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If you have a dental emergency:
Our patients may call us during our regular hours at 091 - 5700847 & 850708.
Bleeding After Oral Surgery
What May Happen
You may feel pain.
The severity of the pain varies from person to person and from operation to operation.
What to Do
Take prescribed or recommended medication as instructed. If the pain medication isn't working, or if the pain continues unchanged for over 48 hours, call our office.
What Not to Do
Do not exceed the recommended dose of medication. Do not drink alcoholic beverages while on pain medication.
Your mouth may bleed.
Because blood and saliva mix in your mouth, it may look as though you are bleeding more than you actually are. Bleeding usually only lasts 24 hours after surgery.
For the first half hour after surgery keep firm pressure on a gauze covering the wound. If bleeding continues, replace the gauze and continue to apply pressure. A slightly moistened tea bag can be used in place of a gauze pad.
Avoid exertion. This slows down your circulation and helps stop bleeding faster. Once bleeding has stopped, usually the next day, you can rinse your mouth with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water after each meal.
Avoid rinsing your mouth for 24 hours after surgery. Brush your teeth as usual, but avoid the wound.
Avoid alcohol, hot liquids and drinking through a straw for 3 days after surgery. Avoid smoking for this period, as it may seriously disturb healing. Avoid ASA type drugs, such as Aspirin and Ibuprofen, as they may make bleeding worse.
You may experience swelling.
It usually occurs in the first 24 to 48 hours, and can take 3 to 4 days to subside.
Place an ice bag or a bag of frozen peas on the swollen area for 10 minutes, remove for 10 minutes and repeat. This works well for the first 8-12 hours after surgery.
Do not apply heat to the swollen area. This can make swelling worse.
You may have difficulty opening your mouth.
This is because the jaw muscles become stiff from holding your mouth open during surgery. It usually lasts 3 to 4 days.
Massage the jaw muscles gently. Apply moist heat for 10 minutes, remove for 10 minutes and repeat. Eat soft nutritious food like eggs, milk shakes, juices, soup (warm, not hot) pasta, bananas.
Do not force your mouth open.
Other unusual conditions:
Fever over 101F
Severe bright red bleeding you cannot control.
Rash, difficulty breathing, severe vomiting or other reaction to medication.
Impacted teeth or very difficult extractions may have further complications such as temporary or permanent tingling or numbness, or sinus involvement.
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Knocked-out Permanent Tooth
What to do: You should see your dentist immediately. If debris is on tooth, gently rinse with water. Reimplant the tooth if possible and stabilize by biting down gently on the towel or handkerchief. Avoid additional trauma to tooth while handling. Do not handle tooth by the root. Do not brush or scrub tooth. On the way to the dentist the wounded area can be gently cleaned, but do not scrub with disinfectants or soaps.
If you are unable to reimplant:
Best - Place tooth in Hank's Balanced Saline Solution, i.e. "3M Save-a-tooth kit."
2nd best - Place tooth in milk. Cold whole milk is best, followed by cold 2% milk.
3rd best - Wrap tooth in saline-soaked gauze.
Urgent! The most important thing to do is to get the patient to a dentist as soon as possible. Chances are good the tooth can be saved if it is replaced within 30 minutes.
Displaced Tooth (Due to Injury)
What to do: Keep area clean. Avoid chewing hard on displaced tooth. Call your dentist immediately for an appointment, or call the Emergency Dental Service if you cannot reach your dentist within a few hours.
How Urgent: Should be seen as soon as possible. The teeth must be re-positioned and then splinted into place while healing.
Chipped or Broken Tooth (Due to Injury)
What to do: If a large part of the tooth has broken off, the nerve is visible and bleeding or the tooth is very painful, please call immediately for an appointment, or call the Emergency Dental Services if you cannot reach your dentist within a few hours. If possible, save the piece of tooth and keep it in contact lens saline or milk. We may be able to re-attach it Clean the area with warm water. Avoid hot or cold foods.
How Urgent: Fairly urgent: Should be seen as soon as possible.
Swelling - Severe
What to do: You should call your dentist or the emergency numbers above as soon as possible.
Urgent! This should be treated as soon as possibe.
Swelling - Mild
What to do: Apply a cold compress on the outside of your cheek. Avoid heat for this. You may rinse with warm salt water or a chlorhexidine mouthwash such as Peridex.
How Urgent: Should be seen by a dentist if it doesn't resolve in a few days, or if it is getting worse.
Something Stuck Between Teeth
What to do: First, try using dental floss, very gently and carefully, to remove the object. Never poke between your teeth with a pin or similar sharp, pointy object; it can cut your gums or scratch the tooth surface.
How Urgent: If you can't get the obstruction out, see your dentist.
Toothaches
Note: Never put aspirin on the inflamed area This will burn the tissue and make things worse.
Severe, throbbing pain to HOT that is relieved by cold for a brief while
What to do: This is probably a dying nerve. Call your dentist immediately for an appointment, or call the Emergency Dental Service if you cannot reach your dentist within a few hours. You may find that anti inflammatories such as 1-2 pain killers may help.
Urgent! This will get much worse soon. If you cannot reach us you may also call 091 - 5700847,
Sharp pain to HOT or COLD that throbs or lingers for more than a few minutes
What to do: You may have a dying nerve. This needs to be seen to soon. Call us for an appointment. . You may find that anti inflammatories such as 1-2 Motrins may help.
How Urgent: Should be seen within a few days.
Moderate pain to HOT, COLD or SWEETS that goes away within a few seconds
What to do: This is a live but irritated nerve. It may settle down by itself. Avoid hot or cold foods for a few days. If it continues you should make an appointment to see your dentist.
How Urgent: Should be seen by a dentist if it doesn't resolve in a few weeks, or if it is getting worse.
Severe pain to BITING that lingers
What to do: May be a badly cracked tooth. Avoid biting on the area.
How Urgent: Should be seen by a dentist within a few days.
Sudden pain to BITING that disappears immediately
What to do: This may be a defective filling or a cracked tooth. Avoid biting hard on the area. This may stay stable or settle down with time.
How Urgent: Should be seen by a dentist if it doesnt settle down in a few weeks, or is getting worse.
Pain to TAPPING on the tooth
What to do: May have an infected nerve or gum. . Avoid biting hard on the area. If it does not settle down within a few weeks, call us.
How Urgent: Should be seen by a dentist if it doesn’t settle down in a few weeks, or is getting worse.
Pain to biting on new filling that feels "high" once the anaesthetic wears off
What to do: Avoid chewing hard foods. A minor bite adjustment may be needed.
How Urgent: Should be seen soon, within 1-2 days, or it could get worse.
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