After you’ve had one or all of your wisdom teeth extracted, it is extremely important to take good care of the areas that were treated. In order to do so, we strongly recommend taking the prescribed painkillers as well as following any instructions your dentist or oral surgeon provides. We also recommend that you:
• Periodically bite on gauze pads. Make sure you change the pads before they become completely soaked in blood. If you still have bleeding after 24 hours, please call our office and talk to our friendly team.
• Eat soft, comforting foods, like pudding, ice cream, and soup while you recover. You can gradually add more solid foods into your diet once your oral cavity begins to heal.
• Relax after surgery. Any physical activity may increase the bleeding.
• Rinse your mouth with warm salt water after 24 hours. Doing so will clean the treated areas, reduce the swelling, and relieve the pain.
• Keep your head propped up with pillows. Doing so will help slow and stop the bleeding.
• Ice outside the areas with a cold or ice pack. Doing so will help with the pain and swelling. Simply apply the pack outside the area for 15-20 minutes at a time.
• Avoid using a straw. Using a straw could loosen the blood clot and delay healing.
• Refrain from smoking. Smoking decreases the blood supply and can bring germs and bacteria to the treated areas. It can also loosen the clot and delay the healing process.
• Continue to brush your teeth and tongue normally. As you brush, please be careful around the areas that were treated.
If you have any questions or if you need additional help, please call our office today and talk to a member of our friendly dental team. We are here to help you in any way we can!