Firstly, make sure you rest. It’s not only about letting your body heal but it can be mentally and physically draining too, especially if you experience anxiety when coming to the dentist. Make sure you do as little exercise as possible and put your feet up, keeping your head up to avoid unnecessary bleeding. For the first night using an extra pillow if possible. It is also a good idea to use an old pillowcase, or put a towel on the pillow, in case you bleed a little.
Avoid hot food or drinks until the anesthetic wears off. This is important as you cannot feel pain properly and may burn or scald your mouth. Also be careful not to chew your cheek. This is quite a common problem, which can happen when there is no feeling.
It can be tempting but do not rinse the area for the first 24 hours. It is important to allow the socket to heal, and you must be careful not to damage the blood clot by eating on that side or letting your tongue disturb it. This can allow infection into the socket and affect healing.
Different people heal at different speeds after an extraction. It is important to keep your mouth and the extraction site as clean as possible, making sure that the socket is kept clear of all food and debris. Don’t rinse for the first 24 hours, and this will help your mouth to start healing. After this time use a salt-water mouthwash, which helps to heal the socket. A teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water gently rinsed around the socket twice a day can help to clean and heal the area. Keep this up for at least a week or for as long as your dentist tells you. It is important to keep to a healthy diet and a Vitamin C supplement can also help your mouth to heal.
There will usually be some tenderness in the area for the first few days, and in most cases some simple pain relief is enough to ease the discomfort. However, if the pain starts to get worse instead of better please call us so a dentist can check how your mouth is healing and discuss where to go from here.
Our friendly team at Pimpama City Dental Centre are always available for any other questions you may have following a tooth removal.