Patient Care Instructions after Tooth Extraction

Tooth extraction is a surgical procedure. It is natural that temporary changes will occur in the mouth afterward. You will be functioning normally within a few days.

The day of your procedure – be careful eating.

When an anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth, and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid any chewing and hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off. It is recommended that you take 2 tablets (400mg) of ibuprofen before the anesthesia completely wears off. This will help with any swelling or pain at the injection sites where anesthesia was administered. It will also help diminish any swelling in the nerve that may exist. Do not take ibuprofen on an empty stomach.

During the first 24 hours after the extraction, follow these simple rules to promote healing and prevent complications.

• Do not smoke.
• Do not suck through a straw. 
• Do not rinse your mouth vigorously. 
• Drink lots of fluids and eat only soft nutritious foods. 
• Avoid hot and spicy foods. 
• Avoid coffee, carbonated, and alcoholic beverages.

After an extraction, it is important to allow a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process.

After the blood clot forms, it is important to protect it, especially for the first 24 hours. The above activities may dislodge the clot and slow down healing. Limit yourself to calm activities for the first 24 hours. This keeps your blood pressure lower, reduces bleeding and helps the healing process. Rinse your mouth three times a day with a warm salt water to reduce pain and swelling. Patients with hypertension should avoid rinsing with salt water; a substitute of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water can be used. The swelling will typically begin to diminish after 48 hours.

Use pain medication only as directed.

If antibiotics have been prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone. In addition, it is very important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours, which should include daily brushing and flossing. Please call our office if you experience heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling after two or three days, or a reaction to the medication.

Please call our office if you experience heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling after two or three days, or a reaction to the medication.