1. Some bleeding is to be expected. We will provide you with gauze pads. Change them once or twice every hour. Fold and place the gauze over the extraction
site. Bite down and hold the gauze until
the bleeding slows down. It may take
several hours. Don't be concerned if the
area continues to ooze. It is normal and
may last through the night. If you
experience any heavy bleeding that doesn't seem to stop, call the office and we
will get back to you as quickly as possible.
You may remove the gauze to eat.
2. Take two Extra Strength Tylenol (or Aspirin-free
Anacin) as soon as you get home, and again every four
hours until you go to sleep. Don't wait
for the anesthesia (Novocain) to wear off first, since it takes time for the
Tylenol to work. See how you feel
tomorrow and if have some discomfort continue taking the Tylenol every four
hours. By the third or fourth day you
should be feeling much better. If you
continue to feel pain, or it seems to be getting worse call the office.
3. No: Rinsing, spitting, smoking, drinking with a straw, for 24 hours. Doing so could cause the blood clot to come
out of the socket and it won't heal as well.
The blood clot functions similar to a scab on you skin, helping the area
to heal.
Smoking: It is best not to smoke for at least 48 hours. The smoke will irritate the blood clot and
will interfere with the healing.
4. Keep your fingers and tongue away from
the socket.
5. food: A light diet is advisable during
the first 24 hours. Eat soft foods. Nothing too hot, and
nothing too spicy. Heat and
spices may prolong the bleeding. Avoid
things like crackers or toast which could irritate the socket.
6. After the
first 24 hours are over, begin rinsing
your mouth gently with warm salt water. Rinse gently 3 to 4 times a day, after meals and before bedtime. Repeat for the next 2 or 3 days.
7. Take all you
regular daily medications. If you take
blood thinners such as aspirin or coumadin you will have to wait 24 to 48 hours
before starting them again.
8. Bony edges. Several days or weeks after teeth are
extracted you may feel hard, sharp pieces coming out of the gum. These are not roots. They are usually pieces of bone which
surround the roots of the teeth. They
often break away and work themselves out.
9. If the blood clot is disturbed before the
socket heals it may start to bleed all over again. If it does, simply place another gauze pad or
clean cloth over the socket and apply pressure by biting.
Dry Socket: If it doesn't start to bleed again you may
have a dry socket. A dry socket could be
caused by something (such as food or smoking) irritating the blood clot. Sometimes the body just breaks down the blood
clot for no apparent reason. Dry sockets
may occur on the third, fourth, or fifth day after an extraction. They are generally very painful. They are treated by placing a packing with
medication in the socket, which will make it comfortable.
10.
In case of unusual symptoms or questions
call the office