When you visit the dentist, you may find that you need a tooth extraction, which comes with post op for extraction paperwork. This occurs when the tooth shows serious signs of decay and no other treatment will work. You will receive extraction post op instructions that tell you what to do when you get home, which ensures that the tooth heals properly and that you don’t suffer from a dry socket and other problems. You may find that you don’t remember what the dentist said or that you lost the tooth extraction post up paperwork. It’s easy to find out what you can do and what you should avoid when you head home.
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What to Do Post Op Tooth Extraction
Your instructions provide clear directions on what you can and can’t do. Take a look at the five things that you should do when caring for an extraction at home. These tips will help you heal properly without worrying about any possible complications.
Use Gauze
Immediately after a post op dental extraction, the dentist will place a gauze pad in your mouth at the site of the extraction. This pad absorbs any of the blood and other body fluids that you release. You’ll generally wear the same gauze pad after you get home. If you find that you’re still bleeding from the site after 45 minutes, you can replace the pad with a new one. It’s also helpful to apply a small amount of pressure. Your dental surgery post op care paperwork may suggest that you try pressing one hand against the spot on your mouth where the tooth was as the pressure can reduce the bleeding.
Relax
Keep in mind that a tooth extraction is a surgical procedure. Though your dentist may not put you under fully, you will feel some numbness in your mouth for the next few hours. Once the numbness wears off, you’ll likely feel enough pain that you don’t want to do your daily activities. You should plan to relax and take it easy for a minimum of 24 hours. Some people take a full two days or more off of work. Now is your chance to kick back with Netflix and watch all those shows on your list.
Choose a Cold Compress
The post op instructions for tooth extraction that your dentist gives you may suggest that you use a cold compress. All you need is a handful of ice placed in a dish towel or an old shirt. After filling the cloth with ice, place it directly against your mouth and face on the site of the extraction. This will help with inflammation and reduce your bleeding. You should only use the cold compress for 20 minutes at a time and rest for 10 minutes before using another one. Most drugstores sell cold gel packs that you can pop in the freezer before using too.
Grab Some Pillows
After an extraction, you will want to avoid laying in a flat or prone position. While you’ll likely want to lay down in bed or on the couch, you should use some pillows to prop up your upper body. Try placing the pillows behind your upper and lower back to get into a 45-degree or 90-degree angle. Laying in a flat position can keep the extraction site from healing and cause you more pain. Rely on this tip when you choose any missing tooth treatment options.
Rely on Soft Foods
Eating soft foods is the best thing that you can do after a post op dental extraction. Soft foods easily slide down your throat and do not require that you chew them. Many people try yogurt in the first few hours after extraction or flavored gelatin. If you can’t handle hot foods, you can try warm temperature broth or tea. Dentists also recommend milkshakes and soup in their extraction post op instructions. You may want to stick to cold and room temperature foods the first day and introduce hot foods the following day.
What to Avoid Post Op Tooth Extraction
Make sure that you follow the aftercare instructions regarding the things that you should avoid doing too. Following these directions will significantly reduce your chances of suffering any issues.
Smoking
Your post instructions after tooth extraction from Voss Dental will tell you to avoid smoking for 12 to 24 hours. This is the minimum amount of time that dentists recommend they give their extraction sites time to heal before they smoke again. Smoking increases your risk of dislodging the blood clot that forms on top of the site. This blood clot protects the socket and prevents infection. Though you might find tips on ways you can smoke after a tooth extraction, you should avoid cigarettes for at least one day.
Hot Foods
When you have a tooth pulled for upcoming dental implants, you might have some moderate pain. That can cause enough discomfort that you don’t want to eat or drink. When you feel strong enough to have a quick bite, checking your post op for extraction paperwork will reveal that you should avoid hot foods and drinks. This includes both soup and coffee. You may think that broth or tea is safe because they are liquids and do not require chewing. Avoid any type of hot foods or liquids for the first day after your extraction.
Rinsing
Rinsing is something that you may want to do because you feel fluids building up in your mouth. Dental surgery post op instructions warn patients not to rinse with any type of liquid, including mouthwash or saltwater. The motion of moving the liquid through your mouth can prevent the extraction site from healing. You also risk releasing a blood clot that can spread to another part of your body. Rinsing also increases the risks that you might develop an infection at the extraction site or a dry socket.
Straws
Missing tooth treatment options often include implants and bridges. While you wait for your next appointment, make sure that you avoid straws until the extraction site heals. Using a straw requires that you make a sucking motion with your mouth, which puts pressure on the site. This can cause a blood clot to form at the site, which can loosen and travel to your heart or lungs. No matter what you drink, you can take small sips from a glass instead of using a straw.
Spitting
As blood and other fluids build inside your mouth, you might feel tempted to spit. The post instructions after tooth extraction that you get will warn you against spitting though. This comes with the same risks that using a straw does. Spitting can lead to both blood clots and infections.
Carbonated Beverages
If you’re a fan of diet or regular soda, you may think that you can go right back to drinking those beverages after an extraction. This is dangerous because the bubbles in carbonated drinks can slow down the healing process. You also risk a blood clot forming. The instructions after extraction that you get from Voss Dental will tell you to avoid those beverages.
Brushing
Though it sounds like common sense, you should avoid brushing your teeth after an extraction. Some people think that brushing their remaining teeth will keep them healthy. Others think that the pressure will relieve some of their pain. Your dental extraction aftercare instructions will clearly explain why you shouldn’t brush your teeth. It’s normal to avoid brushing for a day or more after your extraction.
Special Instructions for Children
Many dentists in the Houston Texas area send home special tooth extraction post op paperwork for children after an extraction. Kids may need to have their teeth pulled because they suffered damage while playing a sport or they hit their mouth after a fall. Parents of those children need to follow special instructions because kids often have a hard time remembering what the dentist told them. Kids should not bite or chew on their cheeks or lips and should avoid scraping their tongues with their teeth. Adults must avoid the same things.
What is Normal?
Your post op instructions for tooth extraction will also give you a handy list of what is normal and what is not normal in the coming days. Many people experience some mild to moderate pain, which is usually worse on the first day. If you bump against the extraction site or sleep on that side, you’ll likely feel some additional pain the following day. It’s also normal to experience swelling around the extraction site as well as bleeding. You generally do not need to worry about those symptoms unless they worsen or persist.
Signs of Dry Socket
The post surgery instructions after tooth extraction will include a warning about dry socket. This is a condition that often occurs among those who smoke and use straws immediately after an extraction. A dry socket prevents the
extraction from healing and can cause quite a bit of pain. Some of the symptoms that you may experience include severe pain, an empty spot on the top of the extraction site, bad breath and a bad taste in your mouth. If you have any symptoms of a dry socket, you should call your dentist as soon as possible.
When to Contact the Dentist
You should contact Voss Dental if you experience any side effects shown in your dental surgery post op care paperwork or have questions about your tooth extraction post op paperwork. The biggest reason to call is if you notice excessive bleeding and/or swelling 24 hours after your appointment. You should also call if you show any signs of an infection such as feeling cold all of the time or running a fever. Dentists also recommend that patients call if they have trouble breathing or start coughing or vomiting.
Houston Texas dentists often send home dental extraction aftercare instructions with their patients to make sure that they know what to do to care for their extraction sites. If you need dental implants to replace two or more missing tooth, you should make sure that you follow everything listed in your paperwork. All of the instructions after extraction that your dentist gives you will help you avoid complications later, including dry socket and serious blood clots.