Post-Op: Bone Grafting 

Do not disturb the wound. Avoid rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound on the day of surgery. Be as gentle as you can around the bone grafting area. Avoid pressure at the graft site. And please do not smoker. Smokers are reported to have a complication rate of 50%.

Bleeding

• Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills up rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. Change the gauze pad every 30 minutes as needed. If excessive bleeding continues, please call for further instructions. (In general, use as little pressure as is needed.) Remove gauze when it is no longer needed.

Swelling

• Swelling is a normal after surgery. To minimize swelling, apply a cold/ice pack on the cheek over the the area of surgery. Use the ice pack for 48 hours.. Swelling generally reaches a peak in 36-72 hours, and then usually begins to subside.

Diet

• Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid extremely hot liquids or food. Soft food and liquids should be eaten on the day of surgery. Do not chew on the graft site.

Oral Hygiene

• Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing.

Activity

• Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery.

Wearing your Prosthesis

• Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures should not be used immediately after surgery. You may wear these prostheses as soon as it is comfortable, but only if the prosthesis doesn’t touch the graft site.