How to Care For Your Teeth After Dental Surgery

Post-op instructions vary by procedure, so it’s vital to follow your dentist’s or oral surgeon’s care plan. However, it’s a rare person who is fully coherent after surgery with anesthesia.

When it comes to taking care of your teeth after dental surgeries like extractions or root canals, it’s best to plan ahead. This guide will help you prepare for the first few days after your procedure and provide you with an understanding of what’s safe, what to avoid, and how to determine if you’re on the right track for a full-speed recovery.

What to Eat and Drink After Dental Surgery (and What to Avoid)

Does what you eat after dental surgery really matter? If you want the quickest road to recovery with the fewest complications, yes, it does.

Many dentists suggest sticking with a liquid diet for the first few hours after your procedure. While smoothies and cold decaf drinks are on the menu, having plenty of water is essential for staying hydrated and optimizing recovery.

However, you should not drink through a straw if you’ve had a tooth extraction, as that can cause a painful condition called dry socket. Caffeine also increases the risk of developing this side effect.

When you’re ready to transition to solids, aim for a soft diet to minimize irritation of the surgical area. Think: yogurt, soup, mashed potatoes, sugar-free Jello, and sugar-free ice cream! Foods that are easy to swallow without much chewing are a yes. Anything hard, crunchy, sticky, chewy, acidic, and spicy is a no. (Sorry, no popcorn.)

The Best (and Worst) Post-Dental-Surgery Foods

If you’re serious about doing everything you can to speed up your healing, every bite and sip you take matters. Your immune system is on full alert right now, and it needs the proper nutrients to send recovery aids throughout your body.

Surgery temporarily suppresses the immune system. Nutritional deficiencies may slow down wound recovery and increase your vulnerability to germs and infections. The good news is that you can support your body by adding high-protein foods to your diet and avoiding meals that require extra effort to digest.

Here are some examples of excellent post-surgery foods:

• Smoothies with fruit, veggies, and protein powder
• Yogurt (particularly Greek yogurt)
• Cottage cheese
• Scrambled eggs
• Lean meat or fish (not chewy)
• Avocado
• Tofu

On the list of things to avoid, be sure to include anything with sugar, as this can attract more bacteria to the surgical site. Carbonated beverages, even the go-to ginger ale fix, are a no for 3-7 days because the bubbles from carbonation can dislodge the newly formed blood clot. Drinking alcohol and using tobacco while your wound is healing can delay recovery and increase infection risk.

When in doubt, stick with soft, bland meals and water for at least 3-5 days after your procedure.

Brushing and Flossing Instructions

The next step is to address how to care for your oral health before and after your surgery. Let’s look at the first 72 hours and what you should know about how to keep your mouth clean:

• Day Of - You may have programmed yourself to brush automatically without even thinking about it, but wait! On the day of surgery, don’t brush or floss unless your dentist tells you to. You don’t want to disturb the site before surgery. (This is the only time we’ll tell you to not brush your teeth!)
• Day After - After 24 hours, brush with a soft-bristle toothbrush, twice a day, gently, avoiding the surgical area. Don’t brush around this area for at least one week, or after your post-op checkup. Floss daily, avoiding the surgical area. Stop if you notice bleeding or pain.
• 48-72 Hours Later - During the first 48-72 hours post-surgery, it’s okay to use a mild toothpaste and soft toothbrush to clean around the surgical site. Clean your other teeth as usual, but be careful to avoid the recovering area.

If your mouth feels like it could use a little extra love to clean it up after the first 24 hours, use a warm salt water rinse between brushings. Mix ½ tsp of salt into 8 oz of warm water, then gently swish with a mouthful. Avoid vigorous swishing or spitting to keep the clotting safe.

Note: It’s important not to use any harsh mouthwashes (especially alcohol-based) or electric toothbrushes near the surgical site for at least a week. Use a prescription mouth rinse as directed if your dentist gave it to you.

Managing Swelling and Pain

How do you know if you’re on the right path to healing? It’s easy to stress when you wake up over the next couple of days and your face looks puffy and swollen. Is that normal? When should you worry during your post-operative care?

