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Foods You Can Eat After Having Dental Surgery:

With a little thought, planning and preparation, patients can have a good experience and a smooth recovery. One of the easiest ways to make sure the fridge and pantry are stocked with soft foods. Always follow your dentist’s instructions to avoid risk of infection but below are some ideas of foods to eat after extractions, implants and dental surgery, to support a smooth recovery:

27 Soft Foods to eat after oral surgery and dental work:

• Apple Sauce
• Yogurt
• Soups
• Eggs
• Jell-O
• Mushed up fruits such as bananas or Avocados
• Well Cooked vegetables/Mushy Peas
• Mashed Potatoes
• Fish
• Rice
• Well cooked pasta
• Smoothies (avoid seeds), Milk Shake, Jamba Juice (With a Spoon-NO STRAWS)
• Oatmeal
• Popsicles (after a few days no sucking motion)
• Ice Cream
• Pudding
• Beans
• Soup soaked bread
• Tofu
• Cottage Cheese
• Hummus
• Meatloaf
• Tuna or Chicken Salad (no celery)
• Deli meats

A Few DO’s and Don’ts

DO

• DO-Drink lots of water
• If bleeding continues after an hour following surgery, you may try biting on a moist (not hot) black tea bag to help with blood clotting
• Rinsing mouth out with water during the first 24 hours is OK but rinse gently. After 24 hours, rinsing with warm salt water is an option: Make rinse by mixing 1 Tablespoon of salt with one cup of warm water. Do not try to dislodge any blood clots that are aiding in the healing process.

DON'T

• DO NOT DRINK from a straw for at least a week-THE SUCKING CAN DISLODGE THE BLOOD THAT IS CLOTTING and can cause dry socket
• DO NOT EAT foods that are spicy as they can irritate the gums
• DO NOT EAT acidic foods as this too can irritate the gums
• STAY AWAY FROM foods with seeds as they can get stuck in the wound area and /or dislodge blood clots
• AVOID caffeine, carbonation, alcohol and hot beverages
• AVOID SMOKING for at least 48-72 hours after tooth removal surgery as this can cause dry socket.

After Placement of Dental Implant

What if the oozing is heavy?

Oozing can be quite heavy after some procedures. If the bleeding seems heavy, gently wipe out large clots from your mouth. Next, take two gauze sponges folded into fourths, or a moistened regular (not decaf or herbal) tea bag wrapped in gauze, and placed over the bleeding site. Bite down firmly for one hour without changing. Repeat the procedure if bleeding continues. In most cases, this will greatly reduce the amount of oozing. If active bleeding continues despite these measures, please call the office and let us know.

When can I have something to eat?

About an hour after surgery, you may remove the gauze sponges that have been placed in your mouth and have something to eat. Be sure to eat foods that are soft for the first 24 hours after surgery. Avoid hot foods and drinks for several hours after surgery. Also do not drink from a straw for at least 24 hours. These precautions will give your mouth a better chance to heal properly.

Will my recovery time be painful?

The amount of discomfort you’ll feel after surgery usually depends on how extensive your surgery was. If your doctor did not give you a prescription for pain medication at the office, he probably feels that your discomfort will be minimal. Ibuprofen or Tylenol should be adequate. The local anesthetic used during surgery will begin to wear off within 2 to 4 hours and you may begin to feel less comfortable after this time. Please take your first dose of either the prescription pain medication or the Ibuprofen/Tylenol after having something to eat and before the anesthetic starts to wear off.

Follow the directions on the medication bottle to know how much you should take. Be sure to call during regular office hours if the pain seems to be worsening instead of getting better after 5 to 7 days.

It’s not unusual for pain medications to cause nausea or even vomiting in some people. If this happens, try eating prior to or decreasing the amount of medication you’re taking. Over the counter pain medications cause less GI upset than narcotics. Try these if the narcotics seen to bother your stomach. If you still feel ill, stop taking the medication and n. call us during regular office hours so we can prescribe something else for your pain. DO NOT drive a motor vehicle, operate machinery or drink alcoholic beverages while taking prescription pain medication.

