After a tooth extraction
Use this page after an extraction without a bone graft. If graft material was placed, follow the graft aftercare page and its PDF instead.
Tooth extraction post-operative instructions (PDF)
Bleeding
Fold gauze over the site and bite with firm pressure for about 30 minutes. Replace it until the bleeding stops. If it continues, bite on a moist tea bag for 30 minutes. Call the office if that does not slow it.
Day of surgery
- Do not rinse hard, and do not use a straw
- Ice the face 15 minutes at a time, on and off. Ice is for this first day only — not after
- Numbness through the rest of the day is expected because a long-acting local anesthetic is used
- Take pain medicine as it was prescribed, starting as the numbness wears off
- No heavy lifting for two days
- Do not eat on the surgical side for three days
- Soft diet for three days
The next day
Start the prescribed mouth rinse the day after surgery and use it for five days. Swelling often begins the day after and is usually largest around day 3. Soreness is commonly worst in the first 24 to 48 hours, then improves. If you are still numb the morning after surgery, call.
Food and fluids
Aim for five or six glasses of fluid a day. Soft foods that you can cut with a fork are the usual list: juice, smoothies, eggs, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, pancakes, pudding, gelatin, ice cream, yogurt, applesauce, mashed banana, and avocado. Skip rice, chips, and very hot food.
The first two weeks
- Light workouts can resume after day 3 if you feel ready
- Brush gently
- Bruising can show in the first two or three days and sometimes takes about 14 days to fade
- Take antibiotics exactly as directed. Stop and call if you get a rash
Nausea
Nausea can follow IV sedation, general anesthesia, or narcotic pain medicine. Take nothing by mouth for one hour, then sip a clear drink such as cola, tea, or ginger ale over about 15 minutes.
During office hours call (561) 278-0004. The after-hours number printed on Dr. Curtis’s instruction sheet is (561) 646-7667.
Notes that apply to an extraction
- Sutures, if they were placed, are often ready around one week
- A dry socket is more often a lower molar problem and can ache several days later. Call if pain deepens after it had started to ease
If a socket graft was placed, switch to graft aftercare. The restriction on that side lasts a full week, and the sutures are often left closer to two weeks.