Post-Operative Instructions: Extraction (With Bone Grafting)
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Immediately Following Surgery
- The gauze pad placed in the surgical area should be kept in place for 30 minutes. After this time, the gauze pad should be removed and discarded. Once you are home, please change the gauze and use firm biting pressure over the extraction site(s) until the bleeding stops.
- Vigorous mouth rinsing and/or touching the wound area following surgery should be avoided on the day of surgery, as it may cause bleeding.
- Take the recommended pain medication as soon as possible following the surgery, ideally before the numbness from local anesthesia has worn off.
- Restrict your activity on the day of surgery and resume normal activity when you feel comfortable.
Bleeding
- Bleeding is normal following surgery. Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva or gauze pad is not uncommon and is expected. When the gauze pads have little or no blood on them, they are no longer necessary. It can take a variable amount of time for bleeding to resolve but usually resolves within a few hours, although a small amount of bleeding is common for up to 24 hours.
- Excessive bleeding (i.e., rapidly fills up or pools in your mouth) may be first controlled by gently rinsing or wiping any old clots from your mouth, placing a fresh gauze pad over the surgical site, and applying firm biting pressure on the extraction site for 30 minutes. Repeat as necessary. If excessive bleeding continues, you may apply biting pressure on the extraction site with a moistened black tea bag for 30 minutes. Repeat as necessary. Repeatedly replacing or using gauze in the absence of excessive bleeding (i.e., rapidly fills up or pools in your mouth) will delay the clotting process and prolong bleeding. If bleeding continues excessively, please call for further instructions.
Swelling
- Swelling is normal following surgery. Swelling may not present immediately following surgery, as it usually increases or pe