Will my face become swollen?

Swelling often occurs as part of the natural healing process, especially after bone grafting procedures. Facial swelling usually increases for 3 to 4 days after oral surgery, soon after that it will begin to subside. The swelling may make it difficult to open your mouth wide or to swallow. You may also notice some bruising on your face where the surgery was done, or experience numbness or tingling of the lip and/or tongue on the affected side. If you had implants placed on both sides of your mouth, it’s not uncommon for one side to be more swollen or uncomfortable that the other.

In most cases, you can help minimize the amount of swelling by applying an ice pack to your face over the area where surgery was done for the first 24 hours. If you had surgery on both sides, switch the ice pack from one side to the other every 30 minutes.

Is it normal to run a temperature after surgery?

Some patients develop a slight elevation in body temperature following oral surgery. You shouldn’t be concerned unless your temperature rises above 101.5. If it does, please call us.

Why do I need to take an antibiotic?

Dental implant surgery requires antibiotic therapy. Antibiotics are used to prevent infection on or around the dental implant or bone graft. It is important that you follow the dosage directions on the bottle and continue taking the medication until it’s finished. If you should develop a reaction to the medication, such as skin rash, stop taking the medication and call our office.

Please note that some antibiotics can interfere with the ability of birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. If you normally use oral contraceptives, please be sure to use an additional method of birth control during your current menstrual cycle.

Will I have sutures (stitches)?

Most oral surgical procedures require suturing the tissue together to aid healing. Most of the sutures we use fall out themselves over 3 – 5 days. Some sutures may need to be removed or take longer to dissolve.

Can I brush my teeth?

Good oral hygiene practices are as essential after oral surgery as at any other time. After 24 hours you can resume tooth brushing. It may also help to gently rinse your mouth every so often with mild salt water (1/4 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water). DO NOT use mouth wash or hydrogen peroxide rinses for 14 days.

Can I smoke?

No. Smoking of any kind after oral surgery interferes with the normal healing process and can increase your chances of developing an infection, failure of the implant and or bone grafts. Smokers have a higher risk of implant failure.

Instructions for Extractions

1.) Do not spit, smoke, suck on a straw or rinse your mouth vigorously with any liquid for 24 hours. Do not drink any carbonated beverages.

2.) There may be some oozing of blood for several hours. Wipe blood and saliva into a tissue. Try not to swallow blood and saliva. This can cause an upset stomach.

3.) To control bleeding, hold gauze on gums (or bite) at 20-minute intervals until bleeding stops. If this does not control the bleeding, try biting on a moist tea bag.

4.) Take all medicines as prescribed by the dentist.

5.) Some swelling after the extractions is normal. Use an ice pack on the day your teeth were extracted to help control swelling. See the dentist if swelling persists within 3-4 days or if it worsens to the point of not being able to swallow.

6.) Soft foods may be easier on sore gums, but you may eat any foods you feel comfortable eating.

Post-op Instructions

Arestin® Periodontal Treatment

What is it?

Arestin® is a bioresorbable gel containing minocycline (a tetracycline derivative) microspheres. It has been FDA approved for treatment of gum disease.

How does it work on gum disease?

When placed in a periodontal pocket, Arestin® maintains a high-level of antibiotic right at the gum disease site without exposing the rest of the body to antibiotics. This allows treatment using one-hundredth the usual pill-form dose. It directly fights gum disease infection for 14 days.

How do I get the best results from my treatment with Arestin®?

• Avoid touching the treated areas.
• Wait 12 hours after treatment before brushing teeth.
• Wait 10 days before using floss, toothpicks, or other devices designed to clean between the treated teeth.
• Avoid foods for 1 week that could hurt your gums.
• Don’t chew gum or eat sticky foods.
• After 10 days, resume cleaning between the treated teeth on a daily basis.

Remember, you must do your part. After your Arestin® therapy, if you don’t brush at least 2 times per day and floss every day, then any dental treatment of your gum disease will not work effectively.