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Dr. Blalock - Oral and Maxil ofacial Surgeon POST- OPER ATIVE INSTRUC TIONS
No rinsing or spit ting for the f ir st day following surger y. Do not use drinking straws or
smoke 7 to 10 days following surger y. No alcoholic beverage s (including mouthwash)
for 3 days or while t aking any pain medications. Tomorrow, st ar t rinsing with warm salt
water 36 to 4 time s a day for a week or until tenderne ss is gone. No carbonated drink s
or sof t drink s one week following surger y.
Pre ssure : Helps control bleeding, swelling and holds the gum tissue against the bone to
promote proper and rapid healing. Bite on gauze for 2- 6 hour s then remove. When a lit tle
blood mixes with saliva in the mouth it may appear to be a lot. If bleeding continues af ter several hours apply gauze or a moist tea bag (t annic acid) to the area to control the bleeding. If bleeding still continues call the doc tor.
Diet : Nourishment for the f irst day is ver y impor t ant. Af ter the gauze is removed, a sof t diet is
recommended for the f ir st day (example: Jell- O, pudding, mashed pot atoes, fruit smoothies with a spoon, no straw, etc.) and normal diet should be resumed as soon as possible. A lot of liquids should be t aken, but nothing hot on the f ir st day, due to numbness. Note : Medic ations should
not be t aken on an empt y stomach.
Pain : The f irst 24 to 48 hours af ter surger y are usually the most dif f icult. Take a pain pill
af ter removing the gauze and before the anesthetic wear s of f. From there on, please follow the Ice : Controls swelling and pain. Should be used for 48 hours continuously with shor t break s
ever y 20 minutes. Elevations of the head (20 degrees, about 2 pillows) for 48 hours will help control swelling. Maximum swelling usually occurs 24 to 72 hours following surger y.
Nausea : May occur especially af ter general anesthesia. Clear liquids should be t aken such as
broth, f lat 7-up, Jell- O, or tea until nausea subsides, af ter which a normal diet may be resumed. Dramamine or Meclizine (Bonine) are both over the counter medications that are advisable for Brushing : You may brush and f loss the f irst day af ter surger y. Brush lightly in the area of the
Misc . : Pain in the ear, dif f icult y in swallowing, opening and closing of your mouth and some
local discoloration of the skin are additional f indings which occur with var ying frequenc y. Any symptoms lasting longer than 5 days should be check by the doc tor.
IN C A SE OF AN EMERGENC Y, C ALL (760) 724 -8891
MON – THUR 8AM – 5PM, FR I 7AM – 3PM
IN C A SE OF AN EMERGENC Y AF TER HOUR S (760) 720 -8151 Pager
Dr. Blalock - 145 Cedar Road - Vist a, C A 92083 - (760) 724 -8891 - OralSurgeonVist a.com

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