The History of Dentistry

Useful tips to keep in mind to increase your recovery time after oral surgery

28 November 2015

Regina Carlson

Whether you had teeth removed due to your wisdom teeth coming through or simply because of overcrowding, there can be a lot of pain and inflammation in the mouth for weeks after the procedure. You want to make sure that you do everything in your power to ensure that the recovery process is smooth and effective.

The last thing you want to happen is for complications to occur or the recovery time to be extended due to lack of care. When a tooth is removed, a blood clot forms over the site that the tooth has been removed from, which allows the site to heal. Here is some advice to keep in mind so that you don't dislodge the clot.

In the immediate aftermath of the surgery

The area in which the tooth was removed will be tender for the first few days after surgery. You may need to use anti-inflammatories that are stronger than the over the counter painkillers. While in the dentist surgery, you should ask for a prescription for painkillers if they have not already provided you with one.

Don't wait until the pain starts, you should begin taking the painkillers immediately post-surgery. This will decrease the swelling and pain that you will experience. It is advised that you avoid taking aspirin as this thins out the blood and will make your mouth bleed a lot more than it would otherwise.

You should do nothing for the remainder of the day after the surgery except rest. You should refrain from exercising as well as lying down. If you wish to sleep, you should prop up your head with pillows, as this will prevent extra blood from being sent to the site of the surgery.

Your dentist will advise you on how often you should replace the gauze that protects the extraction site. This is an important direction to follow as blood can quickly build up and saturate the gauze. It will then not be as effective at warding off infections in the site of the tooth extraction.

Caring for the mouth in the interim period

You should not rinse your mouth for the first day as you will risk causing dislodgement of the blood clot as it will not have adequately formed. After the first day, you should carefully rinse your mouth with a salt in water solution about four times a day.

This will help to thoroughly clean out the mouth. For the first few days, it is advised that you don't brush your teeth too comprehensively as this can cause damage to the extraction site.

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