3 Common Questions People Have After Receiving Dental Surgery
After receiving almost any type of dental surgery, your mouth is likely going to be swollen, bleeding, and sore. You will also likely have questions about how to properly care for your mouth and your teeth during this time in order to make a full recovery. This article will discuss 3 common questions people have after receiving dental surgery:
How Do I Stop The Blood From Filling My Mouth?
Post-surgery you will likely have quite a bit of bleeding, so it is important that you keep gauze in your mouth to put some pressure on the areas of your mouth that are bleeding. The gauze will also help capture a lot of the blood, so that you don't end up swallowing it and getting sick.
Also to avoid swallowing too much blood, you will want to sleep with your head elevated, so the blood doesn't drain down the back of your throat. Another tip for stopping the bleeding, if the gauze pads don't seem to be working, is to use tea bags. Tea bags have tannic acid in them which may help to clot the blood.
What Can I Eat?
After surgery your mouth will be very tender, so you will want to stick with foods that are very soft and also liquids. Also, keep in mind that hot liquids may cause irritation to your mouth, so keep your beverages cool or lukewarm. Foods like yogurt, soups, oatmeal, ice cream, and bread are great because they are soft, and don't require a lot of chewing.
Also, you need to make sure that you do not drink through a straw because this can create unnecessary and unsafe suction pressure on the areas of your mouth that are trying to heal.
Should I Brush My Teeth?
You are going to be advised to brush your teeth right before the procedure because you will likely not be able to really brush them for at least 24 hours following the surgery. The reason for this is because brushing may cause you unnecessary pain. Brushing your teeth too early may also irritate your mouth more and cause it to bleed.
As your mouth begins to heal, you can brush the teeth that are not effected by the oral surgery first, and then you can move onto brushing the rest of your teeth. Remember to brush softly, and to be very conscious of where the bristles are touching. To learn more, contact a professional like Dr. Frederick Guerra with any questions you have.