Surgical & Post-Operative Instructions

Everything you need before surgery and while you heal, on one page. If anything doesn't feel right at any stage, call us; we'd always rather hear from you.

Surgical chair and equipment in a treatment room at Hunter OMS

Worried about anything?

If bleeding won't settle or pain is increasing after day three, call the rooms and we'll guide you.

(02) 4962 4343

Before your surgery

Fasting

For IV sedation or general anaesthesia, do not consume any food or drink, including water, for a minimum of six hours prior to your appointment.

Transport

A responsible adult must bring you to your procedure and take you home. Do not drive or operate machinery for 24 hours after sedation or anaesthesia.

On the day

Wear comfortable clothing with low-heeled shoes; contact lenses, jewellery and dentures are removed before surgery. Continue your regular medications unless instructed otherwise, and note that some antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill; check with your pharmacist.

After your surgery

These are the same instructions as the printed handout we give you on the day. Select your procedure below.

Surgical removal of teeth

Wisdom teeth and other surgical extractions, including impacted teeth removed in rooms or in hospital.

Immediately after surgery

There will be gauze in your mouth, remove after 30 minutes.
If bleeding continues at home, replace the gauze and bite firmly for 30 minutes. Avoid spitting.
Numbness in the lips, tongue, and palate is common and should resolve in 24 hours. Take care not to bite them.
Follow a soft diet for the first 48 hours, then gradually return to normal foods. Please avoid hot drinks and food until the numbness has completely worn off.
If you had upper posterior teeth removed: Avoid nose blowing, using a drinking straw, vigorous exercise and musical wind instruments for the initial two weeks after surgery. If you need to sneeze don't hold it in.

Diet and activity

Limit activities on the surgery day and gradually resume normal activities.
Liquids and soft diet is recommended. Ensure you don't miss meals.
Stay hydrated but avoid using a drinking straw.
Rest well, avoid smoking/vaping and alcohol for at least 2 weeks.

Rinsing

After your procedure do not rinse your mouth for 24hrs.
Start gentle warm saltwater rinses every 4 hours from the day after surgery. Also use Curasept or Savacol mouthwash twice daily (morning and night) for 2 weeks. Continue brushing teeth as normal, avoiding the surgical area.

Irrigation

After your tooth extraction/s there will be a hole in the bone which is lined with gum tissue. The hole will take 8-12 weeks to completely re-model with bone. During this time, it is common for food debris to become lodged in the socket/s.
Start irrigating the socket/s 4-5 days after surgery at least 1-2 times daily with warm saltwater using the plastic syringe provided.
To make the salt water: 1 cup of warm water and 1 pinch of regular salt, mix well, then draw up into syringe.
Guide the tip of the syringe over the socket — do NOT push the tip of the syringe too far into the socket. Gently push the plunger on the syringe to irrigate the socket while leaning over the sink to allow salt water and food debris to expel.

Bleeding

If bleeding is profuse, contact the office on 4962 4343 immediately or go to the nearest hospital.

Swelling

Swelling will peak in 3-4 days and gradually subside.
Use ice packs (20 min on, 40 min off) for the first 48 hours only, longer if needed in order to reduce swelling.

Pain management

Take all medications as directed. Panadol may be taken at any time, and Nurofen may be used according to the packaging instructions unless you have received general anaesthesia or IV sedation, in which case Nurofen should be avoided for the first 24 hours following discharge. Save stronger pain relief for nighttime to help with sleep. If taking Panadeine Forte, do not exceed the daily paracetamol limit. Contact the office if pain is not well controlled.

Infection signs

Watch for worsening swelling, foul taste, fever, or pain not relieved by painkillers, which could indicate infection. Contact the office immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Dry socket

A dry socket can cause severe pain 3-6 days after surgery if the blood clot is dislodged. Smoking/vaping increases the risk. Contact the office if symptoms occur.

