After a tooth extraction, your main job for the first day is to protect the blood clot that forms in the socket: bite on gauze, rest, put ice on your cheek, and skip rinsing, straws and smoking. From the second day, gentle warm salt water rinses and soft food help the area heal, and the pain should ease a little each day. If it gets worse instead, call us.
The steps below follow the home care advice published by MyHealth Alberta. If your dentist gave you written instructions, those come first. Every extraction is different, and your dentist knows the details of yours.
Why the blood clot matters
Soon after the tooth comes out, a blood clot forms in the empty socket. The clot protects the bone underneath while the gum heals. Almost every aftercare rule is about keeping that clot in place.
If the clot comes loose, you can get a dry socket. The bone is left exposed, and the pain can be severe and last several days. A dry socket can be treated, so if you think you have one, call us rather than waiting it out.
The first 24 hours
Before you leave the office, we place gauze over the socket and ask you to bite down. If you needed stitches, we will tell you whether you need to come back to have them removed. Once you are home:
- Keep gentle pressure on the gauze. Bite down softly and change the pad when it is soaked. Some oozing on the first day is expected. If you are still bleeding 24 hours later, call us.
- Watch out while you are frozen. Your lip, cheek and tongue may stay numb for a while. Be careful not to bite them.
- Use ice for swelling. Hold a cold pack on your cheek for 10 to 20 minutes at a time, every 1 to 2 hours while you are awake. Keep doing this for up to 3 days, or until the swelling goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
- Leave the socket alone. Do not rinse hard, swish liquid around, or poke the area with your tongue. Do not use a straw for the first few days. Sucking and swishing can pull the clot loose.
- Do not smoke or use spit tobacco for at least 24 hours. Tobacco slows healing, and smoking raises the chance of a dry socket.
- Take it easy. Rest when you feel tired and avoid heavy lifting until you feel better. Ask your dentist when you can drive or go back to work.
For pain, take any prescription exactly as directed. If you were not given a prescription, ask your dentist which over-the-counter medicine is safe for you. If you were prescribed antibiotics, finish the whole course, even once you feel better.
Days 2 and 3: gentle rinses and soft food
Starting 24 hours after the extraction, rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water several times a day. This helps with swelling and soreness. Let the water move slowly around your mouth, then spit gently.
Keep brushing your teeth and tongue, taking extra care near the socket. Floss when your dentist says it is okay.
Stick to soft foods such as thin soup, pudding or gelatin, and chew on the other side of your mouth. Avoid chewing on the extraction site until it heals.
If you stopped taking aspirin or another blood thinner before the extraction, do not restart it on your own. Your doctor or dentist will tell you when it is safe.
Days 4 to 7: what normal healing looks like
By now the pain should be steadily going down, and any swelling should be easing. You can add solid food back slowly as you feel ready. Most people are eating solid food again in about a week.
Everyone heals at a different pace, so do not compare your recovery with someone else’s. What matters most is the direction: day by day, you should feel a bit better.
Signs that it might be a dry socket
Dry socket symptoms usually start within 1 to 3 days of the extraction, according to the Australian government health service healthdirect. Watch for:
- Severe, throbbing pain that gets worse instead of better
- Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth
- Swelling around the socket
- A slight fever
A dry socket is more likely if you smoke, have had one before, had a difficult extraction, or had a lower tooth removed, especially a wisdom tooth or molar. If that is you, be extra careful with the no smoking, no straw and gentle rinsing steps above.
When to call us, and when to get help right away
Call us at (403) 443-2199, or seek medical care, if:
- Your pain does not get better after you take pain medicine
- You have new bleeding, more bleeding, or bleeding that has not stopped after 24 hours
- Your stitches are loose or the site opens up
- You notice signs of infection: more pain, swelling, warmth or redness, red streaks, pus, or a fever
- You feel sick to your stomach and cannot keep fluids down
Call 911 if you have trouble breathing or you pass out.
If our office is closed and you are not sure how serious something is, you can call Health Link at 811. It is a free line in Alberta, open 24 hours a day, and registered nurses answer the calls.
If you had sedation or a surgical extraction
If you had a sedative for your extraction, plan for someone to come with you and drive you home. Sedation can leave you drowsy, so driving after your appointment is not advisable.
A surgical extraction, such as a wisdom tooth that has not fully come in, usually means an opening in the gum and sometimes stitches. The same home care steps apply. Your dentist may add instructions for your case, such as a follow-up visit to check the area.
In our office, Dr. Harris lists surgical extractions among his areas of expertise, and the whole team is happy to answer questions before and after your appointment.
Plan ahead for the gap
An extraction is usually a last resort, and it often leaves a question behind: what to do about the space. When a gap is left open, the teeth beside it can drift or twist into the space over time, which can change your bite.
Once the area has healed, talk with your dentist about whether the tooth should be replaced and how. Common options include:
- A fixed bridge, which is attached to the teeth on either side of the gap
- A partial denture, which is removable and can replace one or several teeth
- A dental implant, which your dentist can discuss with you at a consultation
The right choice depends on where the tooth was, the health of the teeth and gums around it, and your budget and coverage. We will go over the options with you and answer your questions before you decide.
Questions about an extraction?
If a tooth is bothering you, or you have questions about healing after an extraction, call us at (403) 443-2199 or request an appointment online. You can learn more about how we remove teeth on our tooth extractions page. We see patients from Three Hills and across Kneehill County.
