Postoperative Instructions II

If there is an emergency, please do not hesitate to call us.

Crestal Health Periodontics Office: 413.584.2229

Congratulations! You made it through the hardest part of the postoperative period. Managing the site is a little easier now, but it is still very important for you to be gentle with the area for the next 7-10 days. Let’s discuss some details you should be aware of.

Oral Hygiene
Q-tips work very well to clean the area. Brushing with a toothbrush may be a little too harsh at this point. We would recommend using a q-tip on the teeth where the procedure was performed for one week. Flossing is a good idea, but it must be done very gently. The floss should not be pushed into the gums or popped through your teeth quickly. You will be able to feel when the area is ready to be handled more normally, and oral hygiene habits should return to normal during the next month.

Sutures
Your procedure may require that sutures remain in your mouth after today’s visit. Your doctor will give you the proper instructions. Some sutures will dissolve by themselves during the next few days, while others will remain for another 3 weeks. If you have questions, please ask us anytime.

Things to Avoid for One More Week

• Hard foods (i.e. apples, hard candies) in the area of the procedure
  
• Crunchy, crumbly foods (i.e. pretzels, potato chips) in the area of the procedure
  
• Spicy foods (i.e. Cajun, certain ethnic foods)
  
• Hot foods (i.e. steaming hot coffee/tea)
  
• Smoking
  

Exercise
You can begin exercising normally at this point in the healing process. You should not be concerned about bleeding anymore.

Your Routine Medications
If it was normal for you to take an aspirin everyday before the procedure, you should begin taking it again now. If there are any other medications that were stopped for your periodontal procedure, they can be resumed at this point. Please ask your periodontist if you have any questions related to your routine medications.