Nausea and vomiting

To avoid nausea, don't take medications on an empty stomach and stay hydrated.
If nausea and vomiting develop when you return home, you should take a complete break of 2 to 3 hours of taking no food, drink or pain relief. Then commence sips of water or lemonade. If nausea persists, contact our office.

Facial bruising

Bruising and discoloration around the jaw and neck are normal and should subside within 2 weeks.

Jaw tightness

Mild jaw tightness and limited mouth opening are normal and will improve. You can perform gentle jaw exercises after surgery.

Bone chips

Small bone chips may appear at the surgical site but will extrude naturally. Contact the office if they cause discomfort.

Sutures

Sutures dissolve within 2 weeks. They may loosen as swelling decreases, which is normal.

Minor oral surgery

Smaller procedures carried out in the rooms, such as biopsies, exposures and soft-tissue surgery.

Immediately after surgery

There will be gauze in your mouth, remove after 30 minutes.
If bleeding continues at home, replace the gauze and bite firmly for 30 minutes. Avoid spitting.
Numbness in the lips, tongue, and palate is common and should resolve in 24 hours. Take care not to bite them.
Follow a soft diet for the first 48 hours, then gradually return to normal foods. Please avoid hot drinks and food until the numbness has completely worn off.

Diet and activity

Limit activities on the surgery day and gradually resume normal activities.
Liquids and soft diet is recommended. Ensure you don't miss meals.
Stay hydrated but avoid using a drinking straw.
Rest well, avoid smoking/vaping and alcohol for at least 2 weeks.

Rinsing

After your procedure do not rinse your mouth for 24hrs.
Start gentle warm saltwater rinses every 4 hours from the day after surgery. Also use Curasept or Savacol mouthwash twice daily (morning and night) for 2 weeks. Continue brushing teeth as normal, avoiding the surgical area.

Bleeding

If bleeding is profuse, contact the office on 4962 4343 immediately or go to the nearest hospital.

Swelling

Swelling will peak in 3-4 days and gradually subside.
Use ice packs (20 min on, 40 min off) for the first 48 hours only, longer if needed in order to reduce swelling.

Pain management

Infection signs

Watch for worsening swelling, foul taste, fever, or pain not relieved by painkillers, which could indicate infection. Contact the office immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Nausea and vomiting

To avoid nausea, don't take medications on an empty stomach and stay hydrated.
If nausea and vomiting develop when you return home, you should take a complete break of 2 to 3 hours of taking no food, drink or pain relief. Then commence sips of water or lemonade. If nausea persists, contact our office.

Sutures

Sutures dissolve within 2 weeks. They may loosen as swelling decreases, which is normal.
If the surgical area has been cauterised (heat-treated), avoid disturbing it for the first 24-48 hours to support soft tissue healing.

Implants, bone grafts & sinus lifts

Dental implant placement, bone grafting and sinus lift procedures.

Immediately after surgery

There will be gauze in your mouth, remove after 30 minutes.
If bleeding continues at home, replace the gauze and bite firmly for 30 minutes. Avoid spitting.
Numbness in the lips, tongue, and palate is common and should resolve in 24 hours. Take care not to bite them.
Follow a soft diet for the first 48 hours, then gradually return to normal foods. Please avoid hot drinks and food until the numbness has completely worn off.
Avoid nose blowing, using a drinking straw, strenuous activity, and wind instruments for 2 weeks. If you need to sneeze, don't hold it in. If prescribed, use nasal spray (such as Drixine or Otrivin) for the first three days only and follow the pharmacist's instructions carefully.

Diet and activity

Limit activities on the surgery day and gradually resume normal activities.
Liquids and soft diet is recommended. Ensure you don't miss meals.
Stay hydrated but avoid using a straw.
Rest well, avoid smoking/vaping and alcohol for at least 2 weeks.

