The most common dental treatment in the US is likely a filling. That’s because cavities are common. However, there are other things that can go wrong with your dental health. Sometimes, you need oral surgery to remove a tooth that cannot be saved, place a dental implant, and more.
Call Beaumont Family Dentistry today at 859-223-2120 to schedule your next appointment. Surgery is avoided whenever possible, but it might be the best way left to keep your smile healthy and strong. Although these procedures are routine for our highly trained dentists, there will be some downtime afterwards. That’s why you need these tips to help your oral surgery recovery go easier for you.
Prepare At Home First
Here is a short list of some preparations you can do at home before visiting one of our three Kentucky dentist offices.
- Read your instructions and call if anything needs clarifying: You should receive a list of instructions for either before or after your surgery. In fact, here’s a PDF list of post-operative instructions that many people get. To help your oral surgery recovery time to go more smoothly, make sure you read these a few days ahead of time. Then call us at 859-223-2120 if you have any questions. You really don’t want any confusion the night before your procedure.
- Line up some media so you’re not bored while resting: After you get home, you’ll need some time off to rest and recuperate. That can be boring, and that leads to eating when you really should be resting your mouth. Beforehand, get some books, games, or shows ready to enjoy while you heal.
- Get soft, bland foods to eat without too much discomfort: Speaking of eating, you will still need to eat regardless of your oral surgery. But some foods are too spicy, chewy, or hard to eat comfortably. You could even reopen that surgery site! What can you do? Go to the store and buy foods that are bland and easy to eat like yogurt, mashed potatoes, and smoothies. Just don’t use a straw, as the pressure can pop any stiches.
- Make sure your freezer has some ice packs in it: Pain relievers will be your friend after your procedure, but sometimes that treatment doesn’t help with swelling. To help reduce that and any discomfort, use ice packs on the outside of your jaw. Since these are useless if not frozen, check to see you have some in your freezer already.
- Skip jewelry and uncomfortable clothes: When planning your day of the procedure, make sure you lay out some comfortable clothes to wear. You may be in the dentist’s chair for a while during oral surgery, so you need to feel comfortable. In addition, don’t bother with necklaces, earrings, or facial piercings. These can just catch on your dentist’s arm while he’s conducting the procedure.
Why It Might Be Needed
Again, our dentists are trained to help treat problems without needing surgery. However, there are some cases where oral surgery would be needed.
- Tooth extractions to remove a tooth too damaged to stay.
- Dental implants for a long-lasting way to replace a lost tooth.
- Bone grafts to add bone tissue to your jaw so it’s stronger and healthier.
Contact Beaumont Family Dentistry today at 859-223-2120 or online to request an appointment at one of our three locations!