Home Care Instructions After Endodontic Surgery

You can help maximize healing potential by following these suggestions:

  1. After leaving this office, rest and avoid strenuous activities for the remainder of the day.
  2. It is advisable to have your prescription(s) filled on the way home, so that medication will be available as directed and as needed.
  3. Help reduce discomfort, swelling and discoloration with cold packs on the outside of your face over the operated area; applying for 20 minutes, then removing for 20 minutes, at intervals, for the first 8 hours on the day of surgery.
  4. Avoid lifting or unnecessarily exercising your lip. It is possible to accidentally tear the sutures, open the incision, and delay healing.
  5. Eat only soups, milkshakes/smoothies (spoon only-no straws), or soft foods only for the first 24 hours, and drink plenty of fluids.
  6. Neither rinse nor spit nor brush your teeth until the day following surgery. At that time begin gentle brushing of the teeth only, avoiding the gums.  Also, use warm salty water rinses (1/2 tsp/ 1 cup) gently held in the mouth for a few minutes.  Avoid excessive “swishing”.
  7. On the second day following surgery, discontinue the warm salty water rinses. Begin gently rinsing for 30 seconds after breakfast and at bedtime with a capful of the chlorhexidine gluconate rinse prescribed by our office.  Continue rinsing in this manner until your suture removal appointment.
  8. Return to our office for suture removal and healing evaluation as directed.

What to expect following surgery:

  1. Some discomfort, swelling, and discoloration is expected for 3-5 days following surgery.
  2. A small amount of bleeding from the operated site may persist for 1-2 days.
  3. There may be a temporary loss of feeling in the operated area.
  4. The operated tooth may feel loose until the surrounding tissues tighten.

Please contact our office at (770) 924-0423 if you experience severe uncontrollable pain, uncontrollable bleeding, a markedly elevated temperature, or excessive swelling that begins a few days after the surgery.