Immediately following the procedure you'll need to avoid touching the surgical site, rinsing your mouth vigorously or eating anything that could contaminate the wound. You'll also need to refrain from drinking through a straw or smoking, as the suction could interfere with blood clotting at bone graft site. You may need to keep a piece of surgical gauze over the treatment area, and that gauze may have to be replaced several times until post-operative bleeding stops. A cold compress is also advised for the first 24 hours to prevent swelling (20 minutes on and 20 minutes off). Oral anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprophen (Advil), Naproxen (Alieve), or prescriptions steroids such as Medrol Dose Pack or Decadron. Keeping the swelling down with cold compresses or medication are instrumental in preventing pain that could be associated with the bone grafting procedure. Your dentist will give you specific instructions based on the type of bone graft being performed.
You should plan on taking at least a day off from work or school, and up to three days if your duties involve operating heavy machinery or other safety-sensitive tasks. If an advanced bone grafting procedure is being performed, you can expect swelling (even with medication and cold compresses) along with bruising. Swelling peaks at 72 hours so don’t be alarmed as the swelling worsens over the first 3 days. For advanced bone grafting procedures, don’t plan on any social events for at least two weeks since you may have significant bruising. Good news, the swelling and bruising are generally not accompanied by pain if medication is taken as directed.