Post-Operative Instructions: Multiple Extractions

To promote healing and avoid complications please read and follow the post-operative instructions for multiple extractions.

• A small amount of bleeding is to be expected following the operation. If bleeding occurs, place a gauze pad directly over the bleeding socket and apply biting pressure for 30 minutes. If bleeding persists, call the office immediately. Do not remove an immediate denture unless the bleeding is severe (expect some oozing around the side of the denture).
• Use ice packs (externally) to help control swelling. Two ice packs or a bag of frozen peas should be applied to the sides of the face where surgery was performed. The ice packs should be left on for 20 minutes, then removed for 20 minutes, without direct contact with the skin. Ice is most beneficial for the first 24 hours only.
• For mild discomfort, take two to three 200 mg tablets of ibuprofen (also known as Advil^® Motrin^®) every 3–4 hours.
• For severe pain, use the prescription given to you. If the pain does not begin to subside in 2 days or increases after 2 days, please call our office. If an antibiotic has been prescribed, finish your prescription regardless of your symptoms.
• Drink plenty of fluids. If many teeth have been extracted, the blood lost at this time needs to be replaced. Drink at least 6 glasses of liquid the first day.
• Do not rinse your mouth for the first post-operative day or while there is bleeding. After the first day, use a saltwater rinse every 2–4 hours and following meals to flush out particles of food and debris which may lodge in the operated area. After you have seen your dentist for your denture adjustment, take out the denture and rinse 3–4 times a day.
• Restrict your diet to liquids and soft foods that are comfortable for you to eat. As the wounds heal, you will be able to advance your diet.

The removal of many teeth at one time is different from the extraction of 1 or 2 teeth. Because the bone must often be shaped and smoothed before the insertion of a denture, the following conditions may occur, all of which are considered normal:

• The area operated on will swell reaching a maximum in 2–3 days. Swelling and discoloration around the eye may occur. The application of a warm moist towel will help eliminate the discoloration quicker. The towel should be applied continuously for as long as tolerable beginning 36 hours after surgery. (Remember, ice packs are used for the first 24 hours only.)
• A sore throat may develop. The muscles of the throat are near the extraction sites. Swelling of the throat muscles can cause pain. This is normal and should subside in 2–3 days.
• If the corners of the mouth are stretched, they may dry out and crack. Your lips should be kept moist with an ointment like Vaseline^®. There may be a slight elevation of temperature for 24–48 hours. If the temperature continues, notify my office.
• If immediate dentures have been inserted, sore spots may develop. In most cases, your dentist will see you within 24–48 hours after surgery and make the necessary adjustments to relieve those sore spots. Failure to do so may result in severe denture sores, which may prolong the healing process.
• If sutures (stitches) were placed, they are almost always the type that will dissolve and fall out within the first week or so after surgery. You will only have to have sutures removed if you were told that they must be removed and were scheduled for an appointment to remove them.