Recovery may take days or even a week depending on individual and complication of surgery. Often, the dentist will also give medical certificate of up to 5 days. After the operation, it is common to experience pain, facial swelling, limitation in mouth opening, bruising and mild bleeding from the operation wound for 3-5 days.
You can have a speedy recovery and heal faster and beter by following this guideline.
- Rest at home. Avoid vigorous exercises, alcohol and very hot food or drink for the rest of the day to minimise the risk of excessive postoperative bleeding.
- Do not rinse your mouth unneccessarily on the day of the surgery as this may stimulate bleeding.
- No smoking for 24 hours.
- Avoid drinking from straw as it may cause dry socket.
- Take your medicine at the prescribe frequency and dosage.
- Surgery site should be cleansed by rinsing the mouth with saline (salt solution) or a prescribed mouthwash after meals and before going to tbed.
- Do not brush your teeth on the day of surgery. Brushing of teeth resume the following day after the surgery.
- Do not apply hot toel or hot compress to the facial skin area of the operative site becaus this tends to increase the size of facial swelling.
- Do have a soft-food diet. Chewing on the operative site(s) should be avoided during healing period.
