Tooth Extraction Post-Operative Instructions
Wound healing after tooth extraction is quickly and without complication, if simple precautions are taken. Common sense will often dictate what you should do. However, when in doubt follow these guidelines or call our office for clarification.
DAY OF SURGERY
After Extraction:
· Keep biting down gently but firmly on the gauze packs for the first hour or two.
· Do not forcefully spit.
· Do not use straw for the next several days.
· Do not smoke for at least 48 hours.
· Do not drink alcohol for the next several days.
· Avoid vigorous exercise for the first several days.
· Use cold pack and applied firmly to the cheek twenty minutes on twenty minutes off during the first 24 hours. You can also use ice bag or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel.
· Take one tablet of Tylenol #3 by mouth before the anesthetic has worn off and repeat every 4hours as necessary.
DIET: Please eat pureed foods or liquids (soups, pudding, yogurt, milk, fruit shakes, etc.). Avoid hard foods, which may be lodged in the socket areas. Over the next several days you may gradually progress to solid foods.
Tonight: You may brush your teeth gently, avoiding the surgical area.
OOZING: Intermittent bleeding or oozing overnight is normal. This may be controlled by placing fresh gauze over the areas and biting on the gauze for 30-45 minutes at a time.
INSTRUCTION FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS
MOUTH RINSE: Use 1/4 teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8 ounce glass of warm water and gently rinse portions of this solution, taking five minutes to use the entire glassful. Repeat as often as you like, but at least two or three times daily preferably after meals for one week after surgery. Avoid commercial mouth rinses, as they contain a small amount of alcohol in them.
BRUSHING: Begin your normal oral hygiene routine as soon as possible after surgery, normally the day after surgery. Soreness and swelling may not permit vigorous brushing, but please make every effort to clean your teeth within the bounds of comfort.
DRY SOCKET: This is an occasional complication after tooth extraction, especially with 3rd Molars (Wisdom Teeth) and lower teeth. It is caused by the blood clot dissolving too early, and it is identified by increased pain/discomfort after the first few days of normal healing. While this process is self-limiting, it can be uncomfortable. Please call our office as soon as possible.