 |
Patient Instruction
Extraction of a Tooth
After an extraction, it is important for a blood clot to form
in the socket. If a blood clot fails to form, is dislodged, or is dissolved,
a dry socket may form. This is a very painful infection of the bone and
requires additional treatment. The following instructions are intended to
help prevent this from occurring.
We will be sending several pieces of gauze
home with you. Bite on the gauze for 30-45 minutes after the procedure
is completed to help form the initial clot. The additional gauze
may be used if more time is required or the gauze becomes overly saturated
with blood and saliva. You may have to do this several times. If the bleeding
has not slowed or stopped after a few hours, call our office for
further instruction.
- Do not put any negative pressure on the socket:
Smoking, sucking through
a straw, rinsing and spitting vigorously, or picking at the
site with your toothbrush are all examples of negative pressure
and will dislodge the clot.
- Do not rinse or
consume anything that may dissolve the clot:
Carbonated and alcoholic beverages will dissolve the clot as
will mouth rinses with alcohol.
- Limit yourself to calm activities for
the first 24 hours to keep blood pressure down and limit bleeding.
- After
the tooth is extracted you may have a little swelling. Use an
ice pack if needed for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. The swelling
usually starts to go away after 48 hours.
- Use pain medications only as prescribed.
- Drink lots of water
and eat soft foods the first day. Gradually ease into harder
foods over the course of the week as you can tolerate them.
- Gently rinse
with warm saltwater rinses the next day using a rinse-swish-spit
technique.
- Begin your normal dental routine after 24 hours. Bushing
and flossing are very important to the health of your remaining
teeth.
- Place a towel over your pillow tonight as a little bit of
blood and a lot of saliva will look like a lot of blood and stain
your pillow.
Call us if you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, swelling
after 3 days, or any reactions to the medications we prescribed.
Back to Patient Instruction > >
|
|
