In some cases, if your teeth have been impacted by an accident, have not grown correctly, or other problems have not been fixed in time, you may require minor oral surgery in order to correct the problem. Once your Santa Monica dentist has performed the surgery, you may experience swelling, bleeding, and some aching in the mouth area. Before you go home following your surgery, you will want to speak to your Santa Monica dentist to ensure that you understand the treatment and the procedures you should follow at home so that you recover as quickly and as fully as possible.
After any sort of oral surgery, it is important that you keep an eye out for any dangerous symptoms. The following symptoms can indicate a complication and if you experience any of these, you should contact your doctor or surgeon immediately:
- Four or more hours after your surgery, you’re still bleeding profusely.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- A day or more after your surgery, your pain has not subsided even a little bit.
- Fever.
- Swelling continues to get worse or does not heal two days or more after surgery.
If at any point you have any questions or you’re concerned about the way you are healing, be sure to contact your doctor or you surgeon right away. Your Santa Monica surgeon is there to help.
During surgery, you will be given a local anesthetic so that the surgeon can perform the procedure. Depending on how much anesthetic and the type of anesthetic you’ve been given, your mouth may stay numb for several hours or just a few hours. While your mouth is numb, take care not to bite your tongue, lip, or cheeks. After the freezing leaves, you may find this very painful.
What’s the anesthetic wears off, and once the numbness goes way, it is normal to have some pain. The first 24 to 40 hours after oral surgery you will experience the most intense pain. You may continue to experience some discomfort and aching right in the surgery site up to five days after the surgery. How much pain you are in will depend on how healthy you are and the type of surgery you’ve had. Depending on how active you are, you may experience more or less discomfort. If you move around a great deal, you may find that you are in more pain, which is why additional rest after your surgery might be a good idea.
One thing you can do to ensure that to you heal properly after oral surgery is to choose your dental professionals carefully. Qualified, experienced dental professionals can ensure that you get the right treatment and that that treatment is performed correctly. A good professional also takes the time to explain the procedure and its aftermath to you, so that you can be fully prepared. If you need a good dentist to treat a current condition or to offer you a checkup, contact West LA Dental today.