General FAQ

Nope! In most instances, stitches are placed at the time of surgery simply to assist with initial control of bleeding and clot formation- especially with tooth extraction surgeries. The loss of a stitch is not considered an emergency even if it occurs on the day of surgery. If your surgeon has performed a bone-grafting procedure, however, and the stitches are coming out prematurely, please contact us so we can notify the doctor who will decide on the next course of action.

On the day of surgery, soft foods at cool (but not cold!) temperatures are recommended, such as applesauce, cottage cheese, or yogurt. You’ll want to avoid hot foods as they can disturb initial clot formation in the extraction sites. In the few days after your surgery it’s best to avoid crunchy foods such as popcorn, nuts, and potato chips which break up into little pieces and can get packed down into the extraction sites. If you had dental implants placed, avoid chewing hard foods with the implant itself for six weeks to avoid compromising your healing or the implant itself.

Take your prescribed pain medication as soon as possible after surgery. We recommend that you eat something (soft and cool!) first to help alleviate nausea that could be caused by the pain medication. Take the medication consistently on the prescribed schedule for the first day or two. After the initial few days you can take pain medication as needed in accordance with prescribed directions.

“Dry socket” refers to a condition called alveolar osteiti- a premature breakdown of the blood clot that forms in an extraction site. Smoking, poor oral hygiene, and over-excursion in the days after your procedure can contribute to this condition, but in some cases there is no obvious cause. “Dry socket” typically presents itself 3-5 days after the surgery with increased pain, foul odor and taste, and bad breath. Fortunately, this condition is very easily treatable! What we’ll do is wash out the socket and place a medical dressing which provides pain relief usually within an hour after placement. These medicated dressings are typically replaced every 2-3 days in our office until the condition subsides (within one to two weeks in most cases). If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with “dry socket,” the best solution is to call our office when you start experiencing the symptoms so we can arrange to have you seen as soon as possible (preferably that same day) for treatment.

Most of the time numbness of the lip, tongue, gums, teeth etc. is a common occurrence after lower jaw surgery. Irritation of the nerves is the culprit and in 90% of cases the numbness will revolve itself within a few days. Occasionally, it may take longer to resolve but, fortunately, it is just a sensation and does not cause muscle weakness. If numbness continues for more than a few days, please let us know so we can evaluate and make any recommendations that might be needed.