General Instructions:

• Take pain medication and antibiotics as needed/prescribed.
• Place ice on the surgical site for 20 minutes on and then remove it for 10 minutes. Repeat for 24 hours.
• Avoid foods and beverages that are severely hot or cold.
• Rinse as instructed by our dentist.

Activity: Relax and limit any strenuous activity the day of your treatment and for an additional 2-3 days.

Discomfort/Infection: By taking antibiotic medications as prescribed and and narcotics as needed for your pain level, any swelling and discomfort will decrease and your healing process will improve.

Swelling/ Bleeding: Following any periodontal surgery, it is common to experience swelling and bleeding. To alleviate this, we recommend you apply pressure for the bleeding and ice for the swelling. Alternating between operated areas and resting in between applications will improve your comfort level.

Oral Hygiene: You can continue your daily oral hygiene practices normally in areas that have been left untreated. However, for treated areas, we recommend using a soft bristled toothbrush and only brush the chewing surfaces. Avoid flossing in treated areas for the first week of recovery, as well as using undiluted mouthwash, salt water or peroxide rinses. Water irrigation devices, such as Water-piks, should be avoided for a month. We encourage you to also swab exposed operated areas with Peridex using a Q-tip  at bedtime, in the morning and after eating/drinking.

Eating and Drinking: Do your best to avoid eating until all anesthetics have worn off, and for 3-5 days, try to stick to high-protein foods and liquids, such as eggs, custard, yogurt, pasta, steamed vegetables, casseroles, cooked cereals. Please try to avoid foods that are spicy, salty, highly acidic or extremely hot and cold.

Removable Dental Appliances: Avoid placing any oral appliance on the surgical area in order to avoid compromised healing and cause of discomfort.