Oral Surgery

Oral Surgery in Wayne, New Jersey

Our Wayne, New Jersey, dental office provides comprehensive dental care. Our practitioners, Drs. Frank DiCicco, Deepa Rupani, Michael Jaffin, Joseph Pantalo and Harry Long are uniquely trained and experienced in oral surgery. Our dentists treat many diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity.

If your require the removal of your wisdom teeth, placement of dental implants, non-surgical or surgical oral biopsies, periodontal surgery, laser tissue recontouring or soft tissue grafts, the dentists and Board Certified Periodontist at Smilepartnerz in Wayne New Jersey have the expertise to care for you.

Our office, located in Wayne, NJ maintains the highest standards of cleanliness and our sterilization techniques exceed required standards. We recognize that surgery is stressful and we will do our utmost to provide a comfortable and relaxing environment for your procedures. In addition, we offer nitrous oxide and conscious sedation. You can watch your favorite show on our flat screen televisions or listen to your favorite music on our iPod or iPad.

You can rest assured knowing that our dentists and hygienists are CPR certified and we have an on-site AED to insure your safety. You will always have access to one of our dentists–even after office hours!

Instructions For After Oral Surgery Procedures

Post-operative care is very important. Unnecessary pain and the complications of infection and swelling can be minimized if the instructions are followed carefully.

Bleeding

A certain amount of bleeding is to be expected following surgery. Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva is not uncommon. Place a gauze pad over the area and bite firmly for one hour. Repeat, if necessary. If bleeding continues, bite on a moistened, squeeze dried tea bag for one hour, repeat as necessary. The tannic acid in the dry tea bag helps to form a clot by contracting bleeding vessels. To minimize further bleeding, do not become excited, sit upright, and avoid exercise. If bleeding does not subside, call for further instructions.

Keep the mouth clean

NO RINSING OR SPITTING OF ANY KIND SHOULD BE PERFORMED UNTIL THE DAY FOLLOWING SURGERY. You can brush your teeth the night of surgery, but rinse gently. The day after surgery you should begin rinsing at least 5-6 times a day, especially after eating, with a cup of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt.

Smoking

If you are a smoker, do not smoke for at least a couple of days after surgery!

Swelling

The swelling that is normally expected is usually proportional to the surgery involved. The swelling will not become apparent until the day following surgery and will not reach its maximum until 2-3 days post-operatively. However, the swelling may be minimized by the immediate use of ice packs. Two baggies filled with ice, or ice packs should be applied to the sides of the face where surgery was performed. The ice packs should be left on continuously while you are awake.

After 24 hours, ice has no beneficial effect. If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days, there is no cause for alarm. This is a normal reaction to surgery. Thirty-six hours following surgery, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face is beneficial in reducing the size of the swelling.

Pain

For moderate pain – Motrin, 200 mg, 2 pills every 4-6 hours or Aleve (Naproxen Sodium), 225mg, 2 pills every 8-12 hours.

For severe pain, take the narcotic prescribed as directed. The narcotic pain medicine will make you groggy and will slow down your reflexes. Do not drive an automobile or work around machinery. Avoid alcoholic beverages. Pain or discomfort following surgery should subside more and more every day. If pain persists, it may require attention and you should call the office.

Diet

Once the numbness wears off do not use straws. Drink from a glass. The sucking motion can cause more bleeding by dislodging the blood clot. You may eat anything soft by chewing away from the surgical sites. Try not to miss a meal. You will feel better, have more strength and less discomfort and heal faster if you continue to eat.

Antibiotics

If you have been placed on antibiotics, take the tablets or liquid as directed. Antibiotics will be given to help prevent infection. Discontinue antibiotic use in the event of a rash or other unfavorable reaction. Call the office if you have any questions.

Other Issues

If numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue occurs there is no cause for alarm. As stated before surgery, this is usually temporary in nature. You should be aware that if your lip or tongue is numb, you could bite it and not feel the sensation.

Slight elevation of body temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon. If the temperature persists, notify the office. Tylenol or ibuprofen should be taken to reduce the fever.

Occasionally, you may feel hard projections in the mouth with their tongue. They are not roots, they are the bony walls which supported the tooth. These projections usually smooth out spontaneously.

Stiffness (trismus) of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is a normal post-operative event that will resolve in time.

A dry socket is when the blood clot dissolves prematurely from the tooth socket. Symptoms of pain at the surgical site and even pain to the ear may occur 2-3 days following surgery. Pain should not increase with time.

Finally

Sutures are placed in the surgical area to minimize post-operative bleeding and to help healing. Sometimes they become dislodged. This is no cause for alarm. Just remove the suture from your mouth and discard it. The sutures will be removed approximately one week after surgery. The removal of sutures requires no anesthesia or needles. It takes only a minute or so, and there is no discomfort associated with this procedure. So there’s really nothing to worry about. Call us today to discuss your questions and concerns about oral surgery with one of our highly trained staff members at Smilepartnerz.