Extraction of a tooth may be recommended by your dentist for various reasons. Some people need to remove their wisdom teeth because they cause discomfort or are in the way of orthodontic treatment. Others require dental work done because they suffer from cavities.
Tooth extractions are carried out at the dentist’s office, under local or general anesthesia, based on the tooth’s condition and the procedure’s complexity. Although tooth extraction is simple, it may take at least a week to recover from the treatment altogether. If you follow a specific follow-up course, care can speed up recovery.
What to do after tooth extraction?
Are you concerned about getting a tooth pulled? Even though having a tooth extracted might seem like an easy dental procedure, it is equally crucial to the actual procedure. As a patient in the field of dentistry, you should know that with the proper steps, you can lessen your discomfort and your risk of developing an infection. So, follow these tips.
1. Get Adequate Rest
Tooth extraction may not seem to be a significant procedure; however, it’s still surgery. Get plenty of sleep and rest after the procedure to ensure the site can heal. If you’d like to prevent the blood flow from continuing and allow a clot to form, maintain your head as straight as possible. Anything that increases your blood pressure in the lead, including bending or lifting weighty objects, should be avoided after surgery to prevent excessive bleeding.
2. Manage Swelling and Inflammation
Swelling following oral surgery can last for up to a week, peaking at the end of the third day following tooth extraction. If you experience swelling beyond the normal range could slow down the healing process and lengthen the period to get better. If you’re experiencing mild swelling, pain, bruising, or bleeding in your gums or cheeks, you can treat it with over-the-counter pain relievers and an ice pack.
Reduce puffiness by applying a cold compress to the affected area of your face for 15 minutes intervals. Apart from reducing inflammation and pain, the cold can also help numb the area. Facilities like Wheatland Dental can give you advice and tips on how to take care of your oral health post-surgery.
3. Eat a Healthy, Soft Diet
A nutrient-rich diet promotes cell renewal and wound healing. If you want to keep the tooth socket that is empty from becoming getting inflamed, it is best to avoid eating anything crunchy, complex, or chewy while healing. Saving the soft tissue around the surgery site intact is essential, and a soft food diet is an excellent method to achieve this. If your mouth is sensitive, you can try eating soup, stew, mashed potatoes, and yogurt. Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water, but avoid cold or hot drinks.
4. Maintain Oral Hygiene
While you shouldn’t scrub and floss your mouth for up to two days following the extraction, You can clean the area of food particles and avoid infection by rinsing with a saltwater solution that is made by dissolving a teaspoon of table salt in one cup of warm water. The solution is sprayed around your mouth early in the morning, before getting ready for bed, and after meals.
Keep up your twice-daily routine of flossing and brushing the teeth that you’re left with. To keep your tooth socket from inflamed, you should not use mouthwashes containing alcohol. Having braces or other implants can be difficult to maintain. You need to know more about it by getting in touch with an orthodontist in Saskatoon.
5. Avoid Smoking and Using Straws
Negative pressure can be created in your mouth whenever you smoke or drink via a straw. This pressure could dislodge the blood clot formed in the tooth’s socket. When the blood clot moves, there’s a possibility that you can be suffering from a painful condition called dry socket. Dry sockets can trigger severe infection, jaw bone loss, and nerve injury.
