Post-Operative Instructions

Please select the procedure you received to see a summary of post-op instructions. Call us if you have any questions:

• Alloderm Graft
• Extractions
• Gingival Graft
• Dental Implants
• Periodontal Surgery

Dr. Richter's After Hours:

• Home #: (919) 969-7006
• Cell #: (919) 418-1303

Alloderm Graft:

 1. A dressing may be placed over the surgical site. This should stay in place until your next appointment. Occasionally, some particles will break off.

2. Take 2 Aleve 3 times a day for the next 48 hours.

3. Do not have anything hot to eat or drink for 1 week.

4. Brush teeth as usual, but not where graft is placed.

5. You may follow your regular daily activities, avoiding excessive exertion of any type for the next 48 hours.

6. Do not apply ice packs if you have had a grafting procedure.

7. After 24 hours and thereafter, use warm salt water rinses. Also, moist heat can be applied to the outside of the face to reduce swelling.

8. Try to keep your head elevated. If you lie down, use one or two pillows to raise your head. This will also reduce throbbing in the surgical area.

9. Any discomfort should be controlled with your prescriptions as directed.

10. Occasional blood stains in the saliva may be expected. If you have excessive bleeding, please call our office.

11. Some degree of swelling may occur. This may not be noticed until 24 hours after surgery. Usually, this swelling begins to reduce in an additional 48 hours.

12. If possible, do not chew in the area of surgery. Eat a soft diet for the first week. Please eat and drink fluids. Nourishment is important for healing. Do not drink through a straw. No tobacco products.

13. Examples of soft foods: eggs, oatmeal, grits, potatoes, cottage cheese, applesauce, soups, yogurt, pasta, fish, etc. Most foods can be eaten if they are ground up in a blender or food processor too.

14. Do not use a water-pick or an electric toothbrush in the surgical area until instructed to do so.

15. Additional considerations for guided tissue regeneration procedures:

• Rinse or swab the area as directed twice daily with Peridex, starting in 24 hours.

• Do NOT brush graft area.

• Take medications as prescribed.

16. CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF:

• Excessive bleeding occurs.

• Severe pain is present for prolonged periods.

• Marked swelling occurs.

• You run a fever.

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Extractions:

 1. Do not have anything hot to eat or drink for one week.

2. Brush teeth as usual, but not where tooth/teeth were extracted.

3. You may follow your regular daily activities, avoiding excessive exertion of any type for the next 48 hours.

4. If instructed to do so, apply ice packs to your face, 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off, for a period of two to three hours.

5. Do not apply ice packs to your face.

6. After 24 hours and thereafter, use warm salt water rinses. Also, moist heat can be applied to the outside of the face to reduce swelling.

7. Try to keep your head elevated. If you lie down, use one or two pillows to raise your head. This will also reduce throbbing in the surgical area.

8. Take 2 Aleve 3 times a day for the next 48 hours.

9. Any discomfort should be controlled with your prescriptions as directed.

10. Occasional blood stains in the saliva may be expected. If there is excessive bleeding, which can lead to a dry socket, place a damp sterile gauze or a cool moist tea bag with biting pressure to the extraction site for 30 minutes. You may have to repeat this procedure more than once. If the bleeding does not stop within 1 hour, please call our office.

11. Some degree of swelling may occur. This may not be noticed until 24 hours after surgery. Usually, this swelling begins to reduce in an additional 48 hours.

12. If possible, do not chew in the area of the extraction site. Eat a soft diet for the first week. Please eat and drink fluids. Nourishment is important for healing. Do not drink through a straw. No tobacco products. No alcohol.

13. Examples of soft foods: eggs, oatmeal, grits, potatoes, cottage cheese, applesauce, soups, puddings, pasta, fish, etc. Most foods can be eaten if they are ground up in a blender or food processor too.

14. Do not use a water-pick or an electric toothbrush in the surgical area until instructed to do so.

15. Additional considerations for guided tissue regeneration procedures:

• Rinse the area as directed twice daily with Peridex, starting in 48 hours.

• Do NOT brush extraction site.

• Take medications as prescribed.

16. CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF:

o Excessive bleeding occurs.
o Severe pain is present for prolonged periods.
o Marked swelling occurs.
o You run a fever.

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Gingival Graft:

 1. On occasions a dressing may be placed over the surgical site.

2. Do not have anything hot to eat or drink for 1 week.

3. Brush teeth as usual, but not where graft is placed. Do not brush the palate where the tissue was taken for the graft.

