What can I eat? once the anesthesia has worn off you can eat soft food like mac and cheese, cottage cheese, soup, scrambled eggs, pancakes, soft vegetables and smoothies all on the side that was not treated. Please avoid foods that are crunchy and hard like pizza, chips, hard crunchy bread. Not baby food , Just soft food. Eat a High Protein Diet!
How do I clean the area of the surgery Please use the Stella life on a q-tip gently in the area of surgery, very gently. When you return we will give you a special soft surgery brush. If you see blood on the Qtip or the soft brush don’t panick. Always rinse with warm salt water that is so important in healing. Rinse 2-3 times per day (whenever you brush your other teeth). This is truly a key in good healing practices.
Why does the graft look white or red and is thick? While the graft is healing it will take on many , many colors. Again it is best not to look at it because that can put tension on the site and DELAY healing. Rinse with warm water which allows the tissue on the graft to heal up and removes plaque without you actually touching the graft site.
Mouthcare Please rest assured that the mouth is one of the most rapidly healing areas of the body. Using Ibuprofin (if you can take it) is ideal for dental pain for it stops the Prostoglandins which in turn reduces inflammation. If you are experiencing a significant amount of pain not controlled by Motrin or Tylenol please email us at info@drhanahobbs.com, or call Dr Hobbs at 919-422-8970 (her cell) . Email might be the best way to send message in case we are tied up with patients. We check email very frequently. You are also welcome to call us at the office during regular business hours at 919-590-0564
Rest Rest for the 24 hours after the surgery and please limit your activity to speed healing and avoid prolonged bleeding.
Swelling Apply an ice pack or frozen peas or corn on the surgery site (20mins on and 20 min off) to help keep swelling down. Also apply ARNICA (you can buy at CVS or Walmart) to the skin (not intra-orally ) to keep swelling and bruising down.
Alcohol and Smoking We ask you to please not consume alcohol for at least 24 hours and refrain from smoking for this will greatly affect the rate and quality of healing.
Stiches All the stiches will dissolve. If one is bothering you can trim the end but we would like to check you at your follow up before removing the sutures. Try to keep your tongue off the suture line.
