Post-Operative Instructions

If you have received a direct sinus lift, please:

• Refrain from blowing your nose for up to 4 weeks following your surgery.
• If sneezing, do not hold your nose. Keeping your eyes and mouth open when you feel a sneeze coming helps you to not sneeze.
• Take all medications as prescribed, including decongestants.
• Avoid flying in pressurized aircraft, scuba diving, bearing down when lifting heavy objects, blowing up balloons, playing musical instruments that require blowing, and any other activity that will increase nasal or oral pressure for at least 4 weeks after your surgery.
• Keep your mouth clean to reduce the risk of infection and promote more rapid healing. Beginning 24 hours after surgery, you may use warm salt water rinses (approximately 1⁄4 teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of water) after each meal, or 4-5 times a day.
• Gently brush your teeth twice each day in non-surgical areas, beginning 24 hours after your surgery.
• Rinse with the prescribed chlorhexidine mouth rinse after breakfast and before bedtime.
• Drink plenty of liquids.
• Follow a soft diet for several days after surgery. Advance to a regular diet as you become more comfortable.
• Avoid chewing or creating pressure on the bone graft site.
• Do not eat nuts or seeds until cleared to do so by our periodontist.
• Do not smoke, or use other tobacco or cannabis products for 1-2 weeks following your surgery.
• Check all appliances (dentures, partial dentures, flippers, etc.) before wearing them again. You should bring these appliances with you to your appointment so that Dr. Sean P Avera can adjust them after your surgery.

Swelling and bruising may occur. Use ice packs to diminish the swelling over the first couple of days. We recommend applying ice packs for 15 min followed by 10 min rest for 24 hours.

If you experience severe or persistent sinus or nasal congestion, please contact us.

If you experience an emergency, contact our practice. We will meet with you as soon as possible. If you call after hours, follow the instructions provided, and we will return your call as soon as possible. If your emergency is life threatening, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Following your gum grafting surgery, you can expect to feel some discomfort, especially on your palate (the roof of your mouth). The tissue at the graft site may feel tight, and the graft itself will look very red and may go through several color changes as it receives a blood supply and heals.

Please take medications as prescribed. Do NOT take aspirin, as it causes bleeding.

It is normal to experience some bleeding in the first 24-48 hours. If the surgical dressing that was applied to your palate comes off and the area begins to bleed, we recommend placing a moist tea bag to the palate, closing your mouth, and holding the tea bag in place with your tongue. The acid in the tea will help to control the bleeding. If the dressing on the graft begins to come off after a few days, that’s okay.

Follow a soft diet for 7-10 days following treatment. Do NOT eat spicy, crunchy, or hard foods. Cut up your foods and eat them with a fork. Do NOT bite into foods like apples, sandwiches, pizza, bread, etc.

You will be given an appliance called a stent following your surgery. Wear the stent 24 hours a day for 4 days. Take it out only after a 24-hour interval to rinse it. After 4 days, wear the stent only when eating.

After your surgery:

• Do not rinse your mouth for 24 hours
• Do not drink using a straw
• Do not brush the graft area until instructed to do so by our periodontist
• Do not pull your lips up or down to look at the graft (this causes your graft to move)
• Keep your tongue away from the graft and your palate
• Do not do any physical work for a few days, including exercise
• Do not participate in recreation activities or sports (running, riding bikes, playing ball, etc.) – if you fall down or get hit in the mouth your graft could fail.
• Get plenty of rest

Following your crown lengthening procedure, you should:

• Avoid disturbing the area.
• Do not rinse or spit forcefully.
• Take all medications, including mouth rinses, as prescribed
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Stay away from spice, acidic, sharp, and crunchy foods (including tacos, chips, and nuts)
• Do not use tobacco products and Cannabis
• Keep physical activity to a minimum. Avoid strenuous activity for 2-3 days
• Do not brush or floss in the surgical area until instructed by our periodontist

You can expect to experience some bleeding in the first 24 hours, and may also experience swelling and bruising. Biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the wound for 30 minutes should reduce the bleeding. If you continue to bleed, contact our office. For bruising and swelling, use ice packs immediately following your surgery. Apply ice for 15 min followed by 10 min rest for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, you should be able to brush, floss, and perform other oral hygiene routines as normal in the untreated areas of your mouth. Avoid brushing and flossing at the surgical site until cleared to do so by our doctor. Use anti-inflammatory medication, antibiotics, and mouth washes as prescribed.

If you have an emergency or any questions during our regular office hours, we will meet with you as soon as possible. After our office hours, please call us and follow the instructions provided. We will return your call as soon as possible.

If you are experiencing a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

It is normal to experience some pain, bleeding, swelling, and seeping following oral surgery. You may also experience sensitivity to heat and cold for the first 24 hours after your procedure. We recommend that you:

• Use an ice pack for the first day following your surgery. The ice pack should be placed on the outside of your face, over the surgical site. Alternate 15 min of ice followed by 10 min rest for 24 hours.
• Do NOT miss your follow-up appointment(s) with our periodontist.
• Do NOT probe the area with your tongue or fingers.
• Avoid brushing and flossing your teeth near the surgery site, but brush and floss the remainder of your mouth as instructed by our doctor.
• Do NOT eat, drink, chew, or consume foods and beverages that are extremely hot or spicy until the numbness in your mouth has worn off.
• Avoid eating all nuts or seeds until advised by our periodontist that it is ok to eat them again.
• Avoid vigorous physical exercise for 24 hours following surgery.
• Do NOT smoke, or use any tobacco or cannabis products for at least 48 hours following your procedure.
• Do NOT brush, rinse, or spit.
• Do NOT use a straw for drinking for the first 24 hours
• For the first few days following your treatment, follow a diet of soft and liquid foods. Soups, yogurt, juice, and smoothies are recommended.