4. For gingival graft patients, there will be a plastic appliance called a stent that fits over your upper teeth and covers the palate. This is made for your comfort to reduce trauma to the donor site in the roof of your mouth while eating and drinking. The stent is covered with Orabase-B paste to help with pain control. You will need to remove and clean this on a daily basis and after eating, but not until AFTER the first 48 hours following your surgery. To clean your stent:

• Remove the stent by pulling down on one side with your index finger

• Rinse the stent under water

• Re-apply the Orabase-B on the area of the stent that matches your donor site.

• Replace the stent in your mouth.

5. You may follow your regular daily activities, avoiding excessive exertion of any type for the next 48 hours.

6. Take 2 Aleve 3 times a day for the next 48 hours.

7. Do not apply ice packs.

8. In 48 hours moist heat can be applied to the outside of the face to reduce swelling.

9. Try to keep your head elevated. If you lie down, use one or two pillows to raise your head. This will also reduce throbbing in the surgical area.

10. Any discomfort should be controlled with your prescriptions as directed.

11. Occasional blood stains in the saliva may be expected. If there is excessive bleeding from the palate, remove the stent and place a cool moist tea bag to the palate under pressure for 30 minutes. You may have to repeat this procedure more than once. Also, try to allow it to stop by staying quiet and resting for a short time. If the bleeding does not stop within 1 hour, please call our office. After the bleeding has stopped, place the stent back in the palate with fresh Orabase-B.

12. Some degree of swelling may occur. This may not be noticed until 24 hours after surgery. Usually, this swelling begins to reduce in an additional 48 hours.

13. If possible, do not chew in the area of surgery. Eat a soft diet for the first week. Please eat and drink fluids. Nourishment is important for healing. Do not drink through a straw. No tobacco products.

14. Examples of soft foods: eggs, oatmeal, grits, potatoes, cottage cheese, applesauce, soups, yogurt, pasta, fish, etc. Most foods can be eaten if they are ground up in a blender or food processor too.

15. Do not use a water-pick or an electric toothbrush in the surgical area until instructed to do so.

16. Additional considerations for guided tissue regeneration procedures:

• Rinse or swab the area as directed twice daily with Peridex, starting in 48 hours.

• Do NOT brush the graft area.

• Take medications as prescribed.

17. CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF:

• Excessive bleeding occurs.

• Severe pain is present for prolonged periods.

• Marked swelling occurs.

• You run a fever.
  

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Dental Implant:

 1. Do not have anything hot to eat or drink for 1 week.

2. Brush teeth as usual, but not where implant is placed.

3. You may follow your regular daily activities, avoiding excessive exertion of any type for the next 48 hours.

4. Take 2 Aleve 3 times a day for the next 48 hours.

5. Apply ice packs to your face, 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off, for a period of two to three hours.

o Do not apply ice packs if you have had a bone grafting procedure.

6. After 24 hours and thereafter, use warm salt water rinses. Also, moist heat can be applied to the outside of the face to reduce swelling.

7. Try to keep your head elevated. If you lie down, use one or two pillows to raise your head. This will also reduce throbbing in the surgical area.

8. Any discomfort should be controlled with your prescriptions as directed.

9. Occasional blood stains in the saliva may be expected. If there is excessive bleeding, place a cool moist tea bag and apply to the surgical site under pressure for 30 minutes. You may have to repeat this procedure more than once. Also, try to allow it to stop by staying quiet and resting for a short time. If the bleeding does not stop within 1 hour, please call our office.

10. Some degree of swelling may occur. This may not be noticed until 24 hours after surgery. Usually, this swelling begins to reduce in an additional 48 hours.

11. If possible, do not chew in the area of surgery. Eat a soft diet for the first week. Please eat and drink fluids. Nourishment is important for healing. Do not drink through a straw. No tobacco products.

12. Examples of soft foods: Eggs, grits, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes, cottage cheese, applesauce, soups, yogurt, fish, etc. Most foods can be eaten if they are ground up in a blender or food processor too.

13. Do not use a water-pick or an electric toothbrush in the surgical area until instructed to do so.

14. Additional considerations for guided tissue regeneration procedures:

• Rinse or swab the area as directed twice daily with Peridex, starting in 24 hours.

• Do NOT brush surgical site.

• Take medications as prescribed.

15. CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF:

• Excessive bleeding occurs.

• Severe pain is present for prolonged periods.

• Marked swelling occurs.

• You run a fever.

• Back to Post-op Instructions
• Back to Patient Education

Thank you

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