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  • Please buy items prior to surgery at the chemist:

     Chlorhexidine mouthwash (eg. Curasept or Savocol)

     Child-size Oral-B toothbrush

     Gel ice-packs

    DO NOT:

    ✗ Rinse mouth

    ✗ Smoke or drink alcohol for at least 1 week

    ✗ Drive or operate heavy machinery for 24 hours

    ✗ Spit, suck lollies or drink through a straw

    DO:

    ✓ Rest at home after surgery and keep your head

    elevated on 2 pillows.

    ✓ Remove gauze in your mouth when you get home.

    ✓ Use ice-packs to reduce swelling, apply externally

    where you have had surgery for 2 days. Alternate

    20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Using ice-packs for

    more than 2 days will help with comfort but is

    unlikely to minimise swelling.

    ✓ Go to the chemist on your way home to fill out the

    script and take the medications once you return

    home as ordered.

    ✓ Drink lots of fluids and eat soft foods eg. pasta and

    puréed food, avoiding anything hard. Small,

    frequent meals are best.

  • ✓ Rinse your mouth 4-5 times/day with either a

    quarter teaspoon of table salt in glass of warm

    water or the Chlorhexidine mouthwash.

    ✓ Brush your teeth and gums with toothpaste and

    a child-size toothbrush.

    ✓ Perform jaw exercises 2-3 days after surgery to

    prevent the jaw becoming ‘locked’ which results

    from muscle spasm and prevent a stiff and sore jaw.

    Gently open your mouth as wide as possible, hold

    your jaw in this open position for 3 seconds and

    release. Continue these exercises for 1 week.

    ✓ Continue to eat soft foods, nutritious diet for the first

    5-7 days. It is important to have plenty of fluids

    during this time.

  • BLEEDING

    Bite on a gauze pad firmly for 30-60 minutes as per diagram below. Blood and saliva mix in the mouth and make it appear as though there is more bleeding than there really is. Some oozing is normal and this could continue for 24 hours after surgery. However, if the oozing is profuse, apply a clean gauze directly over the wound and close your mouth maintaining firm pressure for 30 minutes. If the bleeding cannot be stopped by this method, please contact your surgical team on the phone numbers provided on the back of this information booklet.

    PAIN

    Moderate pain can be expected following most oral surgical procedures. The pain medication prescribed will control pain for most patients when taken as directed. If you feel your pain is not adequately controlled, please call your surgical team on the numbers provided on the back of this information booklet.