Home Care following Periodontal Treatment

• Before your surgery, you were given an anesthetic to ensure your comfort. This anesthetic typically leaves your lips, teeth and tongue feeling numb after the appointment. For this reason, you should avoid any chewing for two hours following surgery, or until the numbness has worn off completely.

• Apply an ice pack – 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off – for six hours following surgery to decrease pain and swelling.

• Keep your fingers and tongue away from the part of your gums that were affected by the surgery.

• Do not rinse your mouth the day of the surgery. 24 hours after surgery, you can rinse gently with mouthwash or a warm salt-water solution; dissolve one teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water, and gently swish, then carefully spit. Three times per day is sufficient.

• It's normal to experience some discomfort for a few days following the surgery. To avoid nausea, don't take pain medication on an empty stomach.

• If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

• Relax as much possible and avoid all strenuous activities for the first 24 hours following surgery.

• Once the numbness has worn off, you should eat. Nourishment is important to the healing process. Limit your diet to soft foods like yogurt, soft soups, ice cream, or soft-cooked eggs for the first 48 hours.

• Drink at least eight large glasses of water or fruit juice each day.

• Keep your head elevated with pillows to control bleeding. We will give you a supply of gauze sponges to place over the bleeding area; change as necessary, and use until the bleeding stops completely. You can also bite gently but firmly on a moist tea bag for 20 minutes. Call our office if bleeding persists or increases.

• Continue cleaning the other area of your mouth, brushing and flossing at least twice a day as you would normally.