Why Do We Recommend You Sleep on an Elevation After Oral Surgery?
Posted on 8/23/2021 by New York Oral, Maxillofacial, and Implant Surgery
Oral surgeries include the removal of an impacted wisdom tooth, dental implants, or other restorative treatments.
After oral surgery at New York Oral, Maxillofacial, and Implant Surgery, you should know how to rest properly to speed up your recovery. Inadequate rest or resting in the wrong posture can delay your recovery or cause complications.
For this reason, we recommend that you sleep on an elevation after oral surgery.
Sleeping on an Elevation After Oral Surgery
If you sleep on your back rather than on elevation, your blood vessels will constrict, increasing the blood volume around the wound, resulting in swelling, and increased pressure, which causes bleeding to restart. Thus, after oral surgery, you should sleep on an elevation for at least 24 hours. To make this possible, you will need to purchase enough pillows before your surgery. Sleeping in an elevated position helps drain fluids from the surgery area. This, in turn, minimizes swelling, hence, pain. This position also helps reduce the risk of choking if you are wearing gauze pads to reduce bleeding.
Other Methods to Speed Up Recovery
In addition to sleeping in an elevated position, you can speed up recovery with proper oral care. For instance, you should quit smoking after surgery until you heal. You should also avoid drinking beverages using a straw until you recover completely. This is because the suction from straws will pull the protective blood clot out of the wound, causing pain and bleeding. You should also avoid brushing your teeth for the first 24 hours after surgery to keep the clot intact. Afterward, you can gently brush your teeth and rinse with salty water.
If you experience severe pain that is not manageable with pain killers during recovery, you can contact us. Excessive bleeding or swelling could also indicate an infection, and you should call us at (914) 768-8220 for examination and treatment.
About Us • Scarsdale Oral Surgeon • NYOMIS Oral Surgery Discover expert dental care and patient satisfaction with exceptional services. Call (914) 768-8220 today! Located at 495 Central Park Ave, Scarsdale, NY. New York Oral, Maxillofacial, and Implant Surgery, 495 Central Park Ave #201, Scarsdale, NY 10583, (914) 768-8220, oralsurgeryny.com, 10/2/2024, Related Terms: dental implants Scarsdale NY,
