Never do these 10 things after tooth extraction

Got your tooth extracted. I knew! That’s why you are here. Right! Here are 10 important things you should avoid after tooth extraction.

Tooth extraction is a complex process, where the dentist removes the tooth along with its root. It is a traumatic procedure which deals with a lot of blood.

Fortunately, advanced dental procedures have simplified tooth extraction and have made it a painless procedure.

Tooth extraction. What does it mean?

Tooth extraction is a minor surgical procedure which deals with the removal of the entire tooth from the bone.

It includes removing the tooth which contains both crown and root or removing the entire root which was left after the destruction of the tooth. (They are called root stumps).

Wisdom tooth extraction

Sometimes the entire tooth gets impacted or stuck within the bone. The tooth in such a condition is called “Impacted tooth”. Impacted teeth are a bit difficult to remove and may involve surgical setups.

Wisdom teeth are the most common teeth to be impacted. They often remain within the bone due to lack of space.

Tooth extraction procedure

During a tooth extraction, your dentist might inject a local anesthetic solution into the area of tooth extraction. In simple words, your dentist might de-sensitize or numb the area of a tooth extraction with local anesthesia.

After waiting for few minutes, he may ask you whether your teeth and gums have become numb. After confirmation, he or she may start the procedure of tooth extraction.

Your dentist may use simple elevators (if the tooth is mobile) or might use extraction forceps (if the tooth is firm) to remove your tooth.

In the case of wisdom tooth extraction, your dentist might cut the bone while removing the impacted tooth. Moreover, he may place few sutures while closing the gums.

Tooth extraction healing

The healing process is the same for any type of tooth extraction.  Initially, the blood in the extraction site should clot. After few hours the clot stabilizes.

Later the clot forms into a structure called “Callus”, which is a primitive bone. Later the callus mineralizes into bone.

The entire process takes few weeks to months. In the meantime, the gums above the extraction site heal completely and would form a cover over the underlying extraction site, preventing any food impaction.

10 things to avoid during Tooth extraction (aftercare)

1. Never remove the cotton immediately after extraction. Cotton should be kept in the extraction site under pressure at least for half an hour to an hour. Once the bleeding stops and clots form within the extraction socket remove the cotton.
2. Do not spit after tooth extraction. Every time you spit, you are indirectly mobilizing the clot within the extraction socket. As a result, the clot will not be stabilized and fresh blood oozes out of the extraction socket. It may result in huge blood loss.
3. Never touch the extraction site with your finger or tongue. It is a general human tendency to examine the extraction site with your finger or tongue. Never do that! You might indirectly infect the socket with your tongue or finger. Leave the extraction site and never try to examine with your finger. Frequent disturbance over the extraction site may de-stabilize the clot and infect the socket.
4. Avoid carbonated drinks for at least one day. Carbonated drinks de-stabilize the clot and may hinder proper healing of the extraction socket.
5. Avoid spicy or hot foods for 2 days. It is a best practice to be on a bland and cold diet for 2 days after tooth extraction. Hot and spicy food may aggravate pain and burning sensation in the extraction area.
6. Do not avoid medication, if your dentist advises. Medication helps in the proper healing of the socket and prevents secondary infection.  Even though you feel better after the first day of extraction, continue medication for the prescribed duration. We may not know when the scenario may turn down upon.
7. Never apply pain balms of sprays over the extraction socket. In case of pain after extraction, consult your dentist for medication. Never apply pain balms of volatile oils over the extraction socket. It may lead to space infections which might turn life-threatening.
8. Never stop brushing after tooth extraction. Regular brushing aids in removing debris over the extraction site. Of course, mild brushing should be done on the extraction site on the first day. But from the second day onwards, brushing should be normal. An unhygienic environment in the mouth may lead to secondary infection of the socket called a “Dry Socket”.
9. Never apply hot fermentation over the extraction site.  Hot fermentation might increase edema in the socket area and can lead to facial swelling.  Always apply a cold pack over the extraction site, IF ADVISED BY YOUR DENTIST!
10. Do not sleep with your head turned to the extraction site. For example, if you got your teeth extracted on the left side, do not sleep with your head turned to the left side. It may attract edema and your face may swell in the morning. Minor extraction procedures may not show a big impact, but patients who have undergone wisdom tooth extraction should avoid this.

Instead, they should sleep with the head facing top or on to the opposite side of tooth extraction.

What is the Cost of tooth extraction?

The cost varies from tooth to tooth and from region to region. In general, for simple extractions, the cost may range from $100 to $200.

For wisdom tooth extraction, the charges may range between $1000 to $5000. The cost mainly depends on the position of the wisdom tooth and the complexity involved in its removal.

Pain after tooth extraction

Pain after a tooth extraction is usual. The healing gums and bones become inflamed and may produce pain. But the pain is of mild intensity and will relieve within one or 2 days.

But consistent severe pain even after tooth extraction should not be neglected. In case of severe pain, visit your dentist and find out the possible cause of the pain.

Severe pain might be a sign of secondary infection after tooth removal. It might require medication and additional treatment procedures.

