minimal oozing or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Heavy bleeding which results in your mouth filling rapidly with blood can frequently be controlled by biting pressure on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues please call the office (864) 458-9800 for further instructions.

Swelling

Minimal or slight swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling, apply an ice bag or a plastic bag or towel filled with ice cubes on the cheek in the area of surgery. The ice may be beneficial for the first 36 hours when applied in a twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off routine.

Bruising

Although bruising may occur with buccal exposures, it is rare with palatal uncoverings. Moist heat may encourage resolution of the discoloration.

Diet

Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot liquids or food. Non-chewy soft foods and liquids should be eaten the day of the surgery. (Examples of these foods include soup, ice cream, jello, yogurt, pudding, etc…) Avoid sharp food items like crackers and chips for the first couple of weeks as they may irritate or cause the site to bleed if they jab the wound during early healing. Return to a normal diet as tolerated unless otherwise directed.

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. For moderate pain, 1 or 2 Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol may be taken every 3-4 hours. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) may be taken instead of Tylenol. Ibuprofen bought over the counter comes in 200 mg tablets: 2-3 tablets may be taken every 3-4 hours as needed for pain. For severe pain, the prescribed medication should be taken as directed.

Oral Hygiene

Mouth cleanliness is essential to good healing. Clean your mouth thoroughly after each meal beginning the day after surgery. Brush your teeth as best you can. Rinse with warm salt water (1/4 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) several times a day. Continue this procedure until healing is complete. A Q-tip moistened with Listerine may be used to clean an exposed tooth below the level of the gum. REMEMBER: A clean wound heals better and faster.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you are considering exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Be aware that your normal nourishment intake is reduced. Exercise may weaken you. If you get light headed, stop exercising.

Orthodontic Follow Up

You should plan to see your orthodontist within about 14 days to activate the eruption process with traction if a bracket and chain is applied.

Technical Note:

Our downloadable forms use the Adobe Acrobat Reader to allow patients the convenience of reading and signing their Surgical Instructions from home or work. Please download the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site if it is not already installed on your system. It is important that you have at least version 5 of the plugin, in order to successfully use our forms.