Patient Resources

Instructions After Oral Surgery

Just had a procedure in your mouth?

Whether it was a tooth pulled, an implant placed, a bone graft, or any mouth surgery, this guide is here to help.
Follow these simple steps to heal well, stay comfortable, and avoid common problems. These tips apply to most minor oral surgeries and will make your recovery smoother.

Bleeding

• A small amount of oozing (fluid coming from the wound) or blood mixed with saliva is normal for 24 hours.
• If gauze was placed, bite firmly on the provided gauze pad for 30 to 45 minutes.
• If the bleeding doesn't stop, replace your gauze with fresh gauze and apply firm, continuous pressure for another 30 to 45 minutes. 
• Do not eat, drink, or sleep with gauze in your mouth. 
• Do not touch or suck the surgical site, rinse, or spit forcefully during the first 24 hours. 
• Call the clinic if bleeding is heavy or continues despite firm pressure.

Swelling & Bruising

• Swelling, bruising, soreness, and mild difficulty opening your mouth can happen. Swelling may increase over the first 48-72 hours (about three days) and then start to get better.
• During the first 24–48 hours, use an ice pack wrapped in a towel for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. 
• After 48 hours, use a warm compress only if your care team tells you to. 
• Call if swelling worsens after day three or difficulty opening becomes severe or progressively worse.

Medications

• Take all prescribed medications (painkillers, antibiotics, mouth rinses) exactly as directed.
• Acetaminophen and ibuprofen may be used as instructed on the bottle or as directed by your doctor. Do not take more than the recommended dose or combine products with the same active ingredient.
• Ask your doctor, surgeon, or pharmacist what is safe if you have allergies, health conditions, take blood thinners or other medicines, or are unsure.

Oral Hygiene

• Avoid brushing the surgical area for 24 hours.
• Brush and floss other teeth gently.
• After 24 hours, gently rinse with warm salt water (½ tsp salt in one cup warm water) two or three times a day and after meals. Let the rinse fall gently from your mouth; do not spit forcefully. 
• Avoid commercial mouthwashes unless prescribed.
• Do not disturb stitches, dressings, drains, or healing tissue.

Eating & Drinking

• Eat soft, cool foods for the first two to three days (e.g., yogurt, cool or lukewarm soup, applesauce, mashed potatoes, eggs).
• Avoid hot, spicy, crunchy, sticky, hard, or difficult-to-chew foods.
• Drink plenty of fluids from a cup. Do not use a straw for at least three days.
• Chew on the opposite side of your mouth if possible.

Avoid These Activities

• Do not smoke or vape. These can delay healing and increase complications, including dry socket after an extraction.
• Avoid tobacco, nicotine, alcohol during early recovery, strenuous activity, and heavy lifting for at least 48 hours.

When to Call Us

Call the clinic if you have:

• Severe or increasing pain after three days
• Pain not controlled by medicine
• Excessive bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure
• Fever above 101°F (38.5°C)
• Pus, worsening drainage, bad taste that doesn't go away, or foul odor
• Swelling that worsens after day three
• Severe or progressively worse trouble opening your mouth
• Prolonged numbness
• Inability to drink
• Vomiting that won't stop
• A displaced dressing, drain, or packing

Contact Information

• Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Call 617.414.4046
• Nights and weekends: Call 617.638.5793 and ask for the oral surgery resident on call

Emergency Help

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately if you have

• Trouble breathing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Rapidly increasing swelling
• Heavy bleeding that cannot be controlled. 

Do not wait for a routine clinic response.

Follow-Up

Attend your scheduled follow-up appointment. Your team may need to check healing, remove sutures, review biopsy or pathology results, evaluate an implant or bone graft, manage a drain, dressing, or packing, or provide further treatment.