How to Care for Your Mouth After a Tooth Extraction Properly?

Although losing a tooth can seem quite daunting, caring for your mouth properly will allow for a swift recovery. Whether you’ve had your infected molar, broken premolar or troublesome wisdom tooth removed, looking after your mouth properly in the days after is very important. Although your dentist will carry out your tooth extraction to remove your broken tooth and protect your surrounding oral health, you’ll need to follow a careful recovery routine at home. This will help to avoid any painful complications like dry socket, plus also help your mouth to stop bleeding and allow your gum tissue to fully recover.

By knowing how to control your bleeding, swelling, eat the right foods and clean your teeth, you’ll be back to your usual routine in no time!

1. Control Bleeding

The first 24 hours after having your tooth extracted is the most important as your body will form a blood clot in the hole where your tooth was. This helps to protect the bone and nerves underneath.

Bite onto gauze firmly. When leaving the clinic your dentist will place a sterile gauze pad over the extraction site. Bite down gently but firmly onto the gauze for 30-45 minutes.
Change gauze. After 45 minutes remove the gauze. If there is still some bleeding place another sterile gauze pad over the site and bite down for 30 minutes.
Don’t spit forcefully. Avoid spitting forcefully into the sink. This can cause a suction effect that will cause the blood clot to come out of the socket causing fresh bleeding.
Don’t use a straw. Avoid drinking anything through a straw for the next few days. This will cause the blood clot to come out of the socket and causes painful dry socket.
Raise your head. When lying down or sleeping raise your head with extra pillows to reduce any light oozing.

2. Control Swelling

Tooth extractions can often cause some swelling to your face and light bruising to your cheeks and jaw after surgery, especially if it was a wisdom tooth extraction. This is perfectly normal and part of your body’s natural healing process.

Ice packs. Place a clean cloth around an ice pack or frozen vegetable bag. Apply to your cheek near the extraction site for 15 minutes. Remove for 15 minutes. Continue this throughout the first day.
Warm compresses. After 48 hours switch to warm damp compresses. This will help to relax your tight jaw muscles and increase blood flow to reduce any swelling.
Swelling peaks. Usually your face will swell the most on the second/third day. Don’t worry this will subside naturally by the fourth/fifth day.
Stay relaxed. Sit in a comfortable chair to keep your heart rate steady and reduce quick blood flow to your face.

3. Pain Relief

After a few hours your local anesthetic will begin to wear off. You may feel some mild to moderate pain around the extraction area. Taking pain relief will make you more comfortable.

Take pain relief. Take your recommended over the counter pain relief (ibuprofen/acetaminophen) before your local anesthetic wears off completely.
Take prescribed medication. If your dentist has prescribed you specific pain relief or a course of antibiotics to prevent bacterial infection, take all of your medication as instructed.
Avoid aspirin. Avoid taking any aspirin unless your doctor says it’s okay. This thins your blood causing more bleeding.
Eat cold foods. Cold foods such as cold yogurts or ice creams will numb your sore gum tissue.

4. Eat Soft Foods

Eating the right foods will help to protect your extraction site and avoid any irritation. Eating the right foods will provide your body with essential nutrients.

Soft foods. Eat soft foods for the first couple of days. Have plenty of warm soups, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, porridge, apple sauce, smoothies and yogurts.
Chew on the opposite side. Be sure to chew all your food on the opposite side of your mouth to avoid any food getting into the extraction site.
Avoid small seeded foods. Avoid foods with small seeds such as strawberries, raspberries, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. These will get stuck in your extraction site causing irritation.
Avoid spicy and acidic foods. Avoid eating peppers, citrus fruits, tomato sauces and vinegar dressings. These will irritate your open gum tissue.
Drink plenty of water. Sip on some water throughout the day to stay hydrated, wash away any food and help your tissues to heal quickly.

5. Brush Your Teeth

Keeping your mouth clean will help to prevent bacteria growing around your extraction site. However, you will need to adjust how you brush your teeth.

