What to do after you get your teeth pulled

If you have an impacted wisdom tooth or severely decayed tooth that cannot be saved, you may need a tooth extraction. A tooth extraction involves the surgical removal of the entire tooth under anesthesia, either local or general, depending on the tooth’s condition and the complexity of the extraction.

Although tooth extractions are a safe and simple procedure, the initial recovery period from surgery can take between one to two weeks. If you follow the right aftercare regime, you can speed up the recovery process.

1. Rest

It is crucial to get adequate rest after your tooth extraction. Avoid strenuous activity and any tasks that require you to bend over or lift heavy objects because this can increase the blood pressure in your head, leading to bleeding at the surgical site.

You can manage post-surgical swelling and bleeding by resting with your head elevated on a pillow. This allows lymph and blood to flow away from the extraction site, reducing inflammation and allowing you to heal faster.

2. Eat a Soft Food Diet

A nutrient-rich diet provides your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to promote cell renewal and wound healing. However, it is vital to avoid hard, crunchy, or chewy foods during your recovery to minimize irritation to the empty tooth socket.

Eating a soft food diet allows you to get the nutrition you need without damaging the soft tissue around your surgical site. For the first few days following your procedure, fruit smoothies, lukewarm blended soup or broth, yogurt, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, mashed avocado, and soft fish, like tilapia or Alaskan pollock are excellent and nutritious options.

3. Avoid Using a Straw or Smoking

Drinking through a straw or smoking creates negative pressure in your mouth, which can dislodge the blood clot that forms in the tooth’s socket. If the blood clot is dislodged, you are at risk of developing a painful health complication known as dry socket. Dry socket can lead to severe infections, deteriorate jaw bone, and damage nerves.

4. Cold Therapy

Post-surgical swelling can last for up to a week after your tooth extraction, peaking around day three. Excessive swelling can hinder the healing process, extending your recovery time.

Manage swelling by applying a cold pack to the affected side of your face intermittently for 15 minutes at a time. The cold not only slows blood flow to decrease swelling, but it also numbs the area, reducing your discomfort. Cold therapy is typically only effective for the first 48 hours after surgery.

5. Use Over-the-Counter Medications

Once the anesthesia from the extraction wears off, you may feel some discomfort at the surgical site. While the discomfort should pass after several days, you can manage painful symptoms with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications.

Do not use medications for more than three days consecutively, and take the dosage recommended by the manufacturer. If the pain persists, it may be a symptom of an underlying issue, such as an infection or dry socket, and you should contact your dentist immediately.

6. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene

Although you can’t brush or floss the extraction site for one to two days after the procedure, you can remove food debris and prevent infection by rinsing with a salt water solution made with a teaspoon of table salt dissolved in a cup of warm water. Gently swish the solution in your mouth morning, evening, and after eating.

Continue to brush and floss your remaining teeth twice per day. But avoid rinsing with alcohol-based mouthwashes to prevent irritation to the tooth socket.

Visit TruBlu Dentistry for Compassionate Dental Care

If you need a tooth extraction, the dental team at TruBlu Dentistry can help. Our experienced dentists use the latest in comfortable, painless dental technology and provide detailed aftercare instructions to help you recover faster. Call our practice today to schedule your appointment.

Aftercare Instructions Following Tooth Removal – Tooth Extraction Care

Occasionally, a tooth may become so damaged from injury, illness, infection, or decay that it must be extracted.  Additionally, adult teeth may be overcrowded and tooth removal is a necessary part of the alignment process. At Fioritto Family Dental, our experienced dentists are qualified to safely pull teeth and deliver the aftercare you need to recover and regain health, function, and a beautiful smile. To avoid complications that could compromise your recovery, it’s important to follow all tooth extraction care instructions.

Extraction

When an adult tooth is extracted, it’s natural for the socket to bleed, even if stitches are in place.  Our dental support staff will provide you with gauze pads and instruct you to gently place them onto the socket to absorb the drainage, staunch any bleeding and promote clotting.

