How to Deal With Pain After Dental Surgery

Dental surgery is necessary to treat oral conditions such as impacted teeth or unequal jaw growth. Patients recovering from dental surgery often experience discomfort due to swelling and bruising of the mouth. Steps that patients can take to manage and reduce postoperative pain include taking prescribed medications, properly caring for affected areas and choosing recovery-friendly foods and beverages.

Things You'll Need

• Prescribed painkillers and antibiotics
• Cold compress
• Warm compress
• Wash cloth
• Soft foods

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Instructions

• 1

  Begin taking any prescribed antibiotics and painkillers immediately after the surgery as a preemptive measure against pain.

• 2

  Reduce swelling by applying a cold compress during the first 24 hours following surgery. Keep the compress on the swollen area for 10 minutes. Remove after 10 minutes and keep it off for another 10 minutes. Carry on with this alternating routine whenever you are awake during the first 24 postoperative hours.

• 3

  Treat swollen areas with a warm compress on the second day following surgery. Using a bottle of hot water or heating pad wrapped in a towel will stimulate blood circulation and reduce swelling. The temperature of the compress should be warm, as opposed to hot.

• 4

  Massage sore jaw muscles gently using a warm, damp washcloth.

• 5

  Eat soft foods that are easy to chew such as eggs, pasta and bananas. Avoid hot beverages such as coffee and tea.