Proper care following a tooth extraction helps prevent complications and promotes faster healing. Follow these guidelines closely to ensure a smooth recovery.
Manage Bleeding and Pain
Bite down on gauze to control bleeding and take prescribed medications as directed. Pain typically peaks the night of surgery and decreases over the following days.
Dietary Recommendations
Stick to soft, cool foods on the day of surgery and avoid hard foods for several days to prevent irritation and bleeding.
Sutures and Anesthesia
Sutures will dissolve on their own in a few days. If you had IV sedation, avoid driving or operating machinery for 24 hours.
Anesthesia
If IV sedation was used, do not drive or operate machinery for 24 hours.
Bleeding
Immediately after surgery bite down on the supplied gauze for 15-20 minutes to stop any active bleeding.
Slight bleeding is common for as long as 24 hours after surgery. If this becomes heavy, place a new piece of gauze for an additional 15-20 minutes and bite firmly.
If bleeding is heavy and will not stop, please contact the office.
Pain
Post-operative pain is usually worst the night of surgery and will slowly decrease over the next three to four days.
Over the counter ibuprofen can be taken unless you are unable to take NSAID’s.
It is best to stagger the dosing of over-the-counter Tylenol and Ibuprofen. They can both be taken every 6 hours. Therefore, take either Tylenol or Ibuprofen every three hours.
If you feel your pain isn't controlled, please call the office.
Take all other prescription medications as directed.
Sutures
If sutures were placed they are resorbable and do not have to be removed. Sutures will normally come out 3-4 days after surgery. Sutures will occasionally come out the night of surgery. Unless associated with heavy bleeding, we do not replace these sutures.
Diet
The day of surgery, the diet should be very soft and room temperature or cooler, to help prevent bleeding. After the first day, any food temperature is alright, but harder foods should be avoided for several days.
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