Depending upon the severity of your surgery, these limitations can be recommended for anywhere between a few days and a few weeks. Your oral surgeon has warned you what not to do, so what can you do?
Resting after Oral Surgery
As with any surgical procedure, rest is a top priority when you get home. This means confining yourself to the sofa or bed (with your head raised above your heart), at least for the first 24 hours.Even after that 24-hour period, you need to limit what you do. Don't attempt to do housework, garden, bend over and pick things up, or anything of the sort. Too much movement can irritate surgical sites, and slow the healing process.
DIY Projects
This doesn't mean retiling your bathroom floor. Stick to DIY projects you can do safely from the comfort of the sofa or chair. There's no time like now to pick up a new hobby. You might find out that you are quite gifted at knitting or needlework. Check out the internet for how-to videos and teach yourself a new craft.
Board Games
Have you been meaning to have a game night, but never got around to it? Since you'll be sedentary for a while, a board game is a great way to pass the time. It doesn't involve a ton of movement, but you can still have a lot of fun.
Read or Write
If you've been meaning to read that book on your nightstand, but just haven't had the time, you'll have enough now. Make yourself cozy and dig in. Or, if you're feeling creative, take a pen to paper.
Take a Bath
After oral surgery, you are supposed to relax, and there is nothing really more relaxing than a bath. You can really go all out and add some bubbles or bath salts. A nice warm bath will help to loosen your muscles and alleviate stress, leaving you feeling much more relaxed than staring at the computer or television screen.
You may not want to sit still, but avoiding strenuous activities for a while after an oral surgery procedure will help to speed up the recovery process. If you have any questions about what you should, or should not do, do not hesitate to contact our office today.
