Oral surgery might be referred to as any sort of surgical procedure carried out in and around the jaw and mouth. Oral surgery comprises of various operations like extraction of teeth which might vary from being moderate to difficult surgery, extraction of wisdom teeth, root canal, suitably locating and placing dental implants, gum graft and dental reassembling oral surgery. Dental experts like prosthodontists, periodontists and endodontists carry out the numerous dental operations.
Like any other surgery, persons undergoing oral surgery need to dedicate some minimum amount of time to let the area heal and recover. The postoperative period is crucial and demands the patients follow certain norms to prevent the development of any sort of complication or infection. The following points might be helpful to get a complete picture of the post-operative issues of concern and the remedial ways.
- Oral surgery recovery time: Post any operation the area of surgical intervention needs a minimum amount of time to be back to its normal form. The healing and recovery can be speeded up by following certain guidelines but as they say “time is the best medicine”. Thus dedicating the natural recovery time is important for getting the balance back. In case of minor surgery, the recovery span usually ranges from 2 to 4 days. But if the operation is more complicated the patient might take up to a month to be in completely fit form. Swelling is usually gone within a week. The stiffness of the face muscles can last for a period of 10 days. Although for minor tooth extraction stiffness of muscles and swelling eradicates hand in hand. The recovery time varies according to the majority and minority of the operation. Following up with the dentist at regular intervals is a good idea to keep a track on the speed of recovery.
- Recovery after oral surgery: Bleeding and swelling of gum are very elementary after a tooth extraction or any other kind of oral surgical intervention. Post-surgery recovery is crucial and its importance is unparallel. Thus, following the guideline of the surgeon or the concerned dentists is sure to cause a speedy recovery. Drinking alcohol and smoking can slow down the process of recovery. Thus it is advised to eradicate smoking and drinking alcohol at least for some time after the surgery. Swelling of gum could be tackled with the application of ice pack on the outer area on the face. Ice packs often come as a rescue to inflammation. Rinsing the mouth with lukewarm salt water every few hours helps prevent the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Brushing should be done very gently while healing.
- After dental surgery care: The time span of the minor surgeries are even very less and takes up a maximum of half an hour. The patients require resting for a few minutes before they can get back home. A days rest is usually enough in case of minor tooth extraction. But taking proper oral care is of utmost importance. The chances of developing infections are high if proper hygienic care is not taken. Vigorous spitting should be avoided immediately after the surgery as it enhances the chances of bleeding. Rinsing the mouth should be even limited. Again when rinsing, it should be done with warm saltwater. The rinsed water must be thrown out very gently. The saline water helps kill the bacteria developed in the mouth and maintain oral hygiene. Thus, it keeps the spot of surgery clean and helps it recover fast to its normal form. In many cases, chlorhexidine is recommended by the dentists for rinsing the mouth. Tobacco must be avoided as it can cause unnecessary troubles and infection in the operational area. Thus, unless the area is back to its normal form, eradicating the smoking process is the best idea. In taking soft and liquid foods after the surgery is a good idea as it does not exert added pressure on the teeth. Food enriched with vitamin A and C like egg, sweet potato, carrot and fish must be taken as it speeds up the healing process.
- Healing after oral surgery: No matter how minor the surgery is, any surgery leads to a minimum amount of bleeding. This is a normal phenomenon. Thus, it is crucial to utilise the cotton pad or the gauze provided by the dentist post-surgery. The patients are advised to bite down the cotton pad or gauze with firm pressure so that the area is locked for a minimum span of an hour. This is sure to stop the area from bleeding. After an hour the cotton pad needs to be gently removed and let the spot of surgery relax. The area heals completely within a few hours.
- Mouth pain after surgery: Again the extent of complexity of the oral surgery directly varies with the amount of pain it generates. Dentists prescribe pain killers of varied doze predicting the amount of pain that can arise and depending on the condition of the patient. Antibiotics are prescribed to prevent the occurrence of any sort of infection post-surgery. The occurrence of pain again depends on the procedure opted for carrying out the operation. Patients undergoing the ancient techniques of surgery often have to suffer from serious pain. But the advancement in the procedures of dental surgical intervention has reduced the fear of pain generation amongst patients. In many cases, the need to cut the gum to extract a tooth does not arise at all. Situations demanding cuts in the gum are tackled by the dentists through the application of latest laser technology. In such cases, operational pain generation is minimum.
It is advised not to overexert one’s own self after any sort of oral surgery. Exercises could be avoided for a few days to stop the enhancement of blood flow. High blood pressure could force out of position the blood clots and can cause bleeding. Hot and cold food should not be eaten. Food in normal room temperature is ideal. Hard and crunchy food items should be avoided for sometime after the surgery.