5 Ways to Speed Up Tooth Extraction Recovery


Tooth removal is necessary at times; perhaps it’s an infected tooth following a gum disease, or a wisdom tooth removal. If it is the former, then the bacteria need to be stopped from getting into your blood. If the latter, then it is merely a matter of time before you experience that all-too-familiar toothache.

As long as you are on the oral straight and narrow, recovering from a tooth extraction should not take too much of your time, or even require you to consult your dental clinic.

Here is what we recommend you do, or don’t do, for that matter, to heal quickly after a tooth extraction.

1. Keep off the Extraction Site

A blood clot forms soon after you have had your tooth pulled out, which is extremely delicate and susceptible to infection.

On the first day, we don’t recommend rinsing as even the slightest movement could pull it off. You can brush your teeth, but only the side that hasn’t been treated.

Start rinsing with a saltwater-solution the day after the extraction, and that too, gently.

2. Eat Soft Foods

Keep to liquids the first couple of days, as solid food tends to get stuck, and you don’t want plaque or any bacteria near that open area. Drink without a straw to avoid creating a sucking sensation inside the mouth that could end up pulling out the clot.

Start eating soft solid food on the third day when the clot is safely covered by tissue. We suggest oatmeal, steamed fish, banana, and porridge.



 

3. Ensure a Lukewarm to Cold Diet

Hot beverages can cause bleeding, so keep anything you consume at room temperature. If you want to have a cold drink or ice cream, go right ahead.

However, stay away from popsicles or lollipops because they prompt sucking, and we don’t want the socket to experience any tugging.

4. Change Gauze Pads

You will want to avoid infection, so replace the gauze regularly or as per your periodontist’s advice.

The normal duration for a gauze pad to remain in place is four hours. Since the clot is usually formed within the first day, you don’t have to go to sleep with it on, a practice we strictly advise against.

5. Take Medication

Let us reiterate: listen to your doctor.

If they have prescribed medication, it is to stop the bleeding and expedite recovery because tooth extraction is more often than not only half the treatment. It usually precedes implants or bridges.

The sooner you take your medicine, the faster you will heal and the quicker you can fill up the space.

General Dentistry Services in Gaithersburg

If you are experiencing a toothache, it could be sensitivity or something much more serious like a bacterial infection.

Our team of dental experts offer a wide range of services, from teeth whitening to teledentistry, and can help you diagnose and treat your oral malady.

Reach us online and spare yourself a more serious problem in the future.

 

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