Post extraction advice
It is important to look after your mouth after you have had a tooth taken out, so that you can speed up the healing process and prevent infection. Here is some general advice for looking after yourself.
- After an extraction a clot will form in the hole left by the tooth. It is important not to disturb the clot, as it may cause the socket to start bleeding again. Therefore, for the first 24 hours , you should avoid exercise. Also, do not smoke, drink alcohol or eat hot food
- Six hours after the extraction, add half a teaspoonful of salt to a glass of warm water and gently rinse your mouth. This will keep the socket clean and prevent infection. This process should be repeated after meals and before bed for up to a week
- To keep your mouth clean, you should continue with your normal daily routine of brushing your teeth with toothpaste
- After an extraction it is quite common for small pieces of bone to work their way out of the socket and for there to be some swelling or discomfort
- If the bleeding does not stop you can either use clean cotton handkerchiefs or some gauze, which your dentist will supply you with
- Roll some small firm pads into a size that will fit over the socket
- Remain sitting up and use the gauze or handkerchief to clean away any blood around the socket
- You should then place a pad across the socket and bite down on it for 10 to 15 minutes. If it has not stopped bleeding you should apply another pad
- If the bleeding has not stopped within two hours, you should contact your dentist
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