Tooth Extraction: Recovery and Healing Tips

Although a tooth extraction can be disturbing to dwell upon, there is not much to it for a patient other than showing up, opening your mouth and holding still. After the tooth has been extracted, however, your recovery is pretty much up to you. Here are some basic after care tips for a quick recovery to your tooth extraction.

Immediate Aftercare

As soon as the tooth has been extracted, your dentist will instruct you to bite firmly on some gauze that has been placed over the site of the extracted tooth to quench the bleeding. After leaving the dentists office, be sure to replace this gauze every 20-30 minutes. Leaving the gauze in place longer may disturb the important formation of a blood clot when the gauze is removed. If swelling takes place, applied ice wrapped in a towel to the area for thirty minutes on, thirty minutes off until the swelling subsides. As for pain management, it is a good idea to fill your pain medication prescription if one is provided, even though many tooth extraction patients do not need it.

The First 24 Hours

The first 24 hours following a tooth extraction are critical to ensuring the formation of a healthy blood clot. The most important rules to follow are a list of things to avoid, including smoking, spitting, sucking (such as on a straw), hot foods, carbonated drinks and rinsing your mouth. If you stick to eating light, soft, room temperature foods and follow the rules, you should be in good shape. Obviously, follow any other instructions that your dentist provides.

Ongoing Aftercare

After 24 hours, it is important to start rinsing your mouth with warm salt water 3 or 4 times per day for 7-10 days following the procedure. Although the reason was not indicated, my dentist recommended avoiding aspirin if using over-the-counter pain medication. If any unusual symptoms pop up, be sure to contact your dentist's office immediately.

Dry Sockets

In most cases, a tooth extraction will heal quickly and without incident, but not every tooth extraction heals so smoothly. If a healthy blood clot fails to form or is prematurely disturbed, this can create a situation in which the bone of the jaw is exposed and becomes inflamed, commonly referred to as a dry socket. Although a dry socket is often a result of a patient not following the dentist's aftercare instructions, sometimes a dry socket will occur despite a patient's best behavior. Unfortunately, this condition can be pretty painful, and there isn't a whole lot to do other than to wait it out with pain medication. Your dentist may attempt applying a sedative dressing to the area that will help with the pain and encourage tissue growth. A dry socket typically heals itself within a few days. If you find yourself with a dry socket following a tooth extraction, remember that it is a temporary condition and just try to get as comfortable as possible; this too will pass.

Sources:

Dentist's advice and pamphlets

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_osteitis