After Tooth Extraction

The day of the surgery

The following instructions must be respected to promote healing. Note that it is normal to experience some discomfort and swelling after the surgery.

• Keep gauze in the mouth for 1-2 hours by maintaining a firm pressure and replace them every half-hour, as needed.
• Always keep your head elevated.
• Apply ice on the cheek at regular intervals (20 minutes every hour)
• If you are bleeding, bite into a gauze or a humidified teabag for 20 minutes.
• Blood-tinged saliva is a normal postoperative effect.
• Limit your physical efforts and don’t forget to rest.
• Do not dislodge the blood clot that has formed in the tooth socket because it helps to heal.
• Do not eat anything until the freezing has gone away and the bleeding has stopped.
• Avoid drinking through a straw.
• Do not rinse your mouth or spit.
• Avoid SMOKING and drinking alcohol.
• Do not eat hard foods.
• Avoid brushing your teeth near the extraction site for the first 72 hours.

Pain

• If you are experiencing some pain, take the medication that has been prescribed to you.
• If you were prescribed antibiotics for this treatment, continue to take them for the specified time period, even if the symptoms go away.

Diet

Only eat soft foods or warm liquids on the day of the extraction. Resume your usual diet as soon as you are able to.

From the following day and until complete healing

• Rinse your mouth 3 times a day with warm water and salt (½ tsp of salt in 1 cup of warm water).

• Avoid brushing near the extraction site for the first 72 hours .
• Brush and floss every day to remove plaque and ensure better long-term results.
• Avoid eating hard foods (nuts, candies, ice).
• You may experience pronunciation difficulties and an increase amount of saliva. Everything should come back to normal within a week.
• Bruising may appear on the skin. It will disappear after 5 to 7 days.
• You may have difficulty opening your mouth. It should come back to normal after 4 to 5 days.

If after 3 days the pain increases instead of decreasing, please call us.

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After a few days, you will feel better and be able to resume your normal activities. If you are bleeding heavily, feeling pain, and experiencing swelling after 2 or 3 days or if you are having a reaction to the medication, call us at 514-697-7391