oral surgery dos and donts

How to Stay Comfortable After Oral Surgery

Several Ways to Prepare Yourself to Cope

oral surgery dos and donts

Many people fear going to the dentist for oral surgery because they know that they may feel uncomfortable afterward. While some discomfort will occur after any type of surgery, there are some steps you can take to reduce the pain and discomfort. This will help you to stay more comfortable when you are back at home.

 

About Oral Surgery

There are many types of oral surgery, so the type you receive may differ from what someone else experiences. Whether it is a wisdom tooth extraction, a tooth implant, oral maxillofacial surgery, or some other type of dental surgery, there will be some discomfort afterward. 

In order to help relieve immediate pain, the dentist will usually give you some pain pills to use once the numbing medication wears off. With some types of anesthesia, you may need someone else to drive you home. With other types, such as nitrous oxide, you could probably drive yourself home. 

 

Dental Instructions

After your oral surgery, the dentist will provide you with some detailed instructions that you need to follow for best results. Following them carefully will help you be more comfortable afterward. 

 

Dry Sockets

After oral surgery, particularly after a wisdom teeth removal or another tooth, the clot in the empty socket does not heal correctly. This can happen if the clot becomes dislodged. If it does occur, it will often be a painful experience until it does heal correctly.

Preventing a dry socket means avoiding drinking through a straw and eating food that might disturb the clot. Smoking and drinking alcohol should also be avoided for at least 10 days. A dry socket is more likely to occur in women, in smokers, and in people who are using oral contraceptives. 

 

Before Surgery

Before the surgery, the dentist will likely advise you to stop taking any vitamins or supplements about two weeks prior to the surgery. You may also be advised to take vitamin C because it will help with pain and healing. 

 

After Surgery

If you had a wisdom tooth extraction, or a molar, you will likely be told to bite down on a piece of gauze. You will need to keep this in place for at least 30 minutes before replacing it with new gauze. If it continues to bleed, moisten a new piece of gauze a little and keep on replacing it about every 30 minutes. The bleeding may occur for as long as 24 hours. 

If the bleeding continues to be rather heavy after some time, you can moisten a tea bag and put it on the site. Tea has chemicals in it that will help to constrict the blood vessels to help the bleeding stop. 

 

Stick to a Liquid Diet

After the surgery, it is important that you continue to get a good amount of nutrition. The right kind of food will help keep inflammation down and will also aid in healing. During the healing process, you will be instructed to stick to drinking liquids and soft foods. You can eat soft foods such as pudding, blended soups or broth, mashed potatoes, applesauce, ice cream, smoothies, cottage cheese, and salmon. 

You also want to avoid some foods. This list includes hot (eat cold or lukewarm foods) and spicy foods, foods with seeds in them, foods that are crunchy – such as potato chips, cookies, etc., and foods that are chewy. 

 

Get Some Rest

Once you are at home, you should plan on resting and taking it easy. In some cases, the dentist or oral surgeon may want someone else to stay with you for a few hours after you go home. 

 

Use Ice Packs

You may have some swelling in your cheeks and jaw. Place ice packs that are wrapped in a towel on the area that is swelling. As the swelling goes down, it will also help to relieve pain. In order to avoid damaging your skin, do not leave the ice packs on for more than 20 minutes, followed by 20 minutes off. Then repeat until the swelling goes down and you are more comfortable. 

 

Rinse Your Mouth with Saltwater

You may be directed not to brush your teeth for a day or two. If so, the dentist may provide you with an oral mouthwash. Keeping your mouth clean is important in order to prevent infection. You may also use a saltwater mixture to rinse with, just add 1/4 teaspoon to an 8-ouce glass of water. You should also brush and floss other areas (unless the dentist directs otherwise) of your mouth, but be careful not to disturb the clot.

 

Keep Your Head Elevated

Staying elevated for about three days while you sleep is important because you will have more blood in the area when you lay flat, causing the wound site to throb. It will also help to reduce swelling. 

 

One more step in being more comfortable after oral surgery is to get a dentist who is very experienced in the type of dental surgery you need. If in search of an experienced oral surgeon in Farmers Branch , call Champion Dental clinic at 214-747-0763 today

Why Extracting Wisdom Teeth Can Be a Good Idea

All You Want To Know About Wisdom Teeth Removal

Why Extracting Wisdom Teeth Can Be a Good Idea

Why Extracting Wisdom Teeth Can Be a Good Idea

In most people, wisdom teeth will become a problem. They often grow in at a steep angle, or nearly horizontal, and do not have enough room to reach their full size, causing problems with neighboring teeth. Other cases may involve a wisdom tooth that has become infected, and when that happens, wisdom tooth removal by an oral surgeon becomes necessary. 

