1770 Saint James Pl., Ste. 512, Houston, TX 77056
713-622-8607At the practice of JF Lopez DDS, MD, RPh, PA, we are pleased to provide oral and maxillofacial surgery for our patients in Houston, Texas and the surrounding areas, to help you regain healthy oral function and the quality of life you deserve.
One of the ways we do this is by the removal of problematic wisdom teeth that might be causing issues in your smile. Once Dr. Jose Lopez has removed your wisdom teeth, you will want to take your recovery time to ensure a healthy recovery. Today’s blog will be reviewing the aftercare you will want to employ for a comfortable recovery with the following tips.
First, you will want to stop the bleeding and reduce any accompanying swelling. We recommend covering your surgical site with a sterile gauze pad and biting down for 45 minutes. When the pad is full, you will want to remove it and replace it with a clean pad.
To keep the swelling down, you can ice your cheek from the outside. You can simply use a bag of frozen vegetables or an ice pack, whichever is easiest for you. We recommend icing the area for 15 minutes at a time. So, placing ice on the cheek for 15 minutes, and then removing it for another 15 minutes. Repeat as necessary until your swelling has gone down.
Next, to stay on top of any discomfort, please take the medications Dr. Jose Lopez prescribed following your wisdom teeth removal. Be sure to follow the recommendations on the medication. If you were not prescribed medication, you may take painkillers over-the-counter to make yourself more comfortable.
And finally, you will want to maintain a soft-foods diet until the surgical area has healed. You can enjoy yogurt, mashed potatoes, cooked, soft vegetables, warm (not hot) soups, and smoothies. This will help avoid complications while the site heals.
If you would like more information, tips, or details about recovering after wisdom tooth surgery in Houston, Texas, please don’t hesitate to give our team at the practice of JF Lopez, DDS, MD, RPh, PA a call at 713-622-8607. We look forward to helping you achieve a healthy smile!