From cavities to rogue wisdom teeth, tooth extraction is an ordeal for anyone. Tooth extraction is a type of oral surgery where a bad or risk-causing tooth is removed both from your gums and from the bone structure of your jaw. Doing this leaves a bleeding hole in the socket that leads directly to your jawbone. This creates a uniquely high risk of infection and an unmistakable post-oral-surgery experience for recovery. You will taste blood, your jaw will hurt, and you’ll live on smoothies & protein shakes for a few days. But that part you probably already knew.

Today, we want to offer you an inside look into the process of recovering from a tooth extraction. We know that most patients can skim WebMD to learn the basics, but what can you really expect, and how can you turn that experience into a healthy recovery from your wisdom tooth extraction surgery? That is what we are here to answer today.

• Hold the first gauze
• Call the dentist if there is pain or excess bleeding after 4 hours

Waking up from the anesthetic, you, like most patients, will notice the taste of blood and a gauze pad wedged into the space where your tooth used to be. This gauze pad is doing exactly what a gauze pad would do for a hole in your arm – helping to protect the blood clot, stem the bleeding, and prevent infection. Your dentist will ask you to bite down firmly on the gauze pad to apply pressure. Just like you’d hold a bandage to your arm, but because we can’t strap the gauze around your jaw, the natural biting action will have to do the trick.

So this taste of bloody gauze will be accompanied by an empty and possibly already achy feeling in your jaw where the tooth used to be. This may even feel a little nostalgic from losing your last baby tooth many years ago.

The pad of gauze put in by your dentist should stay in place and maintain pressure on the extraction site and bite on the gause for 10 to 15 minutes and repeat this 2, 3 times, Brisbane dentist Pure Dentistry says. This will help the blood clot to form in a protected space. Keep biting down to hold the gauze in place, but not so hard that your jaw feels clenched. However, if your mouth is bleeding profusely and the gauze is soaked, change the gauze every 30-45 minutes with firm pressure until the bleeding stops.

If you are still bleeding profusely after four hours, call your dentist and consult. Better yet, have a family member call while you lie down and clench gauze in the socket.

The 4-hour mark is also when you should reassess yourself for pain. Most patients skip feeling intense pain due to anesthesia or stop feeling intense pain within 2 hours of leaving the dentist. However, if you experience intense pain and it does not abate in 4 hours, call your dentist and let them know.

• Get home safely
• Transition to painkillers
• Apply ice in 10-minute intervals

You will likely come home groggy and ready for a nap. This is good, because you should be resting for the next several days. However, the first thing to plan for is your pain management. In a few hours, the sedation and/or numbing agent will wear off and your mouth will hurt. On your way out, you will be given a prescription for painkillers. Make sure the office or nearby pharmacy fills this prescription before you get home.

The first thing to do on Day 2 is rinse & spit. It’s finally time. Mix a solution with 8 ounces of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Do not swish with force, as you might, when angrily using mouthwash, gently swish the salt water in your mouth and let it flow over your gums. Then spit the salt water into the sink and start your day.

During the first 24 hours home, do not rinse your mouth and especially do not rinse & spit. The last thing you want is to accidentally rinse-out your socket clot. Be very careful when drinking liquids and do not create any sort of suction in your mouth.

• Don’t rinse & spit
• Very soft foods, no hot liquids
• No straws

The first 24 hours you spend home are the most important. Set your watch/phone alarm and follow the rules until it beeps in a day. The reason is your socket blood clot. This ‘scab’ deep inside your tooth socket is essential for preventing infection and an unpleasant condition called Dry Socket. Without the blood clot, the exposed socket is subject to air, food, and saliva.

To protect your forming blood clot, you absolutely must treat your mouth gingerly for the first 24 hours, and that includes no straws. Got your attention? Good, this next set of tips is extremely important for avoiding dry socket.

Icing the jaw-area where your tooth was extracted can also help with both pain and swelling. Wrap a bag of ice in a thin dish towel and hold the ice to your face for 10 minutes. We know, RICE icing is for 30-minutes, but this is your jaw. The tissues, nerves, and jawbone are more sensitive to cold than an elbow or knee. Do not ice for longer than 10 minutes at a stretch or the cold could cause tissue damage to your face.

If you come home numb or sedated, that will eventually wear off and pain will return. The amount and depth of pain you feel will depend on the extraction. Which tooth was removed, why, and how easy it was to remove all factors into the amount of pain felt and the time it will take to heal.

Be prepared to transition from feeling numb to taking painkillers according to doctor instructions. The good news is that many patients are fine with a few tablets of Acetaminophen. Start a painkiller routine and set an alarm so that it’s easy to take your painkillers on time, and not too soon.

The first challenge is getting home safely. Even if you opt for a numbing agent instead of anesthesia, do not drive yourself home. Have a friend or a hired driver take you home from the dentist’s office – after filling your prescription, of course. As soon as you get home find yourself a place to lie down. Prop up a few pillows to keep your head elevated.

• Rinse & spit
• Mostly-soft food diet

When your 24-hour alarm sounds, it is finally safe to clean your mouth and try foods that aren’t completely liquid. By now, your blood clot should have solidified and set into place. But don’t bite into an apple, just yet. Ease yourself through mostly-soft foods and be aware of the effects of suction until you’re sure the blood clot is fine.

Be extremely careful about eating and drinking during this period. No solid foods. Stick to liquids, purees, and semi-liquids. Do not eat anything that requires even a single chewing motion. Food can dislodge the clot and chewing can actually create suction that could pull out the clot.

