Did you know that severe periodontitis, which is advanced gum disease, affects about 11% of adults around the globe and it’s a leading cause of tooth loss? Or that 60% of adults aged 65 and older in the United States have some evidence of gum disease?
If you’re reading this blog post, we suspect you’re all too aware of how common and how serious periodontal disease can be. In fact, you're probably here because our team at Willow Glen Dental Specialists has recommended osseous surgery — also known as pocket reduction surgery — to preserve your teeth and gums.
While you’re in excellent hands with our skilled and experienced periodontal experts who have performed scores of oral surgeries, there’s much that you can do on your end to pave the way forward to better dental health.
So, after we hit the reset button on your gum disease through osseous surgery, here are a few recovery strategies.
For the first few days after your osseous surgery, we strongly suggest that you stick to soft foods. The last thing you want to do is to eat (and chew) something that might irritate your gums.
Some soft food ideas include:
If you want to add soup to this list, please do, but we want you to avoid slurping your soup, which can create suction in your mouth.
Speaking of suction, it’s very important that you avoid all straws during your recovery, as they create even more suction inside your mouth than slurping soup.
We want you to take it easy for the first few days after your pocket reduction surgery. While we’re not confining you to the couch, though that’s not a bad idea if you can, we really don’t want you doing any strenuous activities.
For example, bending down to lift weights is not recommended in the first couple days after oral surgery.
Gums are sensitive tissues that contain a lot of blood vessels, which means there can be postoperative bleeding for the first day or two.
Luckily, your mouth heals quickly. In the meantime, please carefully swap out the gauze whenever you you need to. After the first 24 hours, you can start swishing your mouth very gently with salt water, which can help with bleeding and healing.
In addition to using medications for your discomfort, you can apply ice packs several times a day. This practice can not only numb the discomfort, it can help with any swelling or inflammation after your osseous surgery.
Apply the ice pack for 10-20 minutes at a time. You can do this as many times a day as you want, just make sure you take breaks in between.
You should allow for at least a full week of recovery after your pocket reduction surgery. If you feel that healing is going in the wrong direction — you have an increase in pain or you develop a fever — please don’t hesitate to call us. We’d rather you err on the side of caution, and if you’re at all unsure, call us anyway.
Please know that our team is with you every step of the way, before, during, and after your osseous surgery. For questions or to schedule a consultation, we invite you to contact our office in San Jose, California. You can call 408-478-9081 or request an appointment using our online form.
