Having Teeth Pulled? What To Know About After Care
Is your dentist going to perform oral surgery for removing at least one of your teeth? If so, you'll need to be prepared for the type of aftercare that is involved. Not understanding what to do can result in complications with the surgical procedure.
Take Care of the Wound
The process of extracting teeth will involve making an incision located in your gum tissue. The incision that you have will need proper care for it to heal correctly. Your dentist will use sutures to seal the incision after they've extracted the tooth, and then place gauze on it. You'll be instructed to gently bite down on the gauze to stop bleeding and help form a blood clot.
If you have problems and a blood clot doesn't form, you face the risk of getting an infection due to bacteria and food particles getting into the incision area. This is called dry socket, and it tends to happen within a few days of your tooth extraction procedure. That's why you'll want to pay attention to the incision site so closely afterward.
Call your dentist if the blood clot forms and becomes dislodged, you don't have one form at all, or you're experiencing swelling and pain in the extraction site.
Take Pain Relievers
It is normal to experience swelling and pain right after the tooth is extracted, but it does get better as the days progress. The time you'll feel the most pain is right after the surgical procedure. Make sure you have ibuprofen on hand and to take is preemptively rather than reactively. It will help with swelling, pain, and inflammation in the surgical site.
You should also apply ice, not heat, to your jaw in the area where the tooth was extracted. Ice will numb the pain and improve blood flow to the area, which speeds up your recovery.
Take Care of Your Oral Health
You should rinse out your mouth with a warm salt water solution the day following the surgical procedure. Warm salt water helps rinse food particles away from the incision site and kills off bacteria in your mouth. When brushing your teeth, use a gentle motion that will not damage the blood clot or prevent it from forming. Avoid using straws as well, since the sucking motion will make the inside of your mouth pressurized and dislodge the blood clot.
If you have concerns about aftercare, speak with a dental office like Renovo Endodontic Studio about it prior to the extraction surgery.
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