Speaking of suction: No straws. We know, it sounds crazy to be on a soft food diet without the use of a straw. But straws create suction in your mouth, which could pull that socket clot right out of the socket. So avoid straws and drink your meals carefully for the first day. The following list includes soft foods safe for the first 24 hours and mostly-soft foods you can transition through during recovery.

You should also avoid hot liquids – which increase swelling, and smoking – which can weaken the blood clot. We’ve heard (but haven’t tested) that spicy foods are also a poor choice with an exposed tooth socket.

Soft Foods to Eat After a Tooth Extraction

• Yogurt
• Pudding & Custard
• Blended Soups & Broths
• Applesauce
• Mashed Potatoes & Other Purees
• Smoothies
• Protein Shakes
• Hummus
• Instant Oatmeal

Mostly-Solid Foods to Try as You Recover

• Scrambled Eggs
• Soft-Baked Potato
• Mac ‘n Cheese
• Soft-Cooked Salmon
• Rice and Risotto
• Sloppy Joe Mix & Canned Pasta
• Stewed Vegetables

Last but not least, be wary for any signs of infection. Oral infections can be dangerous and if your blood clot is dislodged, there is a direct line for bacteria to reach your jawbone and bloodstream. Signs of infection include:

• Increased pain
• Fever and chills
• Nausea and vomiting
• Persistent redness & swelling
• Cough, restricted breath, and chest pains
• Excessive non-blood discharge

If you experience even one of these symptoms to a significant extent, call your dentist immediately. If the symptoms become severe, go to the emergency room. Remember, every surgery should be followed by watching for signs of infection – just in case.

After 1 to 3 days, you should experience a lessening of the jaw pain. This is a sign that your recovery is on track. If your pain doesn’t change within 4 days, call your dentist and check in on symptoms, just to be safe. Ideally, you should be mostly off of painkillers by now and start to get bored of recovery sleep. That is also a good sign that you’re on track.

The first day or two should be dedicated entirely to rest. Do your best to sleep through these days except to wake, sip some yogurt, and take a shower in between naps. Don’t worry about keeping a schedule except where painkillers are involved. Sleeping is also a great way to avoid risky behavior during the first 24 hours of clot care.

• Nap for days 1 and 2
• Elevate your head when resting
• Gently brush your teeth and tongue
• Pain relief on schedule

After Day 2, you have entered the coasting toward the wellness phase of recovery. It is now your job to rest as much as you feel is necessary and take it easy on your jaw for a while. Most people recover within one to two weeks after the surgery, but some need more rest and recuperation than others. This also depends on the severity and location of the tooth extraction. Give yourself a break and follow our recovery tips.

Now that the danger period has passed, you can expand your diet carefully. Add mostly-soft foods back into the mix like scrambled eggs or canned pears. Keep your foods soft, but it is finally safe to do a little chewing again.

You are also once again cleared for access to straws. This is good news, because surgery recovery is almost universally easier when you can sip your beverages and liquid meals through a straw. Preferably while reclining on a pile of pillows. Which takes us to our next set of tips.

When you lie down, rest with your head elevated on pillows. Because your head is above your heart (gravity-wise), this reduces blood flow and can help prevent ongoing bleeding. When you rest during the day, do so on a ramp of pillows. Use one or two extra pillows and sleep with your head elevated at night, as well. Elevate your shoulders with your head if your neck becomes uncomfortable.

The less bacteria camps in your mouth, the safer your healing tooth socket will be. This means it’s important to brush your teeth during recovery. It is not safe to brush the socket (a great way to dislodge your affixed blood clot), but you can brush everywhere else. Brush your teeth gently, then rinse the toothbrush and brush your tongue as well. Rinse gently, but thoroughly.

After 1 to 3 days, you should experience a lessening of the jaw pain. This is a sign that your recovery is on track. If your pain doesn’t change within 4 days, call your dentist and check in on symptoms, just to be safe. Ideally, you should be mostly off of painkillers by now and start to get bored of recovery sleep. That is also a good sign that you’re on track.

Last but not least, be wary for any signs of infection. Oral infections can be dangerous and if your blood clot is dislodged, there is a direct line for bacteria to reach your jawbone and bloodstream. Signs of infection include:

• Increased pain
• Fever and chills
• Nausea and vomiting
• Persistent redness & swelling
• Cough, restricted breath, and chest pains
• Excessive non-blood discharge

If you experience even one of these symptoms to a significant extent, call your dentist immediately. If the symptoms become severe, go to the emergency room. Remember, every surgery should be followed by watching for signs of infection – just in case.

Having one of your teeth extracted is a serious matter. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about the procedure itself – your dentist will take care of that. Instead, get ready to start recovering. From the moment you arrive at home, your job will be to rest, care for your growing blood clot, and stay healthy while you recover. For more insights on tooth extraction, how to prepare, what to expect, or how to recover, contact us today. We’re here for you.

Last but not least, be wary for any signs of infection. Oral infections can be dangerous and if your blood clot is dislodged, there is a direct line for bacteria to reach your jawbone and bloodstream. Signs of infection include:

• Increased pain
• Fever and chills
• Nausea and vomiting
• Persistent redness & swelling
• Cough, restricted breath, and chest pains
• Excessive non-blood discharge

If you experience even one of these symptoms to a significant extent, call your dentist immediately. If the symptoms become severe, go to the emergency room. Remember, every surgery should be followed by watching for signs of infection – just in case.

For wisdom tooth extraction under general anaesthesia, see Sleep Dentistry Brisbane or Brisbane Dental Sleep Clinic.

For dental extraction for children, visit Dr Soha Sharif www.kids-dentist.com.au or Brisbane Paediatric Dentist website.