Take prescribed medication as directed.

You may take mild pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen as needed. A warm saltwater rinse (approximately ¼ teaspoon in 8 ounces of water) may also be helpful.

If you experience excessive bleeding or discomfort after 48-72 hours, contact our office immediately.

Please follow all other instructions provided by our doctor precisely, and take all medications as prescribed.

It is normal to experience bleeding in the first 24-48 hours following your osseous surgery procedure. Biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the wound for 30 minutes will help reduce bleeding. If you continue to bleed, contact our office. After 24 hours, we recommend that you use a warm saltwater rinse (approximately ¼ teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of water) 4-5 times each day following meals. You can also begin brushing the untreated areas of your mouth with a soft manual toothbrush after 24 hours.

You may also experience swelling and bruising. Use ice packs following your surgery to diminish the swelling, applying the ice for 15 min of ice followed by 10 min rest for 24 hours.

If you received sutures as part of your treatment, they may dissolve on their own. We will take any remaining sutures out at your post operative appointment.

Following your treatment:

• Avoid forcefully rinsing or spitting
• Do not drink through a straw
• Use all medications, including mouth rinses, as prescribed by Dr. Sean P Avera
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Stay away from spice, sharp, hard, and crunchy foods.
• Do not use any tobacco and Cannabis products for 24 hours following surgery
• Do not use alcohol in combination with any pain medications, including pain medications and antibiotics
• Keep physical activity to a minimum following your surgery

If you experience problems during our office hours, feel free to contact us. We will meet you as soon as possible. If you call with an emergency after hours, follow the instructions provided, and we will return your call as quickly as possible.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

If you have received a regenerative therapy procedure, be aware that additional therapy may be required to treat areas of persistent infection or provide easier plaque control. Please follow all pre-surgical instructions our periodontist gives you to help ensure a successful treatment and a more comfortable experience.

Regenerative therapy is performed in our office under local anesthesia and oral sedation. Many sutures will be placed in the area of the procedure. Many types of sutures will dissolve on their own, but some may need to be removed in 2-3 weeks.

After your anesthesia wears off, you may experience moderate pain. Use prescribed medication for this pain as directed by our doctor.

Following your treatment:

• Do not disturb the dressing around your teeth. If the dressing falls off, partially or entirely, and you are comfortable, do not be disturbed. If you experience pain or heavy bleeding, or were told to call the office if you lost the dressing, contact us immediately.
• Avoid hot foods and drinks for several hours following your surgery.
• Do not drink through a straw for the first 2 days following your surgery.
• Use an extra pillow to keep your head elevated while sleeping for the first few nights after your surgery.
• Beginning 24 hours after your treatment, use a warm saltwater rinse (approximately ½ teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of warm water) twice a day, or any prescribed mouth rinses to clean your mouth.
• You may brush as normal in untreated areas of your mouth, but do not use a toothbrush on the surgical area for at least 10 days.
• DO NOT USE TOOTHPASTE.
• Try to prevent food from accumulating in the areas around the surgical site. Use prescribed rinses as instructed.
• Avoid excessive exertion of any type for 36-48 hours after your surgery.
• Do not worry if you see occasional blood in your saliva. This is not unusual, and will correct itself. If you notice significant bleeding, call our office. Do NOT try to stop the bleeding yourself.
• If you notice “loose” sutures, do not tug or pull on them. This is a sign that the sutures are beginning to dissolve and have completed their purpose. You may, however, cut off the loose, long ends and throw them away.
• Use ice packs the first day after your surgery. Place the pack on the outside of your face, over the surgical site. Alternate 15 min of ice followed by 10 min rest for 24 hours.
• Avoid spicy and hard foods, but otherwise use your best judgment as to what foods you can handle.

If you experience any problems, please contact our office.

Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical periodontal treatment that involves removing tartar and bacterial plaque from the root surface below the gum line. We recommend 200-400 mg ibuprofen with 325 mg acetaminophen every 6-8 hours. You may also use a warm saltwater rinse (approximately ½ teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of water) three times a day.

For the first 24 hours following a scaling and root planing treatment, you may experience sensitivity to cold and heat. Do NOT:

• Eat, drink, chew, or otherwise consume hot foods or beverages until the anesthetic used during your treatment has worn off.
• Exercise vigorously for 24 hours.
• Eat hot or spicy foods for at least 24 hours.
• Consume alcoholic beverages for at least 48 hours.
• Smoke or use another tobacco product for at least 48 hours.

If you are experiencing discomfort or pain, you can take mild pain relievers as needed. We recommend 200-400 mg ibuprofen or 325 mg acetaminophen every 6-8 hours. You may also use a warm saltwater rinse (approximately ½ teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of water) three times a day.

Brush and floss gently until soreness is gone, and then resume normal brushing and flossing.

Take all medications as prescribed by our periodontist, and follow all other instructions provided as closely as possible.