Tooth Extraction Instructions

After having a tooth removed, or “extracted” there are certain things you can do and watch for to help prevent healing, promote proper healing and make your recovery as comfortable as possible.

Bleeding

Normal and proper healing requires a blood clot to form. You were most likely given gauze by our our office to press onto the site. You should leave it in place for about 60 minutes after you leave our office. The gauze will not only help to limit bleeding, but it will also help that important blood clot to form. Make sure you are applying firm pressure by biting on the gauze. Ty to limit speaking.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind about the gauze and bleeding:

Don’t use the gauze dry - wet it with some warm water before putting it in your mouth
Fold the gauze so it is thick enough to bite on
Place it directly on the site of the extraction
Apply pressure by firmly closing your teeth over the gauze pad. Try to maintain this pressure for about 60 minutes
Change the gauze pack 2 or 3 times
If the gauze pack becomes soaked with blood, replace it with a clean one
If you run out of gauze, try wet tea bags. Herbal tea is not as helpful as regular tea which contains tannins that help to stop bleeding
If heavy bleeding continues, please call our office immediately, and if we are closed, reach out to Dr. Deskin on his cell phone at 289-439-6003

Blood Clot and Dry Socket

It is important for a blood clot to form in the tooth socket so it is important that you do not do things that will disturb the clot or prevent it from forming. If this happens, you can get a condition called dry socket which is extremely painful.

To help lower your risk of dry socket, for the 24 hours following your extraction, do NOT:

Suck, spit or slurp or anything else that can create suction in your mouth
Smoke or vape (In addition to causing dry socket, smoking and vaping can also prevent proper healing of the gums)
Drinking through a straw
Suck on candies
Rinse of your mouth

If you suspect you have dry socket, contact us or Dr. Deskin immediately!

How To Clean Your Mouth After An Extraction

Up to 24 hours post-procedure:

Do not clean or touch the socket where the tooth was
Do not clean/brush any of your teeth

After 24 hours has passed:

You can now begin cleaning your teeth
Rinse your mouth gently with lukewarm salt water after every meal and when waking up and before going to bed. This is important in that it will keep particles of food out of the extraction site and encourage healing
Do not rinse your mouth too hard as you don’t want to loosen the blood clot

SALT WATER RINSE:

1 teaspoon of table salt + 1 cup of lukewarm water
Do not use hot water
professional mouthwashes are not necessary
rinse for 30 seconds, spit out the excess

Pain Medication

If you have been provided with a recommendation or prescription for pain medication, take it only as prescribed
If it does not seem to be working for you, do not take a larger dose or take them more often than prescribed - call us instead. If we are closed, please reach out to Dr. Deskin on his cell phone at 289-439-6004 either by text or voice.

Swelling

Swelling appears occasionally after a tooth is removed. In addition to pain medication, you can also try applying a cold compress to your face like an ice pack or a moist, cold cloth. Sometimes a cold pack or bag of frozen vegetables on your cheek over the site works well to reduce swelling.

Contact us immediately if you experience any of the following:

Fever, vomiting or nausea
Pain that is severe, or will not stop, especially if it starts about two days after the extraction
Bleeding that is severe or will not stop without reasonable measures
Swelling that is severe or will not stop without reasonable measures
Pain, bleeding or swelling that gets worse instead of better

If for some reason you cannot reach us or Dr. Deskin, please go to a hospital emergency room immediately should you experience any of these.

Eating And Drinking