Oral surgery almost always results in swelling. The swelling, which is a natural body’s response to trauma, can last from 72 hours up to seven days. The exact duration of swelling will depend on the type of surgery you have had and how you care for it. Taking good care of yourself and managing the swelling from home are very important, especially within 48 or 72 hours of surgery. You can apply ice packs, elevate your head, ensure you rest well, and take anti-inflammatory medication as directed.
A skilled dentist will send you home with an actionable guide to help you manage swelling, pain, and discomfort, which is important in promoting your recovery. Some of the recommendations they will make include the following:
Applying an Ice Pack
Although swelling should be expected after oral surgery, it should improve over time as you care for it and progress through your recovery. Your actions within 48 hours of oral surgery will determine how fast and effective your recovery will be. Although you are mostly advised to rest after surgery, your rest should not be passive. You can help your body respond better to surgery by managing pain, swelling, and other issues after the anesthesia wears off. Remember that everything you do once you get home will determine how well you manage your swelling and pain.
The use of ice packs has been around for a very long time as an excellent home remedy to control swelling and pain. Swelling after oral surgery is a part of the healing process, as restorative cells reach the treatment site through the body’s natural response. However, you should control the swelling for your own comfort and to speed up your recovery. An ice pack can help you handle this response within 48 or 72 hours after surgery.
However, you have to follow the right technique when using an ice pack for effective results. Skilled dentists recommend applying an ice pack for 20 minutes straight, then taking a 20-minute break before applying cold therapy to the swelling. The timing is critical because it constricts your blood vessels, which, in turn, reduces fluid retention. The break is also very important, as it protects your skin and allows blood circulation to resume briefly. Both are very important in the healing process.
Therefore, once you get home from the dentist’s office after oral surgery, prepare an ice pack. It can be a bag of frozen water, or frozen peas, or even a cold gel pack. Once it is ready, place it gently on the outer cheek, directly where the surgery was performed. Set a timer and hold the cold pack for 20 minutes straight. After 20 minutes, remove the cold treatment and set your timer for another 20 minutes for the break. You can repeat this application process consistently whenever you are not sleeping, for two or three days after treatment, noting the healing progress.
Elevating Your Head
In addition to applying an ice pack to relieve swelling, dentists believe that gravity can help with your recovery. Gravity helps when you elevate your head almost all the time during the recovery period. It helps drain fluids from the face, reducing swelling. If you keep your head elevated above the heart, you can prevent fluid retention around the treatment area, which is why you experience swelling and tightness after oral surgery.
To achieve this, your dentist will advise you to sit upright or rest on a reclining chair. You can use pillows to prop up your head when sitting or resting. While sleeping, you can use pillows to form an incline on the bed. Resting your head on two pillows is enough to keep your head and upper back elevated for comfort and to control the swelling. People with recliners can sleep in them for at least the first few nights after oral surgery. This will make maintaining the elevation easy.
A few adjustments like these are also important for your comfort after oral surgery. Once your head is elevated, gravity will help naturally drain the fluid from the treatment site and your face, thereby reducing swelling. Additionally, elevation improves blood circulation. It helps blood flow back to your heart easily, reducing pressure on your veins and preventing fluid leakage into surrounding tissues. It improves the function of the lymphatic system, which helps remove toxins, waste products, and excess fluids from tissues.
Once the swelling starts to reduce, you will experience less pressure and pain. The accumulated fluid that causes swelling can lead to pressure, pain, and discomfort. Using some of these techniques to control the swelling also helps manage your pain and discomfort.
Staying Hydrated
Proper hydration will also help manage swelling after oral surgery. It will reduce your body’s tendency to retain fluids, maintain electrolyte balance, and optimize your lymphatic system, all of which help with recovery.
When your body is dehydrated, it tries to hold onto any available water, which can lead to swelling. Drinking enough water during your recovery helps prevent your body from holding onto fluids in survival mode, which can reduce swelling.
Plenty of water also supports the function of the lymphatic system. Remember that this is the body’s system that helps flush out toxins and excess fluids from tissues. You need enough water in your body for the lymphatic system to function properly.
Staying hydrated is also good for your overall health, which is critical to recovery after oral surgery. Water balances electrolytes within your body, but flushes out excess sodium, which hinders recovery and encourages water retention in tissues. Drinking enough water every day ensures that your kidneys dilute and flush out waste products and excess sodium, reducing the pressure that keeps fluids in tissues.
Water also helps with blood circulation. Water is a major component of blood. When fluid levels are low, your blood volume decreases significantly, leading to poor circulation. Staying hydrated improves circulation and the proper flow of excess fluids from tissues to the heart.
