We have placed a gauze for you to bite on for 30 minutes to help stop the bleeding. If bleeding persists, you may replace the gauze after wetting it with water. Do not sleep with gauze in your mouth, as it is a choking hazard. If you cannot get the bleeding to stop, please contact our office. You will likely still be numb when you leave our office for a couple of hours. Please be careful not to bite your tongue, lips, or cheeks.
Minimal bleeding, swelling, and discomfort is normal. For mild to moderate pain, Tylenol (500mg) and Ibuprofen (400mg) may be taken together every 6 hrs. Do not take any over-the-counter medications that you are allergic to or if your medical doctor has advised you not to take them. If you continue to have discomfort that persists for more than 2 weeks, please call our office.
You may also use cold compresses to help control any swelling and discomfort, 20 min on and 20 min off. This works best immediately following the tooth extraction.
Some people may develop bruising. This is much more common in individuals who bruise easily or take blood thinners.
Dry sockets are caused by a prematurely lost blood clot and usually cause pain 4 days after the extraction. Avoid mouthwash, spitting, smoking, and drinking through a straw to minimize your risk of a dry socket.
Maintain a soft diet and avoid foods that may get stuck where the tooth was removed, such as popcorn, nuts, rice, and chips. Pasta, Eggs, Fish, and Yogurt are all great soft diet foods.
You may resume normal oral hygiene after your extraction, being gentle near the extraction site. You may gently rinse with saltwater or mouthwash following the extraction.
Minimal to no physical activity is recommended the first 24 hours, and no excessive physical activity for 48 hours after tooth extraction. After 48 hours you may resume your normal physical activities.
If we have placed a suture, it will fall out on its own or we will schedule you to come back to have the suture removed.
If we expect any potential complications with healing, we will schedule a follow-up visit at the time of extraction. Otherwise, if you have any complications or concerns, please contact our office.
The extraction site may appear to be red due to inflammation of the gum tissue around the tooth (or teeth) that were removed. The socket of the extraction site may appear white or yellowish in color, and this is normal during the healing process. If you notice any pus or severe pain, please contact our office.
***Please notify our office if you have any questions or concerns. ***
Office Phone Number: 608-241-1579
