Tooth extraction aftercare includes gentle brushing, taking medications, and using things like saltwater rinses. Those with tooth extractions may need to participate in aftercare longer than they expect because it can take up to four months for the gum area to heal.
Expect Some Minimal Pain
The tooth extraction procedure comes with minimal pain. Dentists start the procedure by administering a local anesthetic to numb the area. With the anesthetic, you won’t feel pain but will feel only pressure from the work being done.
However, you will likely feel some pain after the anesthetic wears off later. Your dentist or surgeon may prescribe pain medication and antibiotics to take for the next few days. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications can also be used to relieve pain.
Prepare for minimal pain and aftercare in your schedule. Don’t plan on going back to work or school the day of the extraction or the next day. You will want to rest and manage any pain you have.
How to Prepare
Another way to prepare is to have soft foods that are easy to heat up in your refrigerator and cabinets. They need to be foods that can be eaten without being extremely cold or hot in temperature. The foods need to be non-spicy, non-crunchy, non-acidic soft foods like gelatin, pudding, lukewarm or cooler soups, pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, bananas, and boiled eggs.
You will also want to have salt, gauze pads, and OTC pain medications on hand. The last thing you will want to do is go to the store to pick up supplies, especially if you have pain.
The First Evening
The immediate hours after a tooth extraction are important to your overall healing. The first objective is to control bleeding of the extraction site. The dentist will give you a gauze pad to place over the wound in the office and will tell you to hold it in place for up to 45 minutes.
Some people bleed more and longer. Light bleeding is normal, so allow the gauze to stay. You can replace it if it becomes soaked in blood, but be careful. Movement could affect the blot clot formation. The blood clot needs to form in the socket to start healing. Removal of the blood clot can cause dry socket, which is painful.
First 24 Hours Care Instructions
Rest for 24 hours. Don’t exercise or perform strenuous activities for a week to prevent the blood clot from dislodging. Your dentist will tell you to avoid using straws and smoking for at least 48 hours because the suction action of both can dislodge the clot.
Use an ice pack on the outside of your jaw to ease swelling and pain for the first three hours after the procedure. Hold it there for 10 minutes and then remove for 5 minutes, repeat.
The dentist will tell you to avoid brushing your teeth for 24 hours because rinsing, swishing, or spitting can dislodge the clot. When you start toothbrushing again, be gentle and avoid the extraction area for a couple of weeks.
💧 Saltwater Rinse Instructions
Make a saltwater rinse by mixing ½ teaspoon of salt with a glass of warm water. You can use a saltwater rinse after the first 24 hours pass and do it several times daily. It is most effective after meals to wash away food debris.
The Healing Time Line
Most extractions heal well within a couple of weeks. Plan to go to a follow-up dental appointment. Stitches are dissolvable now, but sometimes they must be removed by the dentist, and that is done at the follow-up.
The dentist will check the healing and give you any other recommendations about diet and lifestyle habits.
First 5 Days
Stick to your soft diet
After 5 Days
Increase soft food options, but avoid hard, sticky, spicy foods
1-4 Months
Socket completely closes (varies by case)
Stick to your soft diet until you see the dentist again. You can increase your soft food options after five days, but stay away from hard, sticky, spicy, or extremely hot or cold foods. Avoid foods with points or jagged edges that can damage the extraction site.
It may take one to four months for the socket to completely close, but that can change with each case. You can go back to your normal diet after your follow-up visit, but do so cautiously to allow for more healing.
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