Dos and Don’ts after Tooth Extraction

Tooth extraction is basically the removal of a tooth from your mouth. This kind of small operation is done when a tooth is severely damaged by different factors like tooth decay and more. Though it is only a minor operation performed by dentists, there are a lot of things that you need to know about after tooth extraction. Here are some of the dos and don’ts after tooth extraction.

Keep biting on the gauze placed on your tooth for about half an hour after tooth extraction. The gauze is placed on the tooth to help stop the bleeding. After more than half an hour, you can throw it away immediately. You must remember the gauze is quite important to prevent the wound from bleeding too hard especially after the small surgery.

Take it easy for a while and stop yourself from doing heavy tasks or activities after tooth extraction. It is true that your tooth has nothing to do with your daily activities, but doing heavy tasks like exercising, carrying heavy stuffs and other activities may cause your tooth to bleed. Rest your body as much as possible to prevent bleeding and tooth pain. While you are resting, make sure that your head is higher. If you are sleeping for the night or taking a nap, put an extra pillow on your head.

Try to avoid hot food or drinks after tooth extraction and stop playing with your mouth, at least until the anesthetic is gone. This is essential because if the anesthetic is still active, you won’t feel anything on your mouth. Even if you drink a hot coffee, you won’t even know that your mouth is already burned until it wears off. Also, it is tempting to play with the area where your tooth was removed. Try to avoid this kind of thing because it may cause the wound to bleed.

Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol after tooth extraction. Try to refrain from smoking for at least a couple of hours after your teeth are removed. The smoke can cause infection to your wound so make sure to stop smoking for a while. For alcohol, don’t drink for about 24 hours.

You can eat but choose what you will be eating after tooth extraction. Avoid any solid and hot foods at all cost. Even if you will chew on the other side of your mouth, there is still a possibility that some of the food might enter the wound. It may cause more problems to you, so eating soup can be an alternative. However, make sure that the soup is not too hot before you eat it. Burning your mouth will be another problem if you don’t pay attention to this.