Swelling tends to worsen before it gets better. The first 48-72 hours are often the worst, and that’s also when you’re on high alert and concerned about complications. If you notice swelling, stiffness, and bruising, these are common side effects.

The Role of Pain Medication

Your dentist probably prescribed medication or suggested over-the-counter medicine, like ibuprofen, Advil, or Tylenol. This isn’t just to help you feel better.

It gives your body an extra defense to begin the recovery process without your muscles tensed and your stress hormones working overtime. When you’re not in severe pain, you can rest easier and heal faster.

Since it's much harder to manage pain once it kicks in, start your medicine before the anesthesia wears off to keep discomfort at a manageable level. Follow the dentist’s instructions. You may want to try to be a hero and push through the pain, but you’ll recover faster if your body can rest.

Ice or Heat?

The last question: ice or heat? Both have a role in recovery, but how you use them matters.

Ice is only for the first 24 hours. Place a cold compress on your cheek with a layer of cloth between it and the area of surgery. The general timing is 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.

After the first day, moist heat can be used for 2 to 10 days to reduce discomfort and soothe sore muscles. Application is 15-20 minutes on the painful area each hour.

Signs of Infection to Watch For

While pain is often the sign we pay the most attention to, the reality is that warning signs of infection are what we should be looking for. Be on the lookout for any of the following, and don’t ignore them:

• Pain that gets worse after the first few days instead of improving
• Increased or spreading swelling after 48 hours
• White or yellow fluid (pus) leaking from the surgical site
• Red, puffy, or hot gums or soft tissue around the wound
• Bad breath or a “sour” taste in the mouth
• Bleeding after 24 hours
• Fever, chills, and fatigue
• Swollen glands under the jaw or in the neck
• Trouble chewing, swallowing, or talking
• Numbness in the face or jaw

Tips On Wearing Your Night Guard After Surgery

For teeth grinders, the idea of going without a night guard for even one night is unthinkable! But should you wear your oral appliance after surgery?

Your dentist is the best person to ask this question to. But in general, if your night guard fits comfortably, it’s a great barrier between your upper and lower teeth. As long as it’s clean and free from bacteria, it can also protect your surgical site from pressure and force, which is especially helpful when you grind your teeth.

However, if you have a surgical dressing that the night guard interferes with — or it’s just plain uncomfortable to wear it right after surgery — you can sleep without it. You might notice that the after-effects of anesthesia and the buildup of stress from the surgery help you sleep through the night, even without your handy device.

Keep in mind that some oral surgeries, like bone grafts or dentures, can shift your bite and require a new custom-made night guard.

After you’ve healed, if you notice yours isn’t fitting comfortably anymore, head to JS Dental Lab’s online shop for an impression kit sent straight to your mailbox.

When to Call Your Dentist

No one wants to cry wolf and call the dentist if there’s nothing wrong, but how can you tell when a little pain and swelling are normal versus when you should let your doctor know there might be a problem?

One thing to remember is that you are likely not the only patient who has been concerned enough with their symptoms to call the dentist. Never worry about being “that person.” It’s your dentist’s job to ensure you recover safely and without complications.

That said, here are a few times when calling the dentist or taking a trip to the emergency room is a must:

• Extreme pain, swelling, or excessive bleeding
• Any of the above-mentioned signs of infection
• Difficulty swallowing
• Swelling in the neck or jaw
• Numbness or tingling around your mouth and jaw
• Signs of dry socket
• Bad taste or odor in your mouth

These are signals that it’s more important to be cautious than to worry about being wrong. Call your dentist first, but if you can’t reach them, head to the urgent care or emergency room as soon as possible. Oral surgery is typically safe, but everyone recovers differently. Complications are always possible, no matter how careful you are.

Conclusion

From eating soft foods to cleaning the extraction site properly and monitoring for signs of infection, post-surgical care begins with preparation. It continues until the sutures are fully healed and you’ve had a follow-up visit with your dentist.

Once you’re back on track to regular oral hygiene and a normal diet, you may notice your night guard doesn’t fit, especially if your surgery was for a dental implant or wisdom tooth removal.

Now’s the time to head to JS Dental Lab for an affordable, high-quality, custom-made night guard that protects your new bite and keeps your teeth safe from grinding!

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