Surgical

The below advice will be beneficial to any patient that has a dental surgical procedure, from simple extractions to implant dental care.

Post-Operative Medications

• You will have received Local Anaesthetic at the Operative Site at your appointment, this pain relief will not last more than a couple of hours so please take pain relief at your earliest convenience.
• We recommend (barring any known allergies or contraindications) using Ibuprofen and Paracetamol in combination to manage any pain or discomfort.
• We suggest you take 400mg of Ibuprofen four times a day, and 1000mg of Paracetamol four times a day. Please try to alternate the taking of both drugs and take one of them every two hours.
• For example, at 9am take the Ibuprofen dose, at 11am take the Paracetamol dose before taking Ibuprofen once more at 1 pm and so on. Do Not Exceed the Recommended Dosages.

*It is extremely important to follow the above post-operative medication advice even if you feel no discomfort or pain as we still need to mitigate the infection risk and degree of swelling which are both conducive to good healing*

Bleeding

• Mild bleeding or oozing may occur in the hours and days following the surgery, this is normal.
• If this occurs, please place damp gauze or similar onto the surgical site and apply pressure for 30-45 minutes to control the bleeding.
• If you have any immediate concerns, please call the emergency out of hours number for advice (available on your appointment cards) or email the practice at hello@darlingtondentistry.co.uk.

Swelling

• Mild swelling to the surgical site and surrounding area may occur over the first few hours and days.
• Please use a cold pack pressed gently to the area to reduce the progression the swelling.
• Mild bruising at the surgical site and surrounding area may also occur.
• If you have any immediate concerns, please call the emergency out-of-hours number for advice (available on your appointment cards) or email the practice hello@darlingtondentistry.co.uk.

Oral Hygiene

• On the evening following your surgery, please gently brush your teeth and do not venture too close to the healing site.
• Resume your normal oral hygiene regime the day following the surgery, except for the use of mouthwash for the first two days.
• Avoid the surgical site completely, but do take care to brush the adjacent teeth as well as possible.
• You can resume using mouthwash from the third day after the surgery but avoid being overly vigorous.

Eating and Drinking

• After surgery, eat nourishing semi-liquid foods that can be eaten comfortably. If possible, try to avoid eating on the affected side.
• Please avoid extremes of hot and cold temperature foods and liquids, as well as spicy foods.
• Soft foods are recommended for the first week after surgery to reduce the risk of food particles contaminating the surgical site.

Lifestyle and General Aftercare

• From the day following the surgery, please rinse the mouth with warm salty water after each meal to reduce the chance of infection. Place the solution in your mouth and gently rotate your head from side to side, take care not to be too vigorous.
• If you do smoke, please refrain completely for three days after the surgery. This will greatly reduce the risk of infection.
• Sleep with extra pillows in order to elevate your head if possible.
• Avoid any activities which may disturb the surgical site.
• To reduce the chance of repeated bleeding, please avoid all strenuous exercise for one or two days after the surgery if possible.