Rinsing

After your procedure do not rinse your mouth for 24hrs.
Start gentle warm saltwater rinses every 4 hours from the day after surgery for the first week only. Then continue with Curasept or Savacol mouthwash twice daily (morning and night) for the following 2 weeks. Continue brushing teeth as normal, avoiding the surgical area.

Bleeding

If bleeding is profuse, contact the office on 4962 4343 immediately or go to the nearest hospital.
Mild nose bleeding is normal.

Swelling

Swelling will peak in 3-4 days and gradually subside.
Use ice packs (20 min on, 40 min off) for the first 48 hours only, longer if needed in order to reduce swelling.

Pain management

Infection signs

Watch for worsening swelling, foul taste, fever, or pain not relieved by painkillers, which could indicate infection. Contact the office immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Dry socket

A dry socket can cause severe pain 3-6 days after surgery if the blood clot is dislodged. Smoking/vaping increases the risk. Contact the office if symptoms occur.

Nausea and vomiting

To avoid nausea, don't take medications on an empty stomach and stay hydrated.
If nausea and vomiting develop when you return home, you should take a complete break of 2 to 3 hours of taking no food, drink or pain relief. Then commence sips of water or lemonade. If nausea persists, contact our office.

Facial bruising

Bruising and discoloration around the jaw and neck are normal and should subside within 2 weeks.

Jaw tightness

Mild jaw tightness and limited mouth opening are normal and will improve. You can perform gentle jaw exercises after surgery.

Bone chips

Small bone chips may appear at the surgical site but will extrude naturally. Contact the office if they cause discomfort.

Sutures

Sutures dissolve within 2 weeks. They may loosen as swelling decreases, which is normal.

Orthognathic surgery

Corrective jaw surgery, performed in hospital.

Jaw tightness & limited mouth opening

Upon waking in recovery, you may not be able to open your mouth widely due to elastics guiding your bite. Please wait for instructions from your surgeon. Jaw tightness is expected after surgery and will improve with time.

Numbness & facial weakness

Temporary numbness and weakness in your ears, lips, cheeks, tongue, and palate is normal from the local anaesthetic. This should improve within 24 hours.
Please avoid hot drinks and food until the numbness has completely subsided.
Numbness or weakness may be present following surgery, the surgeon will assess this at your post-operative appointment.

Swelling

Swelling is common and will reach its peak in 3-4 days, then gradually reduce over 2-4 weeks.
Apply ice packs to the face 20 minutes on, 40 minutes off during the first 48 hours, or longer if needed to reduce swelling.

Pain management

Take all medications as directed. Panadol and Nurofen may be used according to the packaging instructions unless you have received general anaesthesia or IV sedation, in which case Nurofen should be avoided for the first 24 hours following discharge. Save stronger pain relief for night-time to help with sleep. If taking Panadeine Forte, do not exceed the daily paracetamol limit. Contact the office if pain is not well controlled.

Nasal bleeding

Avoid nose blowing, using a drinking straw, strenuous activity, and wind instruments for 2 weeks. If you need to sneeze, don't hold it in. If prescribed, use nasal spray (such as Drixine or Otrivin) for the first three days only and follow the pharmacist's instructions carefully.

Bleeding

Slight bleeding from the facial wounds and ears is normal.
If bleeding is profuse, contact the office on 4962 4343 immediately or go to the nearest hospital.

Diet

Eat soft foods that don't require chewing and can be mushed with your tongue, e.g. soups, porridge, soft pasta, fish etc. Ensure you don't miss meals.
Avoid excessive jaw movements and chewing gum.

Activity & rest

Rest on the day of surgery and gradually resume normal activities. Avoid strenuous activity that will raise your heart rate above 120 beats per minute and lifting more than 10kg for 2 weeks post-surgery.
Reduced food intake may cause dizziness or weakness, so take care.
Avoid smoking/vaping and alcohol for at least 2 weeks.

