If you've just had surgery, you'll probably want to go home and receive some comfort and affection toward your loved one. Unfortunately, dental surgery complicates matters. If you've had a tooth removed, certain precautions must be taken before you can safely and comfortably kiss your partner.
Instructions
1. Keep a wad of gauze on the removal site for a few hours following surgery. This is done to ensure that a proper blood clot forms where your tooth once was. Apply constant, gentle pressure to the gauze by biting lightly. The longer you keep the gauze in the affected area, the lower your risk of developing dry socket or other complications. Obviously, it is not easy to kiss someone with a wad of gauze in your mouth. During this period, avoid kissing entirely.
2. The day following surgery, a little bit of kissing is safe. The wad of gauze should no longer be necessary, although there are still certain behavior limitations -- you should not smoke, use a straw, or rinse for a few days following surgery. Also, to ensure proper clot formation, you should not chew on the affected side of your mouth. In general, the surgical site should be as undisturbed as possible; ergo, any kissing should be light and non-invasive.
3. For a few days after surgery, you may want to intermittently use an icepack to reduce facial swelling. This may cause jaw tightness or discomfort, making kissing a bit difficult. Once swelling has subsided, and an icepack is no longer necessary, kissing can return to normal.
Tags: following surgery, longer necessary, your mouth