The Importance of Homecare After Extraction

An extraction of any sort is considered minor surgery. Whether you have a tooth root removed, an infected tooth pulled or all your wisdom teeth extracted, homecare afterward is important in order to avoid painful complications.

Dry Socket: An Avoidable Complication

At Sacramento Emergency Dentist, we do all we can to avoid extraction, but when it is the inevitable solution to the dental emergency, we urge our patients to take homecare seriously. Unnecessary complications can develop when homecare instructions are ignored or not followed correctly.

Among the problems that can develop, dry socket is one of the most painful. When you have a wound, your body creates a blood clot to protect the exposed area. In the case of an extraction, the blood clot protects the exposed bone and nerves. If the clot should become disturbed or dislodged, the bone and nerves become exposed. This leaves them vulnerable to bacterial contamination. Because the nerves are exposed, it also causes pain.

Losing a clot at an extraction site prolongs the recovery process. The pain caused by the exposure is not contained within the extraction site, but instead it can radiate from your mouth to other areas of your face and neck. Tobacco use is one of the most common reasons a patient will suffer from this condition. Following homecare instructions will prevent dry socket from developing.

Rest After Extraction

Highly active individuals may find it difficult to rest after an extraction. Avoiding strenuous activity helps decrease bleeding and swelling. It also will help relieve pain. Resting for the first 24 hours after an extraction is advised. Failure to do so can result in post-operative bleeding and swelling as well as increased pain. Usually, the bleeding will stop within a few hours of the extraction. Some bleeding may continue for up to two days even with rest.

Oral Hygiene

For the first 24 hours after the extraction, you may be advised not to rinse your mouth out, since this is the time that the clot is forming to protect the extraction area. After that time, you can brush your teeth, but avoid brushing in the area of the extraction. Your dentist may also suggest saltwater rinses. Keeping your mouth clean right after the extraction will help avoid infection.

Following the instructions you are given after an extraction will prevent complications and aid in proper healing. If you have questions or problems, give us a call at Sacramento Emergency Dentist.