Infection signs

Watch for worsening swelling, foul taste, fever, or pain not relieved by painkillers, which could indicate infection. Contact the office immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Nausea and vomiting

To avoid nausea, don't take medications on an empty stomach and stay hydrated.
If nausea and vomiting develop when you return home, you should take a complete break of 2 to 3 hours of taking no food, drink or pain relief. Then commence sips of water or lemonade. If nausea persists, contact our office.

Bruising

Bruising and discoloration around the jaw and neck are normal and should subside within 2 weeks.

Dressings & wound care (external)

Keep all incision sites dry for 48 hours and dressings intact for 5 days. If showering, try to avoid the area or cover with a waterproof dressing. If site gets wet, gently pat area dry using a clean towel.
Apply Chlorsig (Chloromycetin) ointment twice daily to the external stitches until they are removed.

Sutures (stitches)

Internal sutures dissolve naturally within 2 weeks.
External sutures will need to be removed 5-7 days post-surgery or as instructed by your surgeon.

TMJ surgery

Jaw joint surgery, including arthroscopy and open joint procedures. The jaw exercise programme below is part of your recovery.

Dressings & wound care

Keep all incision sites dry for 48 hours and dressings intact for 5 days. If showering, try to avoid the area or cover with a waterproof dressing. If site gets wet, gently pat area dry using a clean towel.
Apply Chlorsig (Chloromycetin) ointment twice daily to the stitches until they are removed.

Numbness & facial weakness

Temporary numbness and weakness in your ears, lips, cheeks, tongue, and palate is normal from the local anaesthetic.
This should improve within 24 hours.
If numbness or weakness is still present the surgeon will assess at your post operative appointment.

Swelling

Swelling is common and will reach its peak in 3-4 days, then gradually reduce over 2-4 weeks.
Apply ice packs to the face 20 minutes on, 40 minutes off during the first 48 hours only, and longer if needed in order to reduce swelling.
If swelling persists after a week, it could indicate an infection.

Pain management

Ear symptoms

Minor bleeding and reduced hearing are expected due to the ear cleaning part of the procedure. These should improve in the first week.

Diet

Eat soft foods that don't require chewing and can be mushed with your tongue, e.g. soups, porridge, soft pasta, fish etc. Ensure you don't miss meals.
Please avoid hot drinks and food until the numbness has completely worn off.
Avoid excessive jaw movements and chewing gum.

Activity & rest

Rest on the day of surgery and gradually resume normal activities. Avoid strenuous activity that will raise your heart rate above 120 beats per minute and lifting more than 10kg for 2 weeks post-surgery.
Reduced food intake may cause dizziness or weakness, so take care.
Avoid smoking/vaping and alcohol for at least 2 weeks.

Bleeding

Slight bleeding from the facial wounds and ears is normal.
If bleeding is profuse, contact the office on 4962 4343 immediately or go to the nearest hospital.

Infection signs

Watch for worsening swelling, foul taste, fever, or pain not relieved by painkillers, which could indicate infection. Contact the office immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Nausea and vomiting

To avoid nausea, don't take medications on an empty stomach and stay hydrated.
If nausea and vomiting develop when you return home, you should take a complete break of 2 to 3 hours of taking no food, drink or pain relief. Then commence sips of water or lemonade. If nausea persists, contact our office.

Bruising

Bruising and discoloration around the jaw and neck are normal and should subside within 2 weeks.

Jaw tightness & limited mouth opening

Jaw tightness is expected after surgery and will improve with time.
Perform gentle jaw exercises after 2 weeks or as instructed by your surgeon.

Sutures (stitches)

Internal sutures dissolve naturally within 2 weeks.
External sutures will need to be removed 5-7 days post-surgery or as instructed by your surgeon.

Occlusal appliance

Wear your occlusal appliance at night if comfortable.

