Dental Dos and Don’ts for Oral Surgery

Oral surgeries are more common in dentistry than people think they are. From long and intricate surgeries to minor incisions in your mouth, you may be scheduled for an oral surgery near you and not be very familiar with it. Usually, at Mercado Dental Care, we try to educate our patients on the truths about oral surges, including providing precise directives regarding how to care for their mouths after procedures.

What Are Oral Surgeries?

They are any dental procedures that involve cutting open parts of your oral cavity to access internal layers that are not accessible without surgery.

Common Types of Oral Surgeries

Oral surgeons perform many surgeries, some more intense than others. The common types of surgeries in dentistry are:

1. Implantation surgeries – are done to install dental implants in your jawbone, replacing the roots of missing teeth. These are among the intricate surgical procedures in dentistry.
2. Tooth removal surgeries – although not all tooth extractions require surgery, some do. Oral surgery is typical when removing stubborn teeth or impacted teeth. It is more common with wisdom teeth and molars than other types of teeth.
3. Gum grafting surgery – is a procedure done to restore the health of diseased and damaged gums. Usually, the surgery treats periodontitis, a severe infection of the gum tissue.
4. Bone grafting surgery – is a type of surgery for restoring lost bone tissue. It is a common treatment for patients who have been without teeth for a while yet want to get tooth implants. Patients with periodontitis may also benefit from bine grafting surgeries.
5. Endodontic surgeries – include surgical processes for treating the insides of teeth, cleaning out the root pulp, removing abscess, bacteria, and damaged tissues.

Tips for Managing Your Dental Health After Oral Surgery

Dos for Oral Surgeries

Dental experts in oral surgery clinics emphasize the dos after dental surgeries to ensure that patients know what they need to be doing to care for their mouths. If you are keen on the instructions of your surgeon or dentist in Scottsdale, AZ, after your surgery, you will not be overwhelmed with caring for your mouth after your treatment. Some crucial dos for any oral surgery include:

1. Schedule for downtime – you need to rest amply, so you can allow your body enough time to heal. It is important that you rest for at least the first 24 hours after your surgery.
2. Keep your head elevated – to avoid blood pooling in your mouth area, which may increase your soreness and swelling.
3. Take your prescribed pain medication – at any dentist’s office near you, you will get a prescription for pain medication after oral surgery to help manage your soreness. The medicine will prove that more valuable during the first 2 or 3 days of recovery.

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4. Rinse your mouth with salty water – the salt in the water will act as a disinfectant, flushing out any bacteria that may threaten to infect your wound. However, be careful not to be too forceful when swishing or spitting out the water, which may disrupt the healing of your wound.
5. Eat – do not starve yourself because you have undergone surgery. You may, however, need to adjust your meal choices, shifting to soft foods for a few days.

Don’ts for Oral Surgeries

Some compromises will be necessary after your surgery if you want to heal quickly. They include:

1. Do not take alcohol – for the first three days or so, refrain from alcoholic drinks.
2. Do not smoke for 48 hours or longer after your surgery.
3. Do not exercise for the first 48 hours – vigorous physical exercise will prevent your body from focusing on the primary agenda of healing your wound.
4. Do not brush or rinse your mouth for the first 24 hours after your surgery. Allow your mouth to start the healing process before you can think of how to intervene.
5. Do not dislodge the blood clot – the body naturally forms blood clots on wounds to stop bleeding and initiate the healing process. Dislodging it with your tongue, toothbrush, or straw will continually slow down the healing process. It may even cause your wound to keep bleeding days after your surgery.