How to After Care For Your Tooth Extraction Procedure

Just the thought of getting a tooth removed fills some people with dread; however, most modern tooth-extraction procedures in the United States today can be performed with minimal pain or complications. Simple extractions involve removal of a visible, usually intact tooth; surgical extractions are more involved procedures to remove impacted or broken teeth. Following your dentist's instructions for post-extraction care is an important part of keeping your dental discomfort or any recovery problems to a minimum.

Things You'll Need

• Instructions from dentist
• Clean gauze pads
• Ice packs
• Pain-relief medication
• Warm salt water

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Instructions

• 1

  Request complete post-extraction instructions from your dentist before you undergo the procedure so you understand them fully and can ask any questions you may have.

• 2

  Press clean, tightly folded gauze pads into the hole where the tooth was extracted, beginning immediately following the procedure. Change to new gauze pads as needed; keep firm pressure on the extraction site for 30 to 45 minutes. This process helps absorb the blood from the extraction site.

• 3

  Place an ice pack on the outside of your jaw directly over the extraction location to keep swelling down and hasten clotting. The numbing action of the ice may also help limit pain or discomfort.

• 4

  Take an over-the-counter pain medication containing ibuprofen if needed to reduce pain and inflammation. Your dentist or oral surgeon may give you a prescription for a stronger pain-relief medication. According to the Consumer Guide to Dentistry, this is more common with surgical extractions than simple extractions.

• 5

  Avoid using straws, chewing solid foods, smoking or brushing the affected area for 24 to 48 hours following the extraction procedure. Try to eat only soft foods for the first 24 to 48 hours, and chew only on the side opposite the extraction site.

• 6

  Rinse the extraction site gently with warm salt water (1/2 tsp. of salt in a cup of water) after meals and before bed, beginning 24 hours after the extraction. Continue the salt water rinses for five to seven days.