Post-Operative Information and Advice

Please arrange for a responsible and physically capable adult of 18 years or older to accompany you home after your sedation appointment. Be sure that a responsible adult can stay with you for a few hours following your appointment.

Transportation following your appointment must be by car or taxi. Please do not take the T.T.C. or a bus.

Be prepared not to operate a motor vehicle or machinery of any kind for 18 hours following the procedure. Tasks requiring skill, concentration or judgement during this time should be avoided. Plan alternative business and transportation arrangements. You’ll probably feel great, but you’ll still be legally impaired. Don’t take that chance!

Please follow any prescriptions given by your dentist and resume all your normal medications.

Medications are in your system for 18 hours. Do not make important decisions for 18 hours. Your memory will be compromised during this recovery time. This is normal and temporary. Drink lots of fluids but refrain from alcohol for 18 hours.

You can eat right away. A meal, however, may re-sedate you. You may feel somewhat re-sedated in any case, a few hours later. This is normal. Rest at home in the accompaniment of a responsible adult.

Your face and tongue may still be numb. Avoid burns by consuming moderately warmed food and beverages. Parents: observe your children carefully for signs of lip, tongue or cheek biting.

An IV site may be tender for a few days. Avoid heavy use of your IV arm for 48 hours. Contact our office if discomfort increases.

We will call to see how you’re feeling and answer your questions. If you or your family have any concerns in the meantime, call our office at 647-352-5577 or go to hospital emergency.

Sinus Elevation

1. Avoid rinsing vigorously (ballooning your checks) or spitting until the sutures are removed.
2. Do not blow your nose.
3. Do not smoke or use smokeless tobacco.
4. Do not take in liquids through a straw.
5. Do not lift or pull on lip to look at sutures (stitches).
6. If you must sneeze, do so with your mouth open to avoid any unnecessary pressure on the sinus area.
7. Take your medication as directed.
8. You may be aware of small granules in your mouth and slight bleeding from the nose for the next few days. This is not unusual.
9. If you feel congested, Dr. Berzin may recommend an over-the-counter decongestant. Do not use a nasal spray for more than 3 days.

Notify the office if you feel granules in your nose or if your medications do not relieve your discomfort.

Considerable swelling of the face and neck may occur. Swelling may increase for 72 hours and then gradually subside over approximately one week.

Limit your activity the first few days after surgery. Trying to do too much, too fast, may increase swelling, which increases pain.

Bruising of the neck and chest may occur. Do not apply any heat to the face. Ice packs should be utilized at intervals of 15 minutes for the first 36 hours.

If symptoms have not improved by the fifth day, please contact our office: Tel. 647-352-5577.

This normal protective mechanism usually occurs following oral and maxillofacial surgery and can last from seven to ten days. Your jaw muscles may have become stiff and sore from holding your mouth open during surgery.

If your jaw muscles are not too sore, massage them gently with a warm, moist facecloth. Eat foods that are easy to chew, such as eggs, pasta and bananas. Have drinks like milkshakes, milk and juices.

If the problem persists, please call our office Tel. 647-352-5577 to schedule a follow-up appointment.

After oral surgery, it is normal to see an increase in body temperature to 102 degrees Fahrenheit or 39 degrees Celsius for one to two days after surgery.

If your temperature goes higher than this or lasts beyond the first two days, please call our office: Tel. 647-352-5577.

Stitches may be placed in the area of surgery to minimize post-operative bleeding and to help healing. When they become dislodged there is no cause for alarm. Just remove the suture from your mouth and discard it.

Most stitches will dissolve in the first two weeks, but if the removal of sutures is required, no anaesthesia or needles are needed. It takes only a minute or so, and there is no discomfort associated with this procedure.

If you have any concerns, please call our office: Tel. 647-352-5577.

A small amount of red-coloured fluid mixed with saliva is normal after surgery. Smoking should be avoided. If you have a flow of blood or if bleeding persists, look in the mirror to determine the source of the bleeding and then place a gauze pad or a fresh, moist teabag over the bleeding spot. Bite on this, or apply pressure with your finger. Holding ice in your mouth will usually stop any slight oozing.

