Utah Valley Periodontics & Dental Implants  ·  1375 East 800 North, Suite 104, Orem, UT 84097  ·  801.221.7799

Surgery instructions

Before & after your surgery

If something does not feel right, call us. That is the whole of the advice — everything below is detail.

Before your appointment

• Bring a list of your medications. Some, including blood thinners, diabetes medications, GLP-1 weight-loss medications and calcium channel-blockers such as Cardizem, Procardia and Verapamil, affect surgery and healing.
• Tell us about medical conditions, particularly diabetes — diabetic patients are prone to more infections and need particular care.
• Tell us if you are anxious. Sedation is available, and saying so changes how we plan your appointment.
• If you smoke, know that smokers heal more slowly, have more infections and experience more implant complications. Stopping before surgery helps.
• Eat a normal meal beforehand unless we have told you otherwise, and take your usual morning medications with a sip of water. If you are being sedated, follow the fasting time we give you and arrange for an adult to drive you home and stay with you afterwards.
• Wear comfortable clothing with short or loose sleeves, and fill any prescriptions we sent ahead so they are waiting at home.

The first 24 hours

• Bleeding. Some oozing is normal for the first day. Bite firmly on the gauze we give you for 30–45 minutes at a time and replace it if it soaks through. Do not spit, rinse vigorously or drink through a straw — that dislodges the clot.
• Swelling. Hold an ice pack against your face over the surgical site for 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, for the first day. Swelling usually peaks two to three days after surgery and then settles. Sleep with your head raised on an extra pillow.
• Pain. Take the medication we prescribed, or the over-the-counter medication we recommended, before the numbness wears off, and keep to the schedule for the first day rather than waiting for pain to build. Do not exceed the dose on the label, and do not drink alcohol with pain medication or sedation.
• Eating and drinking. Cool, soft food and plenty of fluids. Nothing hot, crunchy, spicy or chewy, and nothing on the surgical side. Avoid straws and alcohol.
• Cleaning. No rinsing or brushing of the surgical site on the first day. Brush your other teeth as usual, gently.
• Activity. Rest. No exercise, heavy lifting or bending, and no smoking or vaping — smoking is the single biggest cause of poor healing and implant failure.

The first week

• Diet. Stay soft for the first week and return to normal food as comfort allows. Keep chewing away from the surgical site until we tell you it is healed.
• Rinsing. From the day after surgery, rinse gently with warm salt water (half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of water) after meals. If we prescribed a chlorhexidine rinse, use it exactly as directed, twice a day.
• Hygiene. Keep brushing and flossing the rest of your mouth normally. Leave the surgical site, any dressing and any stitches alone until your follow-up.
• Stitches and dressing. Most stitches we place dissolve on their own; if yours need removing we will do it at your follow-up. If a dressing comes away early and the area is comfortable, that is usually fine — call us if it is not.
• Bruising and stiffness. Bruising on the cheek or neck and some jaw stiffness are common and fade over one to two weeks.
• Exercise and follow-up. Light activity after a few days, full exercise once swelling has settled. Keep your follow-up appointment even if you feel fine — that visit is how we confirm the site is healing as planned.

Call us if…

• Bleeding does not slow after an hour of firm pressure on fresh gauze, or restarts heavily.
• Pain gets worse rather than better after the third day, or is not controlled by your medication.
• Swelling is still increasing after three days, spreads to your eye or neck, or you develop a bad taste or discharge.
• You have a fever over 100.4°F (38°C), or chills.
• Numbness in the lip, chin or tongue is still present the day after surgery.
• You cannot open your mouth, swallow comfortably, or keep fluids down; or you react badly to a medication.
• Something simply does not feel right. You will not be wasting anyone's time.

Call 801.221.7799. If you have difficulty breathing, uncontrolled bleeding or rapidly worsening swelling, call 911 or go to an emergency room — do not wait for us to open. These are general instructions; where they differ from what Dr. Bankhead told you about your own surgery, follow his instructions.

What is normal, from patients

Not clinical guidance — just what patients of this practice have written about their own recoveries.

The surgical procedures went absolutely perfectly and I was able to make it back to the office the afternoon of both procedures.

The procedure was easy — I felt no pain during or after. I was back to work the next day.

Everything went smoothly and the recovery process was nothing. I had very little pain and a quick recovery.

Office details

Office

801.221.7799

Monday–Thursday

8am – 5pm

Friday

7am – 3pm

Address

1375 East 800 North, Suite 104
Orem, UT 84097

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