Tooth Extractions

How do I prevent dry socket after a tooth extraction?

When you have a tooth extracted, you develop a blood clot shortly after the surgery to begin the healing process. If this blood clot becomes dislodged before your mouth has fully healed it can cause pain, this is called dry socket.

Tips for avoiding dry socket:

1. Avoid straws or anything that creates a suction movement of air and cheek muscles.
2. Do not consume any form of tobacco. Smoking tobacco results in fast inhalation that can dislodge your blood clot and the chemicals may prevent healing or cause an infection.
3. Eat soft foods only like applesauce, yogurt, and mashed potatoes for the first one or two days.
4. Inquire about any medicines you’re taking to ensure they don’t interact with the healing process.
5. Use proper oral hygiene to keep your mouth clean and consider an antibacterial mouthwash.
6. Follow your doctor’s instructions on proper oral care to improve recovery time.

Does a tooth extraction hurt?

Because anesthesia is used during all tooth extraction procedures, you shouldn’t feel any pain during surgery. Once surgery is over and the anesthesia starts to wear off, you’ll feel some pain but can take over-the-counter pain medication to manage this. For more extensive tooth extractions, your dentist will prescribe stronger pain relievers.

On average, pain from a tooth extraction should decrease after three days. If it doesn’t, contact your dentist so they can check the extraction site to make sure it’s healing properly and there’s no sign of infection.

When can I stop using gauze after my tooth extraction?

You will only need to use gauze for the first 45 minutes to two hours after your tooth extraction. This time depends on whether or not the bleeding from your extraction site has stopped. If it is still bleeding after this time, you will need to consider changing the gauze and continuing to use it until the bleeding stops.

Most simple tooth extractions should heal within 7 to 10 days. Surgical tooth extractions and wisdom tooth removals can take several weeks to heal.

When can I eat solid food after a tooth extraction?

It’s important to be gentle with your mouth after having a tooth extraction procedure. This means you’ll need to avoid hard and crunchy foods such as chips and crackers since they could disturb the extraction wound. As a general rule of thumb, you should wait at least seven days to incorporate solid foods into your diet. However, all patients are different so check with your dentist to be sure.

What to Eat After Tooth Extraction

Some good soft foods to consider eating after oral surgery include:

• Yogurt
• Scrambled eggs
• Mashed potatoes
• Smoothies
• Blended soups
• Applesauce
• Cottage cheese