Usually, patients with secondary socket infection might have pain after tooth extraction. Such a condition is called “Dry Socket”.

To know more about Dry sockets, read here.

Side effects of tooth extraction

Usually, there are no side effects of tooth extraction. During injecting anesthesia, some patients out of fear may have syncope.  As a result, they become unconscious.

Occasionally tooth near the maxillary sinus may lead to patent oro-antral communication. In simple words, an extraction might lead to a hole joining the oral cavity with the sinus. As a result, the patient may develop sinusitis.

In lower teeth, an extraction might lead to damage to the nerve below the teeth. It might produce numbness.

In severe infections, an extraction might lead to septicemia, which might result in high temperatures.

Patients who are on blood thinners should stop the medication before tooth extraction (under the consent of your specialist doctor). Otherwise, he or she may experience uncontrolled bleeding after extraction, which might be life-threatening.

But all these side effects are rare and manageable.

What happens if a tooth extraction blood clot fell out?

When the tooth extraction blood clot fell out, bleeding will not stop and the patient will experience continuous bleeding. In such cases, the patient should immediately visit the dentist. Your dentist might apply blood-clotting agents to stop the blood.

If blood clotting does not occur, your socket may not heal and result in severe blood loss.

Tooth extraction healing time

It takes a week to 10 days for the gums to heal. But the socket inside the gums may take more than 3 months to heal.

The socket has to heal from the inside. Hence you may experience a bony defect in the extraction region even after months. But do not worry, your socket is healing from inside and hence may take some time to fill the defect.

If non-resorbable sutures are placed, they should be removed after 5 days, when the gums heal. If resorbable sutures are placed, they heal along with gums and disintegrate in due course.

5 days after tooth extraction still in pain. What should I do?

The pain usually subsides after few days. But if you experience persistent pain even after 5 days, here are few possible reasons.

Incomplete tooth extraction:

There are chances that still few fragments of the tooth might remain within the bone, which might lead to persistent infection and pain. Hence visit your dentist and take an X-ray to find out the root stumps. Get them removed.

Dry socket:

If the socket gets infected after the removal of the tooth, you might experience severe pain even after 5 days. In such a case, your dentist might induce bleeding in the socket and might advise some medication.

tooth extraction healing white stuff. What is this?

During healing, you might find some white to light pink colored stuff in the socket region. It is the remnants of a blood clot. It indicates a normal healing process.

You should be worried if you do not see any covering over the extraction socket, which might be a sign of infection.

Tooth extraction white tissue. What is it?

Sometimes, you might see some tissue hanging at the end of teeth after tooth extraction. It is an indication that the infection has extended beyond the tooth and has caused tissue growth in that region.

It is usually called periapical granuloma and might induce a lot of bleeding while removal. In such conditions, your dentist might perform an additional procedure called curettage to remove the tissue beyond the tooth.

Tooth extraction and bone graft cost?

In case if your dentist plans implants after tooth extraction, he might place a graft after the procedure. Bone graft in the extracted socket aids in faster healing and helps in the quick filling of the bony defect.

As a result, your dentist might plan implants after 3 months.

Tooth extraction pain relief home remedies

1. Use lukewarm water with a pinch of salt and gargle your mouth every day after brushing and before going to bed (twice daily). It can reduce redness in the region of extraction and can accelerate healing.
2. Apply ice (outside the mouth) pack on the cheek for the first 2 days after the extraction. It can reduce post-operative swelling and pain.
3. Do not disturb the extraction socket with your finger. It might cause infection.

Can I drink alcohol after tooth extraction?

No! Alcohol is a hydrophilic agent and removes moisture from the surfaces. As a result, when you drink alcohol, it absorbs water from the clot and de-stabilizes it. Moreover, it makes the mouth dry and will delay the healing process.

Tooth extraction site black. What does it indicate?

Usually, the clot after getting stabilized turns dark in the first 2 days. It usually happens when the hemoglobin in the clot disintegrated into iron. But later, it decolorizes into pale pink and will be mixed with debris and covers the socket area.

Otherwise, if you observe a dark or black hole without any clot covering the socket, it might indicate that the socket has become devoid of any clot and is infected. Such a condition is called Dry socket. In such instances, consult your dentist for proper management.

Tooth extraction still bleeding. What should I do?

Bleeding should stop once the clot stabilizes. Usually, it happens within the first half an hour. If your socket bleeds even after an hour and if the bleeding is more, then it is a serious condition to consider.

It can indicate that there might be some internal bleeding going on. You should consult your dentist immediately.

In the meantime, you can apply some clotting agents to the socket area. Pack the extraction area with cotton and bite tight. The pressure can stop the bleeding.

You can also apply clotting agents on the cotton and press it hard against the socket to stop bleeding. Meanwhile, consult your dentist.

Smoking after tooth extraction

Smoking can delay wound healing. There is a high incidence of having dry sockets in patients who smoke after extraction. Hence kindly avoid smoking for at least 3 days after the extraction.

Tooth extraction diet

Usually, we advise patients to be on a bland and cold diet for the first 2 days after tooth extraction. Hot and spicy food would produce discomfort to the patients.