Anaesthesia
The local anaesthetic wears off after two to three hours and you might feel pain. This is easy to repress with the painkillers prescribed by your surgeon. It is best to start with the painkillers before the anaesthesia has fully worn off. Pay close attention to the prescribed dosage and do not exceed. The leaflet informs you of the maximum dosage per day. We advise you not to perform strenuous physical activity during the first few days, as this may increase pain.

Gauze on the wound
If you have a gauze applied to the wound, you can remove it after 30 minutes.

Oral hygiene
For the first 24 hours the following applies: do not rinse. Rinsing will cause the clot that forms in the wound to loosen and bleed again. You should brush your teeth, but pay attention to the area around the wound. After day one you can rinse your mouth several times a day using lukewarm salt water (one teaspoon of salt in half a litre of water). You can also use chlorhexidine 0.2% mouthwash if prescribed.

Food and drink
The first 24 hours after the surgery you should not rinse or spit vigorously, but you should drink. If the anaesthetic has not yet been fully worn off, it is difficult to swallow and there is a risk of burning when drinking hot drinks. That is why you are only allowed to drink and eat hot drinks after the anaesthesia has worn off. Preferably lukewarm foods and drinks.We recommend eating soft food for the first 3 to 5 days after the procedure.

Smoking and alcohol
As long as you have a wound, it is advisable not to smoke. This might delay the healing process. The use of alcohol increases the chance of bleeding.

Swelling
Your cheek or lip may swell as a result of the surgery. This is a normal result of the procedure. You can reduce this swelling by cooling your cheek with an “icepack” (a type of gel in a plastic bag) or a plastic bag filled with ice cubes with a washcloth around it. This is effective when used within two hours after the treatment. The swelling is strongest after three to four days. From that moment the swelling decreases and will eventually disappear completely. Sometimes a blood shed occurs. The cheek will then remain thick and discolour for a longer time, this is not something to worry about and you do not need to contact the surgeon.

Stitches
If the wound is sutured, in most cases the dental surgeon will use dissolvable stitches, that will dissolve within 14 days. In other cases the dental surgeon will inform you about the follow-up procedure.