Don’t brush near extraction site. On the first day brush your teeth as usual but avoid brushing near your extraction tooth and the surrounding teeth.
Brush gently. On day two start brushing your teeth twice a day. Use a soft bristled toothbrush and brush gently around the area.
Salt water rinse. After 24 hours mix ½ tsp of salt into a glass of warm water. Gently swish the warm salt water around your mouth after eating. Spit out gently.
Avoid mouthwash. Avoid using any harsh mouthwashes or alcohol based mouthwashes for the first week. Chemicals can irritate your healing gum tissue.

6. Protect Your Blood Clot

The most common complication after a tooth extraction is dry socket. This occurs when the blood clot doesn’t form properly and falls out exposing the bone and nerves. This can cause pain.

Symptoms of dry socket. Dry socket can cause severe throbbing pain that radiates towards your ear, temple and neck. This will occur 3-4 days after your extraction. You may also experience a bad taste in your mouth.
Avoid smoking. Tobacco contains harmful chemicals that will restrict blood flow. Smoking causes a suction affect in your mouth causing the blood clot to be ripped out. Avoid smoking for at least 5-7 days.
Don’t poke your extraction site. Avoid poking your extraction site with your tongue, fingers, toothpicks or cotton buds.
See your dentist. If you experience any symptoms of dry socket see your dentist. They will place a soothing medicated dressing into your extraction site to cover the exposed bone and remove any pain.

7. Rest

Your body will need extra energy and rest so it can heal your surgical wounds. Over exerting yourself will slow down your healing and increase bleeding.

Rest at home. Try to rest at home for the rest of the day. Take at least one full day off work/school.
Avoid strenuous activity. Avoid any strenuous activity, lifting heavy items, running or going to the gym for at least 3-5 days. This will increase your heart rate, blood pressure and cause bleeding.
Sleep with extra pillows. Sleep in bed with extra pillows to keep your blood pressure steady and reduce swelling in the mornings.
Stop if you’re feeling unwell. If you feel dizzy, tired or sore stop what you’re doing and rest.

8. Know the Signs of Complications

Most tooth extractions will heal fine however knowing the signs of something going wrong will help you to seek professional help quickly.

Excessive bleeding. If you are still bleeding heavily after changing your gauze pads for 2 hours contact your dentist.
Increasing temperature. If your temperature is increasing to above 101 degrees this means you have a bacterial infection. See your dentist immediately.
Increasing pain. After day 3 your pain should start to improve. If your pain gets worse see your dentist.
Pus. If you see any yellow/green pus oozing from your extraction site this means there is an infection. See your dentist.

Daily Checklist

Bite firmly onto your initial gauze pad for 45 minutes.
Avoid spitting forcefully, using a straw and smoking to protect your blood clot.
Apply ice packs to your cheek for the first day to reduce swelling.
Take your recommended pain relief before your local anesthetic wears off.
Eat only soft foods such as yogurt, soup and mash.
Chew food carefully on the opposite side.
Rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water 24 hours after.
Brush your teeth gently on day 2. Avoid touching the extraction site.
Rest at home. Avoid any strenuous activity, exercising or lifting for a few days.
If you experience severe pain, excessive bleeding or a fever contact your dentist.

FAQs

1. How long does it take for my extraction site to heal?

The soft tissue will heal in 1-2 weeks so you will be able to eat normally. However, the bone underneath will take 3-6 months to fully regenerate.

2. When can I start smoking again?

You should avoid smoking for at least 5-7 days. Smoking introduces harmful chemicals and causes suction that will cause your blood clot to be destroyed causing agonizing dry socket.

3. Is it normal to taste blood?

Yes! It is perfectly normal to taste a very slight pink flavor or have some oozing in the first 24 hours. However if your mouth fills with bright red blood bite onto a fresh gauze pad and contact your dentist.

4. Can I have a hot cup of coffee/tea?

Avoid having any hot drinks for the first 48 hours. This will increase blood flow to the wound causing the blood clot to dissolve and cause fresh bleeding. Have cool or room temperature drinks.