Wisdom teeth often cause problems with other teeth, which is why getting wisdom teeth out becomes necessary. Not everyone is born with wisdom teeth, and when that happens, they never have to worry about it. 

 

What is wisdom teeth removal?

Wisdom teeth removal means taking the wisdom tooth or teeth out. Many times, not all wisdom teeth need to be removed. This is a dental surgery that is usually performed by an oral surgeon, rather than a regular dentist. 

The reason for this is because taking out wisdom teeth can be a complicated process. The wisdom tooth may be partly or even completely encased in bone, but it can still become infected. Another possible problem is that the roots may be near the nerve that runs through the jaw (lingual nerve) and surgical precision is needed from a more experienced dentist – an oral surgeon. 

 

Who should go for wisdom teeth removal procedure?

The placement of the wisdom teeth will vary with each individual. While some people will need surgery to have them all removed, others may only need one or two taken out. They are usually the last permanent teeth to grow in and they typically appear sometime between 17 and 25. 

When a wisdom tooth does not have enough room to grow, it is called an impacted wisdom tooth. This can happen when the tooth does not grow properly or in the right direction. It may grow horizontally, toward the back part of the mouth, or even be upright but not break through the bone. 

Besides being painful, an impacted wisdom tooth can cause a number of problems. It can:

  • Become infected
  • Lead to periodontal disease
  • Become decayed
  • Damage a nearby tooth
  • Develop a cyst around the tooth
  • Move other teeth out of alignment

As wisdom teeth come in, some symptoms may be experienced. These may include:

  • Pain
  • Painful to chew food
  • Face or jaw pain
  • An earache
  • Increased sensitivity to hot or cold
  • A sore throat
  • A headache. 

There are also some other symptoms that may indicate a problem with wisdom teeth. When these occur, immediate treatment is necessary. They include:

  • A fever
  • Swollen gums around the wisdom tooth
  • An abscess
  • Swelling in the jaw that makes it difficult to open the mouth. 

 

Wisdom teeth removal procedure

Before you have a wisdom tooth extraction, you will be asked to fast for at least six hours prior to the appointment. Not following this guideline could lead to nausea and vomiting when the anesthesia is applied. You will be asked about it, and, if you did not follow it, the appointment will be rescheduled. Various types of anesthesia can be given, ranging from local to general. One or more wisdom teeth can be removed at the same time. It is not uncommon to remove all four – usually under general anesthesia. 

In many cases, the wisdom tooth will be broken into pieces, and then the pieces will be removed. In some cases, the gums will need to be cut first, and then some of the jaw bone removed to get access to the tooth. 

Medication will be given to prevent infection and to minimize the pain you might otherwise feel afterward. When the patient is of a minor age, a parent will need to be present and will have to watch the young person for the remainder of the day.

 

Recovery and aftercare

After wisdom teeth surgery, the dentist will provide some gauze pads for you to place on the site of the extracted tooth. This will need to stay on the site for at least half an hour. During that time, a clot should have formed. If it has not formed in the first 30 minutes, it should be repeated. Some swelling is to be expected, and it can occur around the mouth, cheeks, and eyes. The amount depends on how extensive the surgery was. Ice packs can be placed where the swelling occurs. Medication will be given for pain after the anesthetic has worn off. Antibiotics are also likely to be prescribed.

Care needs to be taken not to dislodge the blood clot over the site because this may permit a dry socket to form. This means you should not brush your teeth, floss, or swish water in your mouth. Avoid smoking, which can delay healing. 

It is not unusual for there to be a sore throat or pain in your jaw for two or three days. It should subside after that. Call the dentist if pain continues longer than that.

 

How much does it cost for the wisdom teeth removal procedure?

Calculating the wisdom teeth removal cost depends on what needs to be done to extract them. On average, it is likely to cost $75 to $200 per tooth. If there is an impacted wisdom tooth, this will likely cost $200 to $500, but it will also depend on the type of anesthesia used. Removing all four wisdom teeth may cost around $1,600. Dental insurance will often pay between 25 to 50 percent of the cost. 

 

If you live in the Farmers Branch TX area and need wisdom tooth removal, Champion Dental clinic . We regularly perform teeth extractions and many other dental services. For more information about our services, or to set up an appointment, visit our website