General Oral Care Following Surgery: Do not rinse or spit for 24 hours after surgery. Keep fingers and tongue away from socket or surgical area. Use ice packs on surgical area (side of face) for first 24 to 48 hours, apply ice 20 minutes on - 10 minutes off. Bags of frozen peas work well. Use moist heat after 24 hours. Post-Operative Instructions: Often the after-effects of oral surgery are quite minimal, so not all of these -instructions may apply; BLEEDING. Bite on the gauze firmly for at least 45 minutes after you leave the office. If bleeding persists, place a moist tea bag wrapped in gauze and bite firmly for at least 45 min. Avoid removing the gauze too While recovering from oral surgery, it is important to carefully follow any post-operative instructions from your dentist. These directions can help speed healing and minimize the risk of complications, such as infection or dry socket. There are some general instructions that apply to most oral surgery procedures. After 24 hours, start brushing and flossing the teeth with moderation. For 1 week after surgery, rinse after meals with warm salt water (1 tsp in 8 oz warm water), or if prescribed, clorhexidine mouth rinse. A low grade fever is not unusual. Fever is often a sign of insufficient amount of fluid. After the first day, gently stretch your mouth On the morning of the day following surgery, rinse your mouth carefully with the solution made by adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a large glass of warm water. Repeat three times a day until remaining soreness subsides. Resume brushing any remaining teeth and your regular oral hygiene as soon as possible. This is a normal post-operative occurrence, which may appear 2-3 days after surgery and last from 7 to 14 days. Moist heat applied to the area may speed up the removal of the bruising.. Antibiotics. If you have been placed on antibiotics, take the tablets or liquid as directed. Oral Care. Twenty-four hours after the surgery, rinse your mouth gently with a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved in a glass of warm water. Repeat frequently until soreness is no longer present. You may have been given a prescription for an antibacterial rinse (Peridex or Periogard). These may be minimized by following the post-op instructions. At Northwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, we share the healthcare community's concern about the potential abuse of opioid pain medications following surgery. Our approach to post-surgical pain management is conservative. Patients are encouraged to manage pain with over-the-counter Post-Operative Instructions: General Tooth Extractions; Post-Operative Instructions: Multiple Tooth Extractions; Post-Operative Instructions: Dental Implants; Post-Operative Instructions: Wisdom Teeth Removal; Post-Operative Instructions: Impacted Tooth Exposure; Post-Operative Instructions: Apicoectomy; Post-Operative Instructions: Bone Grafting What are my post-operative instructions? • After the first 24 hours following surgery, rinse gently with warm salt water after every meal. This can continue 1-2 weeks. • After oral surgery procedures, pain is best managed with scheduled doses of NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen (up to 3200 mg daily) and Acetaminophen (up to Post-operative Instructions for a Tooth Extraction. After tooth extraction, it's important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. That's why we ask you to bite on a gauze pad for 30-60 minu