Dos and Don’ts After Tooth Extraction

Whether you are recommended tooth removal for any reason or need to undergo the wisdom tooth extraction process, you will remain concerned about the dos and don’ts that will saddle you after removing the tooth.

Tooth extractions concern most people because they lose permanent teeth from their mouths. However, dentists perform the procedure painlessly, giving you adequate instructions on the care after extracting your teeth.

This article looks at the specific dos and don’ts suggested by dentists after removing teeth from the patient’s mouth. Therefore if you have scheduled a tooth removal with the dentist in spirit Lake, IA, we suggest you keep the following dos and don’ts mentioned to recover quickly from the tooth removal procedure.

Dos after Tooth Extraction

• Get Sufficient Rest: Tooth extractions might not feel like a significant procedure, but it remains a surgery for practical purposes. Therefore you must ensure you get sufficient rest and relaxation after your procedure to enable the extraction site to heal correctly. In addition, you must keep your head elevated to prevent continuous blood flow and help form a blood clot.
• Blood Clot Formation: Bleeding is expected after getting a tooth removed. The dentist places a gauze pad over the surgical site asking you to bite on it. You can change the pad an hour after the procedure or whenever it becomes saturated with blood. A blood clot eventually forms in the extraction site to prevent your chances of developing infections. Not allowing the formation of a blood clot results in a dry socket, a painful condition that requires additional treatments from your dentist.
• Remain Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps keep your teeth clean and your mouth bacteria-free, besides keeping your body hydrated. However, do not consider using straws for drinking because the suction can dislodge your blood clot.
• Address Swelling and Pain: Pain and swelling are expected after removing a tooth. The condition remains with you for 72 hours, making it essential to have the pain medications the dentist suggests. In addition, ice packs on your cheeks for 15-minute intervals help alleviate the swelling.

Don’ts After Tooth Extraction

• Avoid Smoking: Smoking is harmful to your general and dental health and can damage the blood clot in the extraction site. Therefore you must avoid smoking to prevent infections in your mouth.
• Carbonated Beverages And Alcohol Are Forbidden: Alcohol and carbonated beverages damage the blood clot in the extraction site and are best avoided for at least 96 hours after your procedure.
• Refrain from Eating Chewy and Hard Foods: missing a tooth might feel strange, but you can help yourself by avoiding poking around the surgical site with your tongue or other objects during your recovery. In addition, it is best to have nutritionally rich foods without considering chewy and hard foods to prevent food particles and bacteria from accumulating in the extraction site.
• Allow the Blood Clot to Remain in Place. As mentioned earlier, dislodging the blood clot makes you a victim of a dry socket needing additional treatments from your dentist besides causing severe pain and delaying your recovery. If you feel you have disturbed the blood clot and experience severe pain or fever, contact your dentist immediately to receive treatment with a sedative dressing over the extraction site and to prevent infections.

Tips for Better Healing

If you intend healing without complications after getting a tooth or teeth removed, you must follow the suggestions mentioned in this article for better recovery. You cannot consider the tooth removal procedure as inconsequential because the process removes a part of your body to benefit your dental and overall health. In addition, not caring for the extraction site increases complications in your mouth besides expenditure from having to visit the dentist requesting additional treatments.

Tooth extractions are relatively standard procedures performed on many patients, including children and teenagers needing treatment for tooth decay, orthodontic treatment, et cetera. If you have an infected tooth or a problematic wisdom tooth causing pain and infections in your mouth, the spirit Lake dentist suggests the removal of the specific tooth to benefit your dental and general health. However, they also provide after-care instructions that you must follow diligently to recover quickly from the extraction without encountering complications.

Great Lakes Dental Associates performs many tooth extractions on patients using non-invasive treatments after providing local anesthesia or sedatives for comfort. Kindly consult them if you confront problems with your teeth that are better alleviated by removing the tooth from the practice.