post operative medication

Anti-inflammatory (for pain and swelling)

Take the anti-inflammatory immediately. This powerful medication targets the cause of your pain and inflammation. It should be taken every 6 hours with food during the day. It is important to stay ahead of the pain, so take your medication regularly for the first three days. Then, you may gradually decrease the frequency once your pain is well controlled.

Antibiotic

To prevent infection, you have been prescribed an antibiotic (likely Amoxicillin/Clindamycin). Be sure to finish the entire course of antibiotic.

Mouth Rinse

Spitting or vigorous mouth rinsing should be avoided. This can dislodge the blood clot and increase bleeding.

If you were prescribed a medicated mouth rinse (Chlorhexidine), you may begin gently rinsing after 24 hours. This medication can cause temporary staining of the teeth by sticking to plaque. After eating, brush your teeth with your regular toothbrush prior to using the rinse.

If you were given no mouth rinse prescription, you may begin to gently rinse with salt water after 24 hours. Be sure to rinse after eating. Best mixture of salt and water is 1 tsp. of salt in 1 cup of warm water.

‘Over-the-counter’ Pain Medication

Sometimes, if the anti-inflammatory is not sufficient, we may consider advising you to add 500mg-1000mg of Tylenol between each dose of Ibuprofen.