It’s often overlooked but reducing post surgical swelling is just as important as the dental treatment itself to make patients feel more comfortable after undergoing oral care treatments-often grueling ones for hours-in dental clinics. According to a dentist in San Antonio, there are ways to remedy the problem. “It’s probably one of the most important aspects of post surgical treatment. If we are able to reduce post surgical swelling, then we also get to reduce post surgical discomfort, soreness, and, for some, difficulty in opening and closing the mouth. We can also limit, if not eliminate, the unsightly discoloration of the face which happens to many patients,” the dentist said. The dentist, who practices dentistry at the Dental San Antonio clinic, said that by reducing post surgical swelling before the surgery starts through careful planning, as well as after surgery, can the most effective and profound results for the patient can be achieved.
Dentists in San Antonio said that addressing post surgical swelling involves coming up with proper planning. “As with most aspects of life proper planning prior to starting any endeavor ensures the most favorable outcome possible,” said one of the dentists. “Just like in health care,” he added. “If you plan the treatment properly before delivering the treatment itself, then we can expect optimal results that the patient can achieve, assuming their specific health conditions are in context and they receive the treatment that they require.”
Oral care experts from Dentistry San Antonio explained that reducing post surgical swelling starts with having the patient-assuming they are healthy-take 600mg to 800 mg of ibuprofen such as Motrin or Advil an hour before the treatment. The pain killer, said one of the dentists, is an effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug because it doesn’t interfere with blood platelets, an essential component of blood clotting. “If the patient takes the ibuprofen or the pain killer prior to the treatment, then that ibuprofen gets into the patient’s blood and would reach a therapeutic level before the surgery is performed. That would give the patient the double benefit of having less post surgical swelling and less post surgical discomfort when the local anesthetic wears off,” said the dentist, a DDS in San Antonio. After the treatment, the patient is supposed to take ibuprofen every four hours over the next three to four days.
Another effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug is aspirin. But the problem with aspirin is that it interferes with platelet formation and blood clotting, which is why it is not recommended by dentists to those who undergo surgical treatments. “The patient must have uninhibited blood clotting. That’s very essential, especially when a patient has surgery. That’s the first steep in controlling bleeding and wound healing,” said a dentist. Acetaminophen or Tylenol is also a good analgesic and it does not interfere with blood platelets. But it is not effective as an anti-inflammatory drug that’s why it is not high on the list of recommended drugs for healthy patients who do not have any problems taking ibuprofen. Apart from taking pain killers, ice therapy is another way to reduce post surgical swelling. “The patient is usually advised to apply direct pressure where and when possible to reduce post surgical swelling because it facilitates the blood to clot sooner,” said a dentist.