Stony Brook Medical Park Dental Group

Instructions for Caring for Your New Dentures
Instructions After Oral Surgery
Instructions After Periodontal Surgery

Bite on gauze for at least ½ hour then throw it away.
Some oozing of blood is to be expected. If definite bleeding occurs, take a piece of gauze, fold it, place it over the extraction site and bite on it for an additional ½ hour.
If bleeding continues to occur after following the above, take an ordinary tea bag, wet it with warm water and place it over the extraction socket and bite on it for ½ hour.
If bleeding still continues, please notify us in the office.
The day following surgery, when the bleeding has stopped, you may rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt in 8 oz. of warm tap water). Rinse every 2 to 3 hours, especially after meals for the following week.
Do not consume hot foods or beverages or chew food until the local anesthetic has completely worn off. You should immediately take any prescribed medications with water. You should drink cool liquids and eat foods which do not require chewing effort (yogurt, apple sauce, etc.) one hour after surgery.
Do not smoke, spit, or drink through a straw for this will delay the formation of an adequate blood clot in the extraction socket.
Do not perform any strenuous exercise for the following 24 hours after the surgical procedure.
To help control any post-surgical swelling, put an ice pack (ice wrapped in a small towel) against the side of the face where surgery was performed, 15 minutes on and then 15 minutes off for the rest of the day. There is no need to wake from sleep to do this procedure.
For the control of any discomfort, take two (2) Tylenol tablets as soon as possible and then another two (2) tablets every four (4) hours as needed.
Please take any additional medications or follow any additional instructions that we may give you to hasten your recovery after the surgical procedure.