The Oral Surgery Preparedness Guide (Sponsored)

You might be a candidate for dental implant surgery if you want to replace a missing or damaged tooth, bridge, or dentures with a more permanent, artificial tooth and are prepared for multiple procedures.

How It’s Done: As a substitute for the roots of a natural tooth, a titanium post will be surgically implanted into your jawbone. After new bone fuses with the implant over several months, your surgeon will place a crown on the metal post.

Care Tip: Manage swelling and pain with medication immediately after each procedure. Avoid hard foods that can break your new dental work.

This formerly notorious procedure is now low-pain, if not painless, thanks to dental advances. An estimated 25 million root canals are performed each year.

How It’s Done: Performed by an endodontist to save a decaying tooth with inflamed or infected roots, your specialist will remove pulp in the root canal and seal it with a filling.

Care Tip: Practice good oral hygiene to minimize pain and avoid infection. Brush and floss gently twice a day, taking extra care around the recently treated tooth.

Opioid medication opiod-med

Prescription opioids like codeine or oxycodone are prescribed in the dentist’s office or hospital by a professional care team and typically should be used only if needed, for no longer than one to three days. Talk to your surgeon about your dosage, how long it is safe for you to take opioids, the risks, safe storage and disposal— or any other questions you may have.

Over-the-counter pain
medication over-counter_med

NSAIDs and acetaminophen can be effective step-downs from opioids and local anesthetics. Ask your doctor to be clear about when to introduce Tylenol^® and Motrin^® with your prescription pain medication and when to switch completely to an OTC pain reliever. Once you’ve tapered off your prescription, the appropriate OTC dosage varies by procedure and patient, so keep a record of yours.

Guarding the clot

The wound after an oral surgery may form a blood clot as it heals. Take care to leave it as undisturbed as possible by avoiding hard foods, straws, smoking, and drinking alcohol.

Cold therapy cold treatment

Icing helps reduce symptoms like post-surgical facial swelling and bruising. In the first 24 hours post-procedure, apply ice packs to the area in 15-minute intervals throughout the day. If inflammation doesn’t go down after three days or if pus is present, see your oral surgeon.

Heat therapy heat treatment

After a your clot begins to heal and your dental provider instructs it’s OK, you may be able to rinse the mouth with a warm saline solution or drink warm tea and swish gently to increase circulation and drain blood and bacteria to help prevent infection.

Eating soft foods

Soft foods are less painful to eat when you’re experiencing swelling and should be a bit easier to rinse out. An antiseptic or salt water rinse after meals reduces bacteria in the affected area to help you avoid infection.

Scheduling a check-in schedule

Don’t miss your follow-up appointment. Checking in with your doctor after an oral surgery helps ensure you are taking the appropriate medication, managing pain and swelling, and on your way to healing. Be sure to report extended symptoms or signs of infection.

The Oral Surgery

Preparedness Guide

Surgery

What to Expect from

Common Oral Surgeries

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Dental Implant

Root Canal

Prevention