Oral surgery isn't fun, obviously, but you can make your recovery go a little faster and increase your chances of having good results if you follow a few bits of advice. Some of these might also show up on your post-op recovery instructions; if so, follow them to the letter. If you don't, you risk a setback.

No Straws

You might be told not to drink anything through a straw. This is because the suction created in your mouth when you try to suck liquids up through a straw can also pull at the stitches at the incision site, possibly pulling them out. You'd have to go back to the surgeon and have more stitches added, which is not something you want to have to do.

There's one big problem with this instruction, though. Given that you also can't risk food particles getting trapped in the incision site, you might then wonder how on earth you're supposed to drink anything other than water. For a few days, you might have to use a spoon. It may seem odd to try to drink liquids like milk by spooning them into your mouth, but with a spoon, you have better control over where the milk lands in your mouth before you swallow it.

Diced Food

As you start to eat more solid foods after the surgery, try to eat them minced or diced into tiny bits. Even if you can chew normally on one side of your mouth, your entire jaw might feel sore for a few days. Minced or diced foods will require less chewing and thus place less pressure on your jaw.

Warm Salt Water

You might be instructed to rinse the area with warm salt water and may get an odd-looking syringe to help you do that. Do this religiously as the salt water helps control infection and promote healing. Cold, or even cool water, can feel uncomfortable if the incision site is still sore, but warm — not hot — water can feel comforting.

No Horsing Around

Please be careful what you do as you start to feel better. Don't start roughhousing with pets or kids, for example — even a brief tussle can lead to accidents where your jaw is hit by an errant hand or paw. Be careful with high-impact activities like jogging as these can aggravate soreness. Do be aware, though, that if you still feel the same soreness after a few days or the soreness gets worse, you need to go back to your surgeon to see if an infection has started to form.

Remember that recovering from most oral surgeries doesn't take long. Within a few days, you'll likely be eating and drinking a lot more normally and moving around won't be an issue. For more information, contact local professionals like Peak Family Dentistry & Orthodontics.