Tooth extractions are a rather common dental procedure. If you have a damaged tooth that cannot be treated or suffered a direct blow to the tooth resulting in a fracture, your tooth may need to be extracted.
The procedure itself is fairly straightforward. Your Rothschild dentist numbs the area and pulls the tooth out of the socket. In some cases, surgical interventions may be necessary, such as in the case of an impacted wisdom tooth that has not fully erupted.
While the procedure won’t keep you in the dentist’s office for long, you may be looking at a longer healing period. During this time, it’s important to follow your dentist’s recommendations to ensure the site is healing properly.
To help you with your post-extraction care, here are the main do’s and don’ts you need to be aware of:
What To Do After a Tooth Extraction
After your extraction, your dentist will likely give you several recommendations to care for the extraction site, based on your individual case.
But in general, these recommendations can include:
- Rest and take it easy - Avoid strenuous physical activity for at least 24 hours after your surgery, and give your body time to recover.
- Keep the gauze in place for around one hour - After the extraction, you’ll need to bite down on the gauze and keep it in place to put pressure on the wound. Keep it there for at least 1 hour.
- Maintain good oral hygiene - It’s important to continue to brush your teeth and clean your mouth thoroughly. Don’t brush over the extraction site, as it may dislodge the blood clot and lead to unwanted complications.
- Change your diet and eating habits - Switch to softer foods that don’t require a lot of chewing for at least 1-2 days. Eat on the other side of your mouth to avoid disturbing the blood clot.
- Monitor your symptoms - Pain or minor symptoms should diminish a few days after your procedure, so continue to monitor your health and if something is bothering you, reach out to your dentist right away.
What Not To Do After a Tooth Extraction
- Don’t smoke - The chemicals in cigarette smoke can lead to a dry socket and delay the healing process. Try to avoid smoking for at least 1 week after your extraction.
- Don’t use straws - It may seem like a good solution, but drinking through a straw forces you to make a suction motion with your mouth which may dislodge your blood clot. The same can happen when smoking a cigarette or spitting, so try to avoid them as well.
- Don’t take blood thinners - If you experience pain, you can take OTC medication like ibuprofen, but you should avoid aspirin or other blood thinners.
How Skutak Dental Can Hel
If you’re dealing with a badly damaged tooth that may need to be extracted, Lisa M. Skutak, DDS can help.
Book a consultation at Skutak Dental today!
