If you had advanced gum disease, which caused your jawbone to recede, your oral surgeon might recommend a dental bone graft surgery. It could also be an option if you have missing teeth. Losing one tooth may not be noticeable. But losing multiple adult teeth may cause the bone around your teeth to disappear. This can affect the way your face looks. Since there’s not enough bone for support, your facial feature may start to sag. Bone loss can also be due to dental trauma, tumor, or infection. Bone graft surgery can help restore your appearance and keep any tooth replacement in place.
After a bone graft surgery, your healing process largely depends on several factors. These include the length and complexity of the procedure as well as the approach and technique used by your dental surgeon. Your general state of health also has an impact on your healing potential. To help you recover faster from the surgery, consider the guidelines below:
Days 1 to 2. The first 24 to 48 hours following your surgery is the most crucial. This is because the incision is still fresh. During your ride home, keep the gauze that your dental surgeon placed in your mouth. Upon arrival, remove the gauze and eat a small meal made of bland, soft foods. It should not require you to chew. If provided by your doctor, take your first dose of pain medication and antibiotics. If the extraction site continues to bleed after your first meal, place a new piece of damp gauze over the area. It’s also highly advisable that you eat five or six meals a day. Drink two to three glasses of water every hour, and get plenty of rest. Placing ice over your cheeks for half an hour helps. Just remove it for another half an hour and put the ice again. Continue doing this for the entire day. You may place petroleum jelly on your lips if they start to dry. Gently brush your teeth with warm water. Avoid using toothpaste. Rinse your mouth with a warm salt solution, but do not spit. Just allow the rinse to drip out of your mouth. Then wipe off your lips. It’s not unusual for the incision site to remain swollen on the second day. It’s also likely that you will experience mild to moderate pain. During this time, you may start a soft food diet. Continue drinking lots of fluids and practicing oral care similar to the first day. Take your medications as prescribed by your doctor and try avoiding vigorous activities.
Days 3 to 6. You may advance your diet depending on what you can tolerate. You can also start brushing your teeth with toothpaste. The use of dental floss and over-the-counter mouth rinse may also be all right during this period. You have to keep on avoiding any vigorous rinsing or spitting, though.
Day 7. Likely, swelling may still be present. But it should be significantly reduced. It usually takes about a couple of weeks for the swelling to be gone entirely. You can go back to your regular diet and daily activity as tolerated.
Are you experiencing severe pain? Have you been vomiting or feeling nauseous? Do you have a persistent fever? If so, call Implant Dentistry Periodontics & Facial Rejuvenation now in Tampa or Wesley Chapel, Florida, for immediate dental care.
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