Extractions

On the day of the extraction:

  1. Keep biting on the gauze provided for a total time of 2 hours and replace the gauze every 20 to 30 minutes as necessary. If you are still bleeding, soak a tea bag in water and bite down on it.
  2. Place a cold towel or an ice bag on your face for 10 minutes on, then 10 minutes off for the first hour to help reduce swelling. Repeat during the course of the day as necessary.
  3. You can eat soft and cold food such as mashed potatoes, yogurt, smoothies, juice after the numbness wears off completely.
  4. Do not spit forcefully, if you need to spit let the saliva drool out from the side of your mouth with minimal force, any negative pressure will dislodge the blood clot from its location and may cause a dry socket.
  5. Avoid rinsing your mouth with water since this might wash out developing blood clot.
  6. Avoid smoking for the next 72 hours (3 days).
  7. Avoid hot, hard and spicy food and also avoid sodas and hot drinks today.
  8. Keep your tongue and finger away from the extraction socket.

On the following day after surgery:

Rinse your mouth with warm water and salt (½ tea spoon salt to a glass of water) for 30 seconds 3 times a day for the next 3 days.

After 2-3 days:

If pain persists to be increasing and the prescribed medications on the day of the surgery are not helping, please feel free to come back in for an evaluation since you might have a dry socket.

What is a dry socket? Dry socket is a painful condition that arises a few days from an unsuccessful blood clot formation after a tooth extraction. The most common cause for this condition is preexisting infection in the tooth, smoking and lack of proper after care.

Socket grafting for future implant placement:

  1. Do not use any mouthwash (Peridex, Listerine…etc) for 2 weeks as this will interfere with the bone graft healing.
  2. Avoid eating on the site of surgery for 6 weeks after surgery till the gums have completely healed.
  3. Sutures will be removed 2 weeks after surgery.
  4. After 6 weeks, a soft diet can be used to chew on the surgery site only, no hard or crunchy food yet.
  5. After 6 months from surgery, a normal diet can be resumed. If an implant is planned then an implant consultation with a dental CT scan will be made at your convenience.