Tooth Extraction Aftercare

A tooth extraction is always painful. Though there are many people who are apprehensive of pain after root canal treatment, teeth removals are far more painful. You may be required to get your tooth extracted due to any reason, such as tooth decay or an impacted wisdom tooth. In all cases, you should strictly follow tooth extraction aftercare.

Once you get a tooth removed, your dentist will provide you with a set of tooth extraction aftercare instructions to follow so as to minimize the risk of any post-operative problems. Simple tooth extractions are usually not accompanied by severe pains or any complications but surgical tooth extractions are often complicated and lead to severe pain after surgery. Let us know about tooth extraction aftercare that you must follow after each of these tooth extraction procedures.

As soon as you get your tooth extracted and before you leave the dental clinic, you should follow these instructions.

1. Sit still for some time immediately after your tooth has been extracted. Before you get up, be sure that a blood clot has formed, because the absence of this could provoke bleeding. The amount of time you require to sit still, varies according to the type of tooth extraction.
2. If this was a baby tooth extraction, that was near to coming out on its own, you just need to sit still for two minutes. For the simple extraction of an adult tooth, you may need to sit for about 10-15 minutes. In case of surgical tooth extraction and if you had stitches, the duration can be half an hour or longer.
3. While you wait, you will be asked to bite a gauze. This helps in applying pressure on the area and also assists in stopping the bleeding.

Tooth Extraction Aftercare: Surgical Tooth Extraction
When the tooth extraction procedure requires an incision and raising a flap of the tissue to get access to the tooth to be removed, it is called as surgical tooth extraction. Wisdom tooth extraction procedure is mostly of this type. Follow this steps for dental care after a surgical tooth extraction.

• First, follow the above instructions to stop the bleeding after tooth extraction.
• For relieving the pain, your doctor would probably give a prescription pain reliever. You must take this prescription as recommended for pain relief.
• Keep the area of the surgery clean as much as possible. For this and early recovery of the area, gargle with warm salt water if you've had a surgical incision at least eight times a day. Mix half a teaspoon of salt in an eight-ounce cup of water and then use this for gargling; never use hot water. This is a very effective home remedy for painful tooth extraction.
• The next morning, you can brush the teeth next to the extraction site, but do this gently because fast movements can lead to tearing the tissue that has just been sutured.
• You need to get rid of food particles for proper healing, these promote the growth of bacteria, which causes infection. If it was a wisdom teeth removal, it's going to be very difficult to keep the area clean, but in this case cleaning is very important. This is because the surgical sites are more prone to infection.
• There will be swelling after tooth extraction. The swelling depends on the type of surgery. More extensive the surgery, the more swelling you will experience. This swelling occurs on the first day and then probably peaks the second day. If the operated area continues to swell beyond the second day, you should contact the dentist, because this might be a symptom of a dental infection.
• The swelling can be minimized in two ways. You should apply ice packs over the area for the first two days. Keep your head elevated while you sleep. You can use an extra pillow for this. A raised head helps keep fluids from accumulating in the head area.
• The tooth extraction aftercare includes eating only soft things on the day of the surgery.
• Sometimes you might experience pain even while you open your mouth, but this is normal. The pain will reduce after some days. But, if you don't see any progress, you must call your dentist.

Tooth Extraction Aftercare: Simple Tooth Extraction
Here are some tooth extraction care tips in case of simple tooth extraction procedures. Follow these tips after you leave the dental clinic.

• After you leave the clinic, you should try to be still. Avoid any type of strenuous activity for about two hours.
• Don't suck or spit, doing this inhibits the blood clot formation.
• Remember persistent bleeding is normal, don't worry about it. Expect that your saliva will be tinged with blood for several hours.
• If you notice thick bleeding along with dark red blood clots, then you must apply more pressure to that area. Usually your dentist will give you a pack of gauze. You can use a paper case if you don't have gauze. Wad it up so as to put pressure directly on the area. Bite on it for at least forty-five minutes. You must repeat this if the bleeding does not stop. If the bleeding does not stop after a considerable time has elapsed, then you need to call your dentist.

Read more on tooth extractions:

• Dry socket after tooth extraction
• Wisdom teeth removal recovery

Tooth extraction healing time is about six to eight days. After eight days, you can eat food without experiencing any pain. Remember that proper tooth extraction aftercare is very essential to avoid further complications. Moreover, to maintain good dental health you have to follow the dental care routine religiously.