Oral Surgery

Oral Surgery in Staten Island, New York

Our Staten Island, NY dental office provides comprehensive oral surgery care. Dr. Frank DiCicco and Dr. Intatano, are uniquely trained and experienced in oral surgery. Our dentists treat many diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity.

If your require the removal of your wisdom teeth, placement of dental implants, non-surgical or surgical oral biopsies, periodontal surgery, laser tissue re-contouring or soft tissue grafts, the dentists and Board Certified Periodontist at Staten Island Dental Group in Staten Island, New York have the expertise to care for you.

Our office, located in Staten Island, NY maintains the highest standards of cleanliness and our sterilization techniques exceed required standards. We recognize that surgery is stressful and we will do our utmost to provide a comfortable and relaxing environment for your procedures. In addition, we offer nitrous oxide and conscious sedation. You can watch your favorite show on our flat screen televisions or listen to your favorite music on our IPOD or IPAD.

You can rest assured knowing that our dentists and hygienists are CPR certified and we have an on-site AED to insure your safety. You will always have access to one of our dentists–even after office hours!

Conditions Treated by Oral Surgery

  • Impacted Teeth
  • Tooth Loss
  • Jaw-Related Problems
  • Facial Injury Repair
  • Lesion Removal and Biopsy
  • Cleft Lip and Palate Repair
  • Facial Infections
  • Snoring/Sleep Apnea

Instructions For After Oral Surgery Procedures

Post-operative care is extremely crucial to successfully heal. Unnecessary pain and the complications of infection and swelling can be minimized if the instructions are followed carefully.

Bleeding

A certain amount of bleeding is expected after the surgery. Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva is not uncommon. Please follow the instructions below to help the area develop a clot:

  • Place a gauze pad over the area and bite firmly for one hour. Change the gauze pad and repeat if necessary.
  • If bleeding continues, bite on a moistened, squeeze dried tea bag for one hour, repeat as necessary. The tannic acid in the dry tea bag helps to form a clot by contracting bleeding vessels. To minimize further bleeding, do not become excited, sit upright, and avoid exercise. If bleeding does not subside, call for further instructions.
  • Keep the mouth clean. NO RINSING OR SPITTING OF ANY KIND SHOULD BE PERFORMED UNTIL THE DAY FOLLOWING SURGERY. You can brush your teeth the night of surgery but rinse gently. The day after surgery you should begin rinsing at least 5-6 times a day especially after eating with a cup of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt.

Swelling

When examining the swelling , consider it to be proportionate to the level of surgery involved in order to determine what is “normal” or “expected”. The swelling will not be evident for about 24 hours after the surgery and will not reach full potential for about 2-3 days postoperatively. The swelling may be minimized by the immediate use of ice packs. The ice packs should be left on continuously while you are awake.

After 24 hours, ice has no beneficial effect. If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days, there is no cause for alarm. This is a normal reaction to surgery. Thirty-six hours following surgery, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face is beneficial in reducing the size of the swelling.

Pain

For moderate pain – Motrin 200 mg, 2 pills every 4-6 hours or Aleve (Naproxen Sodium) 225mg, 2 pills every 8-12 hours.

For severe pain, take the narcotic prescribed as directed. The narcotic pain medicine will make you groggy and will slow down your reflexes. Do not drive an automobile or work around machinery. Avoid alcoholic beverages. Pain or discomfort following surgery should subside more and more every day. If pain persists, it may require attention and you should call the office.

Diet

Once the numbness wears off do not use straws. Drink from a glass. The sucking motion can cause more bleeding by dislodging the blood clot. You may eat anything soft by chewing away from the surgical sites.. Try not to miss a meal. You will feel better, have more strength, less discomfort and heal faster if you continue to eat.

Antibiotics

If you have been placed on antibiotics, take the tablets or liquid as directed. Antibiotics will be given to help prevent infection. Discontinue antibiotic use in the event of a rash or other unfavorable reaction. Call the office in Staten Island, NY if you have any questions.

Other Issues

If numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue occurs there is no cause for alarm. As stated before surgery, this is usually temporary in nature. You should be aware that if your lip or tongue is numb, you could bite it and not feel the sensation.

Slight elevation of temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon. If the temperature persists, notify the office. Tylenol or ibuprofen should be taken to reduce the fever.

Occasionally, you may feel hard projections in the mouth with their tongue. They are not roots, they are the bony walls which supported the tooth. These projections usually smooth out spontaneously.

Stiffness (Trismus) of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is a normal post-operative event that will resolve in time.

A dry socket is when the blood clot dissolves prematurely from the tooth socket. Symptoms of pain at the surgical site and even pain to the ear may occur 2-3 days following surgery. Pain should not increase with time.

In Conclusion

After oral surgery, sutures are placed in the area to minimize post-operative bleeding and ensure successful healing. Sometimes they become dislodged. This is nothing to be worried about. Remove he suture from the area and discard it. All sutures will be removed about one week post-surgery. This will require no anesthesia or needles. It will only take a few minutes maximum. There is no discomfort associated with this procedure so you can remain at ease.

If you are interested in obtaining more information about Oral Surgery as a treatment plan, please contact the Staten Island Dental Group. We would be happy to set up a consultation with you to talk about your options.