Eat soft foods, like Jell-O, mashed potatoes, ice cream and bananas. Repeat if necessary.

If there is still a flow of blood, please contact our office: Tel. 647-352-5577.

Avoid sucking (e.g., through straws) and spitting.

Try not to smoke for as long as possible afterwards. Smoking can interfere with the healing process, and the sucking motion could dislodge the blood clot. Patients who smoke have more complications with healing than patients who do not smoke.

Rinsing of the mouth should be started very gently on the day after surgery; vigorous rinsing can disturb the healing process. Rinsing can become more vigorous as healing progresses.

Rinse either with ½ teaspoon of salt in one ½ glass of water, or the prescribed rinse for one week. Begin brushing your teeth (away from the surgical site) when comfortable enough to do so. If you notice dry or chapped lips, lubricate your lips with Vaseline or any bland ointment.

Diet

Refrain from eating, drinking or rinsing for three hours after surgery. Your jaw may be stiff, or your throat sore, so it may be difficult to eat following oral surgery.

You will be able to drink and may be able to eat soft foods. Drinking should begin on the same day as your surgery. Drink soups, such as chicken or beef broths, water, fruit and vegetable juices and powdered food supplements. Drink as much as you can in order to prevent dehydration.

Avoid hot liquids on the first day. Small amounts of liquid should be taken frequently. A regular diet can be resumed as soon as it can be comfortably managed. Do not use a straw to drink as the sucking action may cause bleeding.

Drink plenty of cool fluids after surgery, such as water and fruit juice. Avoid carbonated beverages (pop/soda) and hot foods or drinks for at least two days. A soft, non-chewing diet is recommended for two weeks after surgery to allow the gum tissue to heal. It is also advisable to avoid acidic foods, such as tomatoes, peppers or citrus fruits and highly seasoned foods that may irritate the mouth. You may resume eating these foods in a few weeks after the sutures are removed.

After the sutures are removed from your mouth it is still important not to disturb the area so that the bone graft or implants may fuse to your jawbone.

Patients that maintain a good diet of soft foods generally feel better, have less discomfort and heal better. A nutritious diet throughout the healing period is important to your comfort, temperament and healing. Chop food into smaller pieces or use a blender to puree. A daily multivitamin and calcium supplements are also recommended. Also avoid foods that may cause trauma to the gums, such as popcorn, chips, nuts or shells.

Breakfast

Apple juice, water, milk, coffee, tea. Yogurt, cooked cereals, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat. Scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, milk, toast, apple sauce.

Lunch and Dinner

Home-cooked broth, bouillon, soups. Ground beef, baked or broiled fish, broiled or stewed chicken (finely chopped). Macaroni and cheese, scrambled eggs, bread softened with gravy. Baked or mashed potatoes. Asparagus, peas, carrots, lima beans, string beans (all mashed). Cottage cheese, canned Bartlett pears; Jell-O, puddings, pound cake. Milkshakes and ice cream.

Take the medication prescribed as directed. Your pain medicine should keep you reasonably comfortable and is best taken with fluid or food in your stomach.

Take your pain medication after surgery, even if you do not feel pain. It is easier to prevent pain than it is to decrease it.

For mild pain, Aspirin, Advil, Tylenol or 222s may be used. Pain medicine may cause some dizziness; do not drive. Antibiotics should be taken until the full prescription is finished.

For nausea or stomach upset, Gravol can be taken with your medication. If a rash, severe stomach cramps or diarrhea occurs, stop taking your medicine and call our office.

Females who are taking birth control pills and antibiotics at the same time should know that the combination of these two drugs might cause birth control pills to become ineffective as a contraceptive method. Pregnancy may occur if alternative methods of birth control are not used.

Do not drive or operate machinery when taking narcotic medications (e.g., Percocet, Tylenol 3).

The codeine in pain medicine can be constipating. If this occurs, a mild laxative, such as Milk of Magnesia, may be taken.