After Sinus Lift At Beverly Hills Oral Surgery
In cases where upper jaw bone height or width is inadequate, replacements of missing tooth or teeth with implants require some preliminary preparation of the jaw bone which is done with the use of a graft. An artificial synthetic bone or a combination freeze-dried bone or sometimes your own bone may be used as the graft. As expected, you will have a donor site post –surgical wound and a recipient site post –surgical wound.
Let’s talk about the Sinus Lift Augmentation procedure. Consider that you are getting this done on your upper jaw. The procedure commonly carried out in the area of first and second molar, helps in regaining the lost bone height. Sometimes even the second premolar may also be involved in the procedure. An enlarged sinus may lead to insufficient bone height which may impede the placement of implant. Implants can be placed only after getting this procedure done.
As the procedure involves your sinus, you need to be very cautious and avoid the following things; actions such as spitting, nose blowing, , blowing balloons, sneezing with open mouth, using musical instrument that require blowing and use of straw.
BLOWING YOUR NOSE COULD CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS, SO BE SURE THAT YOU DON’T BLOW IT FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS.
It would be better if you avoid travelling in a pressurized aircraft or indulge in other activities such as scuba diving which increase the pressure in the sinus. To help reduce the pressure in the sinus, you could use decongestants like Sudafed, Drixoral or Dimetapp. You also need to take the full course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. This will help prevent infections.
Tips on Oral Hygiene
Once the surgery is over, you need to take utmost care not to disturb the wound. The healing process will be enhanced only when the blood clot stays intact. It is okay to swallow the saliva if it is slightly tinged with blood.
Spitting and rinsing should be avoided. Brushing the area of surgery should be avoided for about 2 to 3 days. You can brush the other areas of your teeth but be as gentle as possible.
To reduce the risk of infections, you need to keep your mouth as clean as possible. You can start rinsing your mouth with salt water 24 hours after the procedure.
Take a glass of lukewarm salt water and gently rinse the wound. Be sure that you do it as slowly and as gently as possible. For the next five days, salt water rinses should be repeated at least 5 to 6 times each day. After having meals, be sure that you rinse your mouth carefully to remove the food debris.
In addition to routine oral care, doctors may also prescribe antibiotic rinses such as Peridex or Chlorhexidine which need to be used in the morning and at bedtime. After using the medicated oral rinse, be sure that you do not eat or drink anything for some time. Overuse of medicated rinse may cause staining of teeth.
The chances of bone graft and sinus augmentation failure increases significantly by smoking. So be sure that you avoid smoking totally for at least 30 days. If at all, you need some nicotine alternatives, you could speak with your doctor and get something like a NicoDerm Patch.
How to wear Nightguards or Prosthesis
Immediately after dental surgery, you should not wear any flipper, partial or full dentures unless you have been specifically instructed to do so. Get all your doubts cleared by talking to your doctor. Sometimes a temporary flipper may be given for you to wear. But make sure that you wear it only after the numbness in the area wears off.
The gums in the area of surgery should not come in contact with the flipper. Improperly placed flipper may lead to loss of graft because it causes breakdown of the suture margins and ulceration of the wound edges. If the fit of your flipper or partial/full denture is not proper or comfortable, you should not wear it. Please fix an appointment with your dentist before using it.
If you notice any of the following Post-Operative Problems or Complications, please call your doctor immediately –
- Unexpected flow of air or liquids between your nose and mouth
- Any discharge of small particles of graft material from the nose
- Nasal or sinus congestion on the operated side
- Swelling in the under the, nose, cheek or mouth area which does not subside even after 3 days.
Our main objective is to make sure that your healing process is smooth, fast and complication free. If you adhere to the tips and suggestions mentioned above, you may not experience any post-operative problem. But just in case if you are feeling uncomfortable or if you have any queries, please feel free to get in touch with us immediately. For after-hours contact with a doctor, our 24-hour answering service is also available.