Jaw exercises

Limited ROM exercise set — start day 2 post surgery

Limited ROM exercises consist of four movements that are to be done ONLY 4 times a day. Each of the four movements should be repeated 20 times for a total of 80 movements per set. Each set of four movements should take about 4 minutes. Use a mirror at least to start to help assist you in properly performing the exercises.
Take tongue and roll it back as far as you can while touching the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Open your mouth as wide as you can without removing your tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Move jaw to one side until teeth are edge-to-edge (cusps tips on upper jaw are meeting cusp tips on lower jaw). The upper and lower teeth should line up.
Do the same on the opposite side.
Slide lower jaw forward until the front teeth are edge-to-edge.
Rest for 1 min after each set. ONLY 4 sets should be done each day. At the conclusion of each of your 4 daily sets, use ice packs over the joints for 15 minutes to allow the tissue and muscles to recover.
The goal by the end of 2 weeks is to be able to open mouth wide enough to fit 2 finger breadths between your teeth.

Full ROM exercise set — start day 7 post surgery

There are only two movements in this set, but it is an advanced set of movements that pushes your muscles to their limit. Without full range of motion, the likelihood of adhesions (scar bands in the joint), limited opening and pain increase significantly. There will be some discomfort in performing these exercises, but do not allow this to be the limiting factor in pushing yourself. Taking ibuprofen 1 hour before your exercises will help.
Jaw stretch — place thumb on edge of top front teeth and first finger on edges of bottom front teeth. Pry open your mouth to maximal opening until you are pushing with significant force with your fingers. Hold for a minimum 30 seconds, 4 times a day.
Painting of the teeth — take the tip of your tongue and touch the outside surface of the furthest back tooth on the upper left side. Paint the outside surfaces of all your upper teeth from the left side to the right side staying on the cheek side of the teeth as much as possible.
Rest for 1 min after each set. ONLY 4 sets should be done each day. At the conclusion of each of your 4 daily sets, use an ice pack for 15 minutes to allow the tissue and muscles to recover.
These advanced movements allow the most success in the shortest amount of time if done correctly and diligently. Once again, ONLY do 4 sets of 20 repetitions for each movement.

Orbital & mid-face fractures

Repair of fractures around the eye socket and mid-face.

Immediately after surgery

Keep your head dry and the dressings intact for 5 days.
Expect blurry vision due to eye ointment, which will improve in 24 hours with prescribed eye drops.
Avoid blowing your nose for 2 weeks, nasal discharge and mild bleeding are normal.
Numbness in the face, lips, and palate will subside within 24 hours but may persist for 3-6 months.

Diet and activity

Maintain a normal diet unless advised otherwise. Ensure you don't miss meals. Please avoid hot drinks and food until the numbness has completely worn off.
Limit activity on the day of surgery and gradually return to regular activities. Avoid strenuous activity that will raise your heart rate above 120 beats per minute and lifting more than 10kg for 2 weeks post-surgery.
Rest and avoid smoking/vaping or alcohol for at least 2 weeks.

Bleeding

Mild oozing from eyes, nose, and facial wounds is normal in the first few days. If bleeding is profuse, contact the office or go to the nearest hospital.

Swelling

Swelling is normal, peaking at 3-4 days. Persistent swelling may signal infection and should be reported.
Use ice packs (20 min on, 40 min off) for the first 48 hours only, longer if needed in order to reduce swelling.

Pain management

Infection signs

Watch for worsening swelling, foul taste, fever, or pain not relieved by painkillers, which could indicate infection. Contact the office immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Nausea and vomiting

To avoid nausea, don't take medications on an empty stomach and stay hydrated.
If nausea and vomiting develop when you return home, you should take a complete break of 2 to 3 hours of taking no food, drink or pain relief. Then commence sips of water or lemonade. If nausea persists, contact our office.

Facial bruising

Bruising around the eyes, jaws, and neck is normal and will subside within 2 weeks.

Sutures (stitches)

Internal sutures dissolve naturally within 2 weeks.
External sutures will need to be removed 5-7 days post-surgery or as instructed by your surgeon.

FAQs