Healing from dental extractions: Instructions for patients in Port Credit area

No one wants to have a tooth extracted, but sometimes it is necessary for the health of your mouth and body. Patients throughout the Port Credit area trust Dr. Rina Kotecha for the gentlest extractions, and the best advice for fast recovery. Here she shares tips for healing following a dental extraction.

Do’s:

• If Dr. Rina prescribes pain medication or over-the-counter analgesics, start taking them as soon as your appointment is over. It is easier to prevent discomfort than to make it go away. Remember that it is typical for the area to be tender for a few days.
  
• Maintain firm pressure until bleeding stops, by biting gently on a sterile gauze pad, changing it about every 30 to 45 minutes. Some bleeding mixed with saliva is normal.
  
• Apply an ice pack (for no more than 15 minutes at a time) if you have swelling or bruising.
  
• Take it easy for the remainder of the day.
  
• Sleep with your head elevated on an extra pillow the first night.
  
• Eat a soft diet for a few days, supplemented with extra vitamin C to speed healing.
  
• After the first 24 hours, rinse gently with warm salt water at least four times a day, especially after meals and snacks.
  
• After 36 hours, warm compresses may relieve residual jaw pain.
  
• Finish your full course of antibiotics, if Dr. Rina has prescribed them.

Don’ts:

• For the first 24 hours, do not rinse your mouth or drink from a straw, and try to avoid sneezing and blowing your nose.
  
• Do not dislodge the blood clot with vigorous brushing. Brush normally elsewhere, but wipe the extraction area gently with a clean gauze pad.
  
• Don’t touch, pick, or poke at the extraction site.
  
• Do not smoke for the rest of the day, if possible and avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours.
  
• Don’t exercise strenuously for 24 hours.
  
• Avoid exaggerated bending at the waist and heavy lifting for two to three days.
  
• Avoid spicy foods, hot drinks, and soda for three to four days.

Call Dr. Rina ifs:

• Bleeding continues longer than two hours.
  
• Numbness does not wear off within six hours after extraction.
  
• You still have discomfort after the second day, or pain worsens rather than getting better. It could be a sign of dry socket.
  
• You feel a piece of bone working out of the socket. (This is harmless and resolves itself naturally, but she can remove it if the bone fragment is bothering you.)

This advice is just one example of the nurturing care you’ll receive at Dentistry on 10. Call (905) 455-9262 to become Dr. Rina’s newest patient.

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