Typically, you’ll want to leave gauze in place for 3-4 hours following your tooth extraction, changing it out as necessary. To promote clotting, we recommend patients avoid rinsing, smoking, and drinking through a straw for 24 hours.

Following your extraction, you will be prescribed painkillers to ease any discomfort.  Many patients do not require more than acetaminophen, while other patients may require stronger medication. To help with pain and swelling, ice can be applied to the side of your face in ten-minute intervals.

Finally, make sure to get plenty of rest.  Plan to rest for at least 24 hours after extraction and take it easy for a couple of days thereafter.  Prop your head up on pillows when resting to minimize bleeding.

After the First Day

After the initial 24-hour healing period, you can gradually resume normal activities.  You can gently rinse your mouth with a salt water solution (8 oz. warm water, ½ tsp. salt) and brush and floss normally, being careful to avoid the open socket.

You’ll want to stick to soft foods for a few days, such as Jell-O, soup, pudding, yogurt, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and so on.  As your socket heals, you can resume a normal diet, but avoid hard foods that might injure your socket and impede healing, at least until you’re fully recovered.

The recovery period is typically just a few days, although it could take up to two weeks to fully heal from extraction.  If you have unusual symptoms that could be a sign of infection or something more serious, you should contact our office immediately.  Symptoms could include:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Fever and chills
• Redness and swelling
• Excessive discharge
• Cough, trouble breathing, or chest pain

Once you are fully healed, you can discuss tooth replacement options with our dentists to restore your smile and avoid shifting of other teeth.  Contact Fioritto Family Dental today at 440-951-5511 or online to schedule your appointment.

Post-Operative Instructions Following An Extraction – Tooth Extraction Care

Rest:

• Rest quietly with your head elevated for the remainder of the day.
• Always get up slowly from a reclined position to prevent dizziness
• Limit physical activity for the first 24 hours and avoid excessive exertion for the first 72 hours.
• Healing will occur much faster with rest!

Swelling and Bruising:

• Some swelling often occurs and this is normal in the healing process.
• However, if swelling seems excessive and is accompanied by fever or severe pain, please call immediately.

• Use an ice pack for the first day following surgery. This will contribute to your comfort and minimize swelling. Place an ice pack on your face over the surgical area; 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off.
• Moist heat may be applied the day following surgery for added comfort.

 Medication:

• You should begin taking your pain medication before the numbness wears off
• If an antibiotic was prescribed, take it as directed until it is ALL GONE. It is recommended to take an over-the-counter probiotic when taking antibiotics.
• Some pain medications may cause lightheadedness.  Lying down will help this.
• Some medications may cause an upset stomach.  Taking these with food will lessen this side effect.

Bleeding:

• Red saliva is expected for the first 24 hours, however extensive bleeding should not occur. If such bleeding should occur, apply firm pressure with a moist gauze or moist teabag to the area for 20 minutes. If the bleeding does not subside, please call.

Mouth Care:

• AVOID RINSING, SPITTING OR SUCKING THROUGH A STRAW for 3 days after surgery. Blood is clotting and this will disturb the healing process.
• You may begin gentle rinsing 3 days after surgery, but do not rinse vigorously for 7 days.
• Do not rinse with an over-the-counter mouthwash for 7 days
• You may begin to brush the NON-SURGICAL areas the day of surgery

Eating:

• Eat softer foods for the first week such as pasta, eggs, fish, yogurt, soup, pudding and soft cooked vegetables.
• For the first few days, avoid extremes: very hot, very cold or acidic/spicy foods.
• Do not eat hard crunchy foods such as popcorn, small seeds (like in strawberries, sesame, and poppy), nuts or chips for the first week after surgery.
• Maintain a balanced diet.

Smoking:

• We strongly advise NOT SMOKING after surgery. Smoking delays the healing, increases discomfort, and may encourage bleeding and infection in the surgical site.

If you have any questions or concerns please call us (440)951-5511.

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