Recovering From Your Oral Surgery Procedure
Undergoing oral surgery is something that most people will have to go through at some point during their adult lives. However, individuals will frequently be unprepared for recovering from their oral surgery, which can make this more difficult and complication-prone.
Stock Your Home With Soft Foods And Medical Supplies
Immediately after your oral surgery, you are unlikely to feel well enough to be able to go to the store or cook your own food. In fact, some individuals may be heavily medicated for hours after their surgery. Stocking your home with soft foods and other items that you may want to eat can help you to be as comfortable as possible during your recovery. Food may not be the only thing that you want to stock up before your surgery as there may be some medical supplies that you may need. In particular, you will need to regularly change the gauze that is used to protect the surgery site every few hours.
Clean Your Mouth After Eating
During the first several days after the surgery, extra precautions should be taken to keep the mouth as clean as possible. Food particles can be particularly prone to getting into the surgery wound, which can lead to infection. Preventing this risk will require you to gently clean your mouth after each time that you eat. The exact steps for cleaning your surgery wound will depend on the type of incision that was made along with its location, but your dentist should cover this with you either before or at the conclusion of your procedure.
Be Careful When Drinking
Drinking can be surprisingly risky for those that are recovering from oral surgery. When you are drinking beverages, you will need to avoid the temptation to create strong suction with your mouth. This can disrupt the healing process by moving the clots that will form over the surgical wound.
Avoid Smoking Or Using Other Tobacco Products
Smoking or using smokeless tobacco can be extremely harmful to your mouth. This is particularly true when you are in the process of recovering from oral surgery. Exposure to tobacco can limit the healing ability of your gums, which may greatly lengthen your recovery time. Furthermore, using tobacco products can increase the amount of bacteria in the mouth, and this can put you at a greater risk of developing a serious oral infection. For individuals that will struggle with resisting the urge to use tobacco products, the use of transdermal patches may be the best option for combating these cravings. While there are gums and suckers designed to help individuals stop smoking, you may not be able to chew gum or use suckers while you are recovering.