Tips and advice for oral health
Information after surgical procedures in the oral cavity (e.g. wisdom tooth extraction)
Food
Avoid eating, drinking or rinsing your mouth for the first 3 hours after the procedure. You may take water with painkillers, but try to avoid the surgical area. It can be difficult to eat after oral surgery. It is nevertheless important that the body receives nutritious food for quick and good healing. In the first days after surgery you should eat soft food and drink plenty of fluids. Use caution with alcohol during the first 24 hours after surgery.
Pain relief
Take pain relief as recommended by the dentist. Ibuprofen 400 mg combined with paracetamol 500 mg is usually recommended at breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening. NOTE: you cannot drive if you take Paralgin forte or Pinex forte tablets (red triangle warning).
Smoking
Smoking and snus are discouraged for the first 12 hours.
Physical activity
Avoid strenuous physical activity in the first days after surgery.
Oral hygiene
Avoid brushing in the surgical area for the first week (otherwise brush as usual). Mouth rinsing with 10 ml Corsodyl morning and evening for the first week is recommended; avoid excessive rinsing beyond this.
Stitches / dressing
If stitches were placed they will dissolve after 3–4 weeks. If a dressing was placed in the surgical wound it must be removed 1 week after surgery; in that case you will have a follow-up appointment for dressing removal 1 week after surgery.
Normal reactions after oral surgery
- Bleeding (the wound may bleed slightly during the first 24 hours; bleeding can be stopped by biting firmly on a compress/cotton roll over the wound for 30 min – 1 hour)
- Pain (pain may increase during the first 2 days; it is important to prevent pain by taking recommended pain relief during the first 2–3 days; pain may last up to a week)
- Bruising (may occur in the face and normally resolves on its own after about a week)
- Swelling (usually greatest after 3–4 days then gradually subsides)
- Reduced mouth opening / trismus (trismus may occur making it harder to open your mouth than normal during the first week after surgery; this is a normal reaction that usually does not require treatment)
Information after gum surgery for periodontitis
Smoking
We strongly recommend avoiding smoking for the first 2 hours after surgery. Smoking reduces blood flow in the gums and disrupts healing.
Eating
Avoid eating and drinking for the first 2 hours. Thereafter you can eat and drink as usual, but be careful around the operated area.
Oral hygiene
In the operated area you cannot clean with interdental brushes, floss, toothpicks or similar while dressing or stitches are in place. Be careful when cleaning neighbouring areas. Apart from this, brush your teeth as usual. Rinse with Corsodyl each evening after brushing for 1 week. This is antibacterial and reduces the risk of infection in the surgical area.
Stitches and dressing
If the dressing or stitches come loose or fall off before 5 days have passed, contact us. If small pieces of dressing fall off and it is not bothersome, it usually has no significance. Do not try to remove dressing or stitches yourself.
Bleeding
Some light bleeding after surgery is normal and usually stops on its own. If needed, press a swab (provided after surgery at the clinic), a thick compress or a clean handkerchief against the wound area for 20 min. When bleeding occurs it is important to let the wound rest and not rinse the mouth too often or vigorously. Contact us for heavier or persistent bleeding.
Pain or swelling
Some pain after gum surgery is common. You may take paracetamol 500 mg combined with ibuprofen 200 mg / 400 mg as needed. Contact us for severe pain or pronounced swelling.
After removal of stitches or dressing
When stitches or dressing are removed it is very important that cleaning is thorough. Keep the outside and inside gently clean, but wait 1 week before cleaning between the teeth (floss, toothpicks, interdental brushes / bottle brushes) in the affected area.