What to do after tooth extraction

After tooth extraction, it is very common for bleeding, swelling and pain to occur, which causes a lot of discomfort and can even impair healing. Therefore, there are some precautions that are recommended by the dentist and that should be started immediately after surgery.

The first 24 hours are the most important, as it is during this period that a clot develops at the site of the removed tooth, which helps with healing, but care can be maintained for 2 to 3 days, or according to the dentist’s instructions.

In addition to specific care, it is also important not to exercise for the first 24 hours to avoid increased bleeding and only start eating after the anesthesia has completely worn off, as there is a risk of biting your cheek or lip.

What to do

After tooth extraction, some precautions to alleviate pain and reduce bleeding are:

1. Place a piece of gauze in your mouth

After extracting a tooth, it is recommended to place a piece of gauze on the area where the extraction was carried out, and the person is advised to bite down lightly on the gauze, helping to stop the bleeding. It is recommended to keep the gauze on for 45 minutes to 1 hour, to apply pressure and stop the bleeding.

Normally, this procedure is recommended by the dentist right after the extraction and, therefore, you can leave the office with the gauze in place. However, it is advisable to change the gauze at home, and it is important to wash your hands well before removing the dirty gauze and putting on new gauze.

2. Apply ice to your face

It is common to notice slight swelling of the gums and face in the area around the tooth that was removed. To alleviate this discomfort, it is important to apply ice packs to the face, where the tooth was. This procedure can be repeated every 30 minutes for 5 to 10 minutes.

Another option is to consume ice cream, but it is very important that it is in moderation, especially in the case of ice cream with a lot of sugar as it can harm the health of your teeth. Therefore, after eating ice cream, it is also advisable to wash your teeth, but without brushing the area of ​​the extracted tooth.

3. Use of medicines

The use of analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, may be recommended by the dentist to relieve pain and discomfort, and is recommended to be used in accordance with the dentist’s instructions.

It may also be recommended to use antibiotics for 5 to 7 days to prevent the proliferation of bacteria in the mouth and thus prevent infection.

4. Other care

Other precautions that must be followed to ensure healing and avoid infection are:

• Avoid rinsing your mouth vigorously, brushing the area or spitting.as it can displace the clot;
• Do not touch the place where the tooth waseither with the tooth or the tongue;
• Chew with the other side of the mouthso as not to remove the clot with the pieces of food;
• Avoid eating very hard or hot foods or drinking hot drinks, such as coffee or tea, as these can dissolve the clot;
• Do not smoke, drink through a straw or blow your nosebecause it can create pressure differences that displace the clot.
• Avoid smokingas chemicals in cigarettes can increase the risk of mouth infections;
• Rinse your mouth gently with warm water and salt 2 to 3 times a day, 12 hours after surgery, to eliminate excess bacteria.

This care is especially important during the first 24 hours after tooth extraction, but can be maintained during the first 3 days to ensure better healing.