Additionally, water helps manage inflammation, which is essential for tissue repair. Your dentist will advise you to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day to aid your recovery. Sip water throughout the day from a cup, not a straw. You can also include water-rich foods in your diet. These are fruits and vegetables with high water content, like watermelon. Also, reduce your sodium intake, as it can encourage water retention in tissues.
Limit Your Activities
Your dentist will advise you to rest and minimize activities during your recovery after oral surgery. Among other benefits, this helps reduce swelling and manage your pain. Generally, physical exertion increases your heart rate and blood pressure, which may force more blood to the treatment site, increasing your risk of inflammation. When you rest and minimize activity, your blood flow becomes smoother. It allows your body to focus more on healing rather than managing the increased blood pressure.
Thus, you will be advised against any strenuous activity, including heavy lifting and physical exercise, to keep your blood pressure in check. Your dentist will also advise against excessive bending, as this could lead to fluid accumulation in your facial tissues.
Strenuous activities during recovery could also dislodge the protective blood clot that forms on the treatment site. The clot protects the treatment suite from further damage and bleeding, aiding effective, quick healing. If the clot becomes dislodged, you will experience bleeding, and your risk of inflammation will increase.
Resting leaves you with enough energy, which is important for natural healing. Your body needs as much energy as possible to repair the treatment site. Thus, reduced physical activity is a sure way to direct your energy toward healing and recovery after surgery.
Therefore, within the first 24 to 48 hours of your surgery, rest as much as possible. Have someone around to help you with some of the things you need to avoid straining your body. Remember that you also need to keep your head elevated most of the time within the first seven days after surgery. This is possible if you dedicate more of your time to rest than to activities.
Use Medication to Manage Inflammation
Swelling after surgery is a natural inflammatory response to surgical trauma that helps protect the treatment site. Naturally, your body increases blood flow to the treatment site to deliver the nutrients needed to repair it. This natural response leads to fluid accumulation at the treatment site, which in turn causes tissues to expand.
Generally, any tissue trauma in the mouth or body triggers a protective inflammatory response. That is why you experience swelling after tooth extraction, jawbone manipulation, or any other treatment that includes an incision. The body responds by increasing blood circulation to deliver healing nutrients and white blood cells to the treatment site. While this is a natural response, you can manage it with anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling, improve comfort, and manage pain.
Your dentist can recommend medication to use within the first 48 or 72 hours after surgery. They will use a proactive strategy, meaning that the medication should be taken even before the swelling or pain becomes unbearable. This reduces the likelihood of excessive swelling, pain, and discomfort after surgery. This means that you should not wait until you experience severe symptoms to start taking anti-inflammatory medication. This could prolong your recovery.
Additionally, follow your dentist's directions when taking anti-inflammatory medication. This means taking the medication as scheduled, even on the days you feel just fine. The consistency helps keep the medication in your system, preventing an inflammatory response from getting out of hand.
Your dentist can give you the medication to take home with you or write you a prescription. Start taking the medication on time, as directed. If you are required to take them after a particular number of hours, set an alarm to ensure you follow the instructions promptly. Remember that consistency will keep the inflammation from worsening.
Gently Keep Your Mouth Clean
Good oral hygiene is important, even after oral surgery, to keep the harmful bacteria in check. However, you have to do it gently to avoid hurting the treatment site, which could worsen your symptoms and prolong your healing. Good oral hygiene helps manage inflammation and prevent infection, both of which are primary causes of post-surgery swelling and pain.
Your dentist will recommend that you carefully clean your mouth within the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. Do not disturb the treatment site to avoid dislodging the protective clot that forms within hours of surgery. You can start with a warm, salty water rinse, gently swishing it around the mouth. Remember that any aggressive action, including swishing, can dislodge the protective clot.
For this, you need to mix a pinch of salt into a cup of water. Take a small sip of the solution and gently allow the solution to flow around the mouth and on the treatment site. Once you finish, let the water flow from your mouth. You can repeat this a few more times, especially after meals and before bedtime. It will remove stuck foods from the mouth and reduce harmful bacteria.
After 2 or 3 days, you can start gently brushing your teeth. Remember to be gentle around the treatment area. Use a soft brush and a little toothpaste for this.
Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me
Are you or someone you love experiencing swelling after oral surgery in Northridge?
Swelling is a body’s natural inflammatory response after tissue trauma. However, it can cause pain and discomfort and prolong your recovery if not properly managed. Fortunately, a skilled dentist can explain how you can manage swelling and other symptoms at home after oral surgery.
Our experienced dentists at Northridge Advanced Dentistry ensure you have all the information you need about post-operative care before and after surgery. This ensures you know what to do once you get home after surgery. We are also available to offer further guidance and help if you experience difficulties or additional problems during the recovery period. Call us at 818-701-3010 for more information.
