Surgical Instructions - Arkansas Periodontal & Implant Associates

Surgical Instructions

Surgical Instructions Arkansas Periodontal & Implant Associates

Pre-operative Instructions

The following instructions may be helpful when preparing for your upcoming surgery. You will receive a call from a treatment coordinator two days prior to your surgery. She will call your prescriptions into the pharmacy once speaking to you and answering any questions. Please bring your filled prescriptions to your appointment. It is important to stop taking Aspirin and non-steroidals such as Motrin or Advil, 7-10 days prior to your surgery. If you are taking Coumadin or another blood thinner, please check with your primary care physician before discontinuing use. We keep the office cool, so dress warmly.

To evaluate your progress and healing, we will see you for post-operative appointment, usually 2 weeks after surgery to remove sutures. Then, in some cases, we will see you back for a periodontal maintenance cleaning and an examination of surgical area about 10-12 weeks following the surgery. Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions.

If you take antibiotic premed, please take it as directed before your surgery.

Please alert the office to any allergies or sensitivities that you might have to antibiotics. You will be prescribed an antibiotic if our doctor determines it to be necessary

We encourage you to eat prior to your surgery. If you are diabetic, it is important you maintain your regular diet prior to surgery. You must be accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for driving you home and caring for you after surgery. YOU CANNOT DRIVE YOURSELF!

DO NOT EAT OR DRINK (this includes WATER, soda, coffee, etc) 8 hours prior to your surgery. If you take blood pressure medication, please take with minimal water. It is important that you have an empty stomach at the time of surgery.
Please wear short sleeves, to allow us to place the blood pressure cuff and IV.
DO NOT drink alcoholic beverage 12 hours prior to surgery.
You need to have a driver. YOU CANNOT DRIVE YOURSELF!

When preparing a post-op menu, please consider some of the following choices:

Jell-O,
Bananas,
Yogurt,
Pasta,
Milk Shakes,
Casseroles,
Eggs,
Fish,
Cottage Cheese,
Ensure/Slim Fast,
Soups,
Pudding,
Rice,
Apple Sauce,
Oatmeal,
Macaroni & Cheese,
Mashed Potatoes

Post-operative Instructions

These instructions apply to the surgical procedure just completed. They are designed to help you minimize post-surgical discomfort and inform you of any situation that may require special attention.

DO NOT USE A STRAW OR SUCK ON ANYTHING, AS SUCTION WILL START BLEEDING. It can cause the blood clot to dislodge. The clot is the first step toward healing.
Until comfortable, avoid chewing on the side where surgery was completed.
Avoid hot foods and liquids for approximately 1 hour following the surgery so as not to soften the dressing.
Avoid hard and sharp foods (such as corn chips) as these can be uncomfortable and dislodge the dressing.
A soft diet is recommended. Foods such as cottage cheese, oatmeal, soup, eggs, yogurt, pasta, mashed potatoes, casseroles, and fruits are more easily eaten.
AFTER SURGERY IS NOT A GOOD TIME TO START A DIET. During the period when chewing is impaired the need for certain vitamins and minerals increased. A multi-vitamin with a high level of Vitamin C and Zinc may be taken to promote healing.

It is common to have some bleeding or oozing during the first one to two days following periodontal surgery. A pink discoloration to your saliva is normal, however, bright red blood is not to be expected.

If excessive or continuous bleeding occurs:

Do not rinse your mouth.
Elevate your head when lying down.
Apply moistened gauze to the immediate area with moderate pressure for 20 minutes, repeat if necessary.
Enclose a moistened tea bag in a gauze square and apply pressure for 20 minutes.
Call the office if bleeding persists.

An antibiotic will be prescribed following your surgical procedure. Take as directed until gone. It is advisable not to take these medications on an empty stomach, as nausea may result. For women taking birth control pills, be advised that antibiotics may interfere with their effectiveness.

Some discomfort may be present when the anesthesia wears off. You have been given a prescription for pain management. Take the medication within one hour after surgery and always with a full glass of water. DO NOT USE ASPIRIN following surgery. Non-asprin pain relievers are acceptable. It is not unusual to have discomfort for at least the first week following your surgical procedure. You will be given a prescription for medication to help you tolerate the post-surgical recovery period. Please take your medications as directed. If necessary, you may take your pain medication more frequently than every 4-6 hours to stay ahead of the soreness. It is advisable to not take pain medication on an empty stomach, as nausea may result. As an alternative to prescription medications, some patients have found taking a combination of over the counter Ibuprofen and Tylenol to be effective. You may take the combination in either of the following dosages: 3 Advil Liqui-Gels and 2 Regular Strength Tylenol or 3 Advil Liqui-Gels and 1 Extra Strength Tylenol, every 4-6 hours as needed. Note: When taking any prescribed medication containing Acetaminophen (Tylenol), i.e.; Percocet, Hydrocodone, Vicoden or Tylenol with Codeine, you should not take additional Tylenol so as not to exceed the safety level of Acetaminophen. Please contact the office with any questions you may have.
Swelling may occur following your surgical procedure. To minimize the swelling, place an ice pack over the outside cheek area for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Continue using ice for 24 hours following procedure as often as possible. Please keep your head elevated on several pillows or by sitting in a recliner for the first 24 hours. The amount and the duration of swelling differ from person to person.
The surgical area may have been covered by a putty like dressing. The dressing (which acts as a bandage) is used to protect the surgical site and help reduce discomfort. If the dressing should become loose or fall off, and there is no increased level of discomfort, it is ok to leave it off.
Nausea and vomiting are not uncommon after anesthesia or after taking pain medication. After returning home from surgery, start drinking liquids. also try to swallow as little blood as possible. When you take pain pills, try to take them with food and a lot of liquids. If all these suggestions are ineffective, call our office.
Please do not smoke during the post surgical period, as it may interfere with the healing process, Healing results are significantly worse in smokers than in non-smokers. Smoking is a major factor in tissue grafting and implant failure.
Do not drink alcohol while taking prescription pain medications.
Continue to brush and floss the teeth which were NOT involved in the surgery, avoiding the area covered by the surgical dressing. Rinsing: You may rinse gently with a prescribed mouth rinse or warm salt water to cleanse the surgical areas beginning 24 hours after surgery. Be gentle, do not disturb the blood clots that have formed at the surgery site. You may notice a white film over the surgical sites. This is completely normal. If tissue grafting was done you may have a plastic mouthpiece (stent) covering your palate. This needs to stay in place for the first 48 hours. You may then remove the stent and rinse gently, then immediately place back over the palatal donor site. After 1 week, leave the stent out at night this helps the surgical site to heal faster. However, please continue to use the stent during the day for 2 weeks.
You may notice increased discomfort 3-4 days after the surgical procedure. As the tissues begin to heal, they may pull against the sutures and dressing. You may choose to take some form of pain medication one hour prior to your suture removal appointment to minimize tenderness. ***If you are a patient for whom Antibiotic Pre-Medication is required, take the prescribed antibiotics 1 hour prior to your suture removal appointment.***

After leaving the office, relax for the remainder of the day. Avoid bending or lifting for the first 24 hours. You may return to your regular schedule the following day, avoiding strenuous activities such as jogging or exercise programs for one week.

Contact Us

Should you have any questions or concerns during regular office hours, please do not hesitate to contact us.