Some discomfort is normal after oral surgery. Acute pain usually peaks after the local anesthetic wears off (3-5 hours after surgery) and remains in the acute phase for 2 days. Significant pain should be gone after 10 days.
Peak swelling occurs 2-4 days after surgery. The amount of swelling varies significantly depending on the location of the oral surgery (more pronounced swelling on lower teeth extractions). Swelling should be gone after 14 days. In addition, your jaw muscles may be sore for a time after the swelling subsides.
If you are experiencing symptoms markedly different than those described above, you may have a dry socket or other infection. Please contact us. You can help your chances of avoiding complications by following the advice above.
You may experience a slight fever, usually less than 100.4 degrees F and may last for a day or two. Some oozing of blood is normal during the first 24 hours following surgery. Be careful not to spit it out as this may disrupt the clot. A tea bag (black tea) can be moistened and placed over the extraction site for 20-30 minutes to stop a small residual bleed. Contact us if you have concerns about the amount of bleeding. Stitches will dissolve within 3-10 days after surgery unless you have been told otherwise.
After implants are placed, a healing period of 3-6 months is required for the bone to grow into the implant surface. In this healing period, a transitional “flipper” may be worn if desired. Be sure to have this flipper adjusted by your dentist before wearing. In the first months after placement, avoid hard or tough foods (grape nuts, ice chips, beef jerky, etc.) as any movement of the implant in the bone negatively affects the prognosis.
Follow-up appointments should be scheduled to check the progress of the implant and to gauge when an appropriate time would be to complete the restoration.
