It is normal to have some pain and swelling after an extraction. Swelling post operatively is not uncommon and can be lessened by application of an Ice pack near where you had the extraction. Place the ice pack on the outside of the face adjacent to where you had an extraction, for 20 minutes on and twenty minutes off. Do this for about an hour. It is advisable to take Ibuprofen after an extraction, but before the anesthetic wears off to lessen your discomfort.
On the day of the extraction please refrain from rinsing and spitting, since this may dislodge the blood clot that has formed in the tooth socket. If You had an upper back tooth removed, please refrain from blowing your nose, since some of the upper teeth rest near the maxillary sinus and blowing of the nose can sometimes create a communication between the sinus and the mouth.
If for some reason you experience renewed bleeding, place a balled up 2 by 2 cotton gauze directly over the extraction site and bite down for twenty minutes. If you have no opposing teeth to the site you should press the balled up gauze on the site and apply pressure for twenty minutes. If no gauze is available it is perfectly ok to use a moistened tea bag to apply the pressure.
In the first 24-48 hours your diet should be bland and not spicey and food should be soft and not require extensive chewing (Please, NO French Baguettes!). Alcohol is irritating to the wound and if consumed please use a straw. If you are eating food requiring chewing, please eat it on the side of the mouth opposite the extraction site.
I usually recommend patients return in one week for me to check healing. Sometimes a small splintery piece of bone(bone spicule) works its way out of the socket and this is not unusual. If the spicule remains in the socket, it can delay healing. It is certainly best for a dentist to “supervise” healing so please do keep your one week post op appointment that we have scheduled.
