Taking care after Your extraction

​After your tooth extraction, your dental team will go over your post procedure care instructions. It is very important to follow these instructions closely so the extraction site will heal quickly, and you can get back to your life. Here are some tips to help you with the healing process

• For the first 20 minutes, the dental technician will have you apply sterile gauze with pressure to help stop bleeding.

• Please don’t smoke for 48 to 72 hours

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• For the first 24 hours, please stick to soft foods only, like puddings, jello, ice cream, and applesauce. Milk shakes and smoothies are a good choice too. The cold will help reduce swelling. Just be sure to skip the straw as the sucking action could cause bleeding.
• For 3 days please avoid hard, pointy foods like chips and pizza crust. Also avoid carbonated or acidic beverages.

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• To reduce the normal swelling and bruising, you can use ice or a cold cloth for 10 minute intervals. If you don’t have an ice bag, grab a bag of frozen peas or corn from your freezer, they make great ice packs!
• If you have trouble with bleeding, try dampening a tea bag with cool water, remove the string and staple and press the tea bag against the extraction site for 30 minutes with direct pressure.
• After the first 24 hours, you can begin salt water rinsing. Just remember to be gentle when you swish and let the water flow out of your mouth. Forcibly spitting or swishing can cause the clotting to loosen and bleeding can start again.

Following these instructions will make recovery faster and allow you to resume your normal routine. If you have any concerns, please contact our office at any time. ​