It crucial to follow the advice of your dentist or oral surgeon after every procedure, especially if you had multiple tooth extractions. By doing so, you will not only ensure a smooth recovery, but also avoid any potential complications that might happen.
Keep in mind that removing one tooth is very different from removing multiple teeth and the recovery can be somewhat longer. Here’s what you could expect during that time.
Regardless whether you extracted one tooth or had multiple tooth extractions, you can expect some bleeding afterwards. This is normal. The best remedy for this is to put gauze on the area, apply gentle pressure and keep it that way for at least 30 minutes. Another thing you can try is to use we teabags instead of gauze. Until the bleeding subsides, you should keep your head elevated.
Oral surgeons at Premier Family Dental recommend using ice packets in the first 36 hours after tooth extractions. This will not only help with the bleeding, but it can also bring down the swelling and will soothe the pain.
In addition to ice package, a good remedy for pain after multiple tooth extractions is to take over-the-counter pain medication. This is something that we can prescribe and make sure that you take the appropriate dose. In the event that the pain doesn’t subside after two days, contact us and schedule a consultation with our oral surgeons.
After tooth extractions, you will also need to take antibiotics in order to prevent any infection. Now, some patients might be tempted to discontinue their course of antibiotics after the wound has healed, but we strongly recommend that you DON’T. Finish the entire dose, even if the pain and discomfort have subsided.
Chewing will be difficult for some time, so switch to a soft food diet and make sure that you drink plenty of fluids (not too hot or too cold). Keeping yourself hydrated will keep the wound (and your body clean) and it will also promote faster healing.
If you notice sudden or intense pain, make sure to report it to your oral surgeon immediately. It might be nothing to worry about but it could also be a sign of an infection. It’s best to have a look in order to avoid any surprises.
Do’s and Don’ts after multiple tooth extractions
To make sure that your recovery from tooth extractions goes as smooth as possible, we also advise that you Do these thing and DON’T do these things.
Do’s
Clotting – the tooth extractions sites would be open wounds and in order to heal, blood will need to clot (to close the wound). The oral surgeon will give you a piece of gauze to bite on (near the extraction site, not directly at it) gently. The gentle pressure will slow down the bleeding which will allow it to clot and seal off the wound.
Keep biting the gauze for at least an hour (although we recommend changing it every 30 minutes) and make sure that you don’t move it (open your mouth). A piece of gauze could get directly on the wound and get stuck.
Resting – Even though tooth extractions are done under anesthesia and you won’t feel a thing, we highly recommend that you don’t do any strenuous activity for the first 24 hours. You might feel great and everything, but instead of going to the gym to exercise or do too much activity, lie down, rest and keep your head elevated.
The Don’ts
Smoking – for the first 48 hours after the extractions, it’s important to keep the extraction site as clean as possible. If you’re a smoker, refrain from smoking for at least two days. The chemicals found in cigarettes could cause you to from a dry socket which isn’t something you want.
Say no to solid food – The extraction site might feel numb and you think that you’d be okay to eat solids, but don’t. Instead try eating soups, mashed potatoes, milkshakes, smoothies and yogurts.
Cleaning – We mentioned before that it’s important to keep the tooth extractions site clean. You can do this at home by rinsing your mouth with warm saline. You cannot brush that part of your mouth yet, so this is the best alternative to it. We advise that you rinse 12 hours after the procedure and to do it gently.
Pain medication – If the pain or discomfort become too much to handle, you can of course take pain medication. However, avoid taking Aspirin. Aspirin is also a blood thinner medication which can hinder the natural clothing process that needs to happen in order for the wound to heal. So instead of Aspirin, take Ibuprophen.
We hope that these tips will make the recovery process after tooth extractions easier. In order to avoid dental problems (and potential tooth extractions) we recommend that you regularly check your teeth (at least twice a year) and to professional dental cleaning.
