Terrific Tips and Recovery Foods Following Oral Surgery

Whether you’re having your wisdom teeth extracted or have decided to move forward with dental implants, thoughts of oral surgery can be filled with anxiety ridden thoughts. The most common concern is possible pain, followed by “what will I eat?” The following tips provided should provide some peace of mind, rapid recovery and optimum healing for the oral surgery patient.

Firstly, if you are having anesthesia, speak with your Doctor about whether or not it is wise to eat prior to surgery. He or she may advise you to not eat prior to surgery and this means that you may find yourself a bit famished a few hours following surgery. But, given what you’ve just been through, steak and potatoes is not the smartest option.  Below you will find a list of foods & terrific tips that will help you coast through the first few days following your surgery.

Some Terrific Tips Include:

• No straw with that-Do not drink through a straw. The suction could dislodge the blood clot and cause a dry socket.
• Take a break from a smoke break-Do not smoke  for the same reason, as smoking will impair blood flow (possibly creating a dry socket) and will compromise healing. Additionally, there is another risk in smoking after tooth extraction; after an extraction, the smoke contacts the body directly without any skin protection, which increases the risk of cancer, especially oral cancer.
• Cancel happy hour-Avoid alcoholic beverages as they could interact with the anesthesia and pain medication. Speaking of pain medication-take it before the pain sets in! It’s easier to prevent pain than to make it go away. And avoid aspirin as it thins the blood.
• Go on a gym diet-Do not exercise for 12-24 hours and take it easy. This is the time for rest, and do so with your head elevated with pillows the first night.
• Rest on rinsing-Although you may be tempted, no rinsing for 24 hours.

You may feel limited with sticking to “soft foods,” but there are a variety of foods that will keep you full and satisfied. In addition to this list, feel free to puree or blend foods that sound good to you. In the days following your surgery, your blender will be your best friend!
 Below is a list of foods that should keep your taste buds happy:

• yogurt
• ice cream
• pudding
• jello
• whipped potatoes
• soups (lukewarm)
• hummus
• eggs
• avocado

Keep in mind to avoid too much dairy, as dairy products are mucous producing and may impair the healing process. You should also avoid spicy foods as they, too can cause dry socket.

Lastly, take a multi vitamin as you may be lacking in nutrition based on your limited diet following surgery.

Dr. Vaughan is a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. His vast knowledge enables him to perform  minimally invasive oral surgery so patients have less swelling, less pain, and shorter post-surgical downtime.

Happy Holidays From All of Us at Dr. Stephen Vaughan's Office!

Check Your Benefits Before You Ring In The New Year!

Many patients do not realize insurance benefits for each year cannot be carried over to the next year.

It is true that some dental insurance plans run on a fiscal year, however, more often plans run on a calendar year. What does that mean to you??? Well, no one likes the word lose, especially when it comes to finances or benefits. But with dental plans that run on a calendar year that is exactly what happens. If you don't use your dental benefits, you will actually lose them.

Secondly, you are paying your monthly dental insurance premium each month, so it makes sense to get your money's worth out of them. Don't skip cleanings as they are excellent opportunities to stop small dental problems in their tracks.

In the end you may be wondering if paying for dental insurance is even worth it? After all the cost of a dental exam and cleaning is not huge. But that's not exactly what you're paying for. What you're paying for is peace of mind. Should you need a big ticket procedure, you have the peace of mind of knowing that it's covered. Additionally, unlike most health insurance plans, there is no exemption of pre existing conditions,, although there can be restrictions on missing teeth.

It's true~another year has flown by! We urge you to check into your dental benefits and maximize them prior to year's end. We'd be happy to assist you should you have questions. What a great way to ring in 2014~with a beautiful & healthy smile & more money in your pocket!