Teeth Extractions

At the family dental practice of Dr. James A. Vette, DDS., our first and foremost concern is protecting and strengthening your natural teeth. There are times, however, when extracting one or a couple of your natural teeth is required.

This can be due to severe damage to a tooth from an accident, a fracture, overcrowding of teeth, or teeth that have become compacted. If this is the case, Dr. Vette provides safe and professional tooth extraction to alleviate the problem and improve the status of your teeth.

If you’ve had a recent tooth extraction, be sure to follow these tips to minimize complications. The dentist will go over all of these after surgery but we list them here as well for your convenience.

What to Eat & Drink

The Day of the Surgery When You Get Home

Stick to a liquid diet
Do no drink with a straw

The Days Following Surgery

Stick to a soft diet - mashed potatoes, soups, pasta, eggs, custards
Be sure to drink a lot of fluids: water, tea, coffee, milk, juice, etc.

Oral Hygiene

Do not rinse the same day you’ve had surgery, this could cause bleeding
The day after surgery - dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt in warm water and rinse with this solution. Do this for at least five days in the morning, after each meal, and at night before bed.
You may start brushing your teeth normally the day after the extraction but avoid the area of the extraction.

Smoking

Do not smoke for 3 days after surgery. Smoking will disrupt healing.

Dry Sockets

Dry sockets happen when the blood clot is disturbed. This can be painful so avoid doing the following three to five days after surgery to minimize chances of dry sockets.

Forcefully spitting
Disturbing the area with your tongue or finger
Smoking or drinking through a straw
Drinking carbonated beverages (soda or beer)
Holding your nose when sneezing
Eating hard or chewy foods, especially foods such as chips or nuts that can break into small sharp pieces

If you develop a dry socket, contact the office so we can place a medicated dressing over the spot.

Information & Instructions After Oral Surgery

There are several conditions which may occur after oral surgery. The following list contains conditions that can be considered normal:

The area operated on may swell.
The swelling may become large.
You may develop a slight earache.
You may have a sore throat.
Trismus (tightness) of the muscles may cause difficulty in opening the mouth
You may feel numbness around the corner of your mouth on the side from which the tooth was removed.
Your other teeth may ache. This is “sympathetic” pain, a temporary condition.
If the corners of your mouth are stretched, they may dry out and crack. Keep your lips moist with a cream or ointment.
There will be a hole where the tooth was removed. The hole will gradually fill in with new tissue. Keep this area clean by rinsing with warm salt water after meals and before bed. Do not rinse the day of the surgery. Start rinsing the day following surgery.
You may have a slight fever for 24 to 48 hours after surgery. If your fever continues to rise, contact the office.

Swelling

Swelling is to be expected. As soon as you get home, place ice on the affected area. Keeping the ice on the area for 20 minutes then off for 10 minutes works very well. Do this for up to 24 hours following the surgery. A Ziploc baggie with ice cubes serves nicely. Do not use ice on the area at any time after 24 hours post-surgery. This may slow the healing process. Take the anti-inflammatory medication (usually Ibuprofen) for 2 days following the surgery. If some swelling develops within the first couple of days, it usually takes about a week to resolve.
Bleeding

You should apply direct pressure on the surgical wound by biting on gauze for 2 hours. You will be given extra gauze so you may change the gauze periodically. Do not expectorate (spit) or suck on a straw during this time period. Some bleeding (oozing) is normal for up to 2 days following surgery. If you notice that the bleeding is persisting, place a moist tea bag on the area and bite down as you would with the gauze. If you notice any complications with bleeding, contact the office.
Medications
Be sure to get your prescriptions filled as soon as possible when you leave the office. Take the medications as directed. Your prescriptions will usually consist of the following:
- An antibiotic - This is to help prevent postoperative infection. Make sure to take the medication until it is completely used up.
- An anti-inflammatory - This is to help reduce swelling and pain. Take the medication for 2 days or longer.
- An analgesic - This is to help with the pain that may persist even while using the anti-inflammatory medication. Use it only if necessary. Use of this medication may make you drowsy. Do not use alcohol while taking this medication.
If you develop a rash or experience any unusual side effects while using any of the medications, contact the office or my pager.
Anesthetics

Before the extraction, you will be given an anesthetic to reduce your discomfort. Your mouth will remain numb for a few hours after the extraction. While your mouth is numb, you’ll want to be careful not to bite your cheek, lip, or tongue. After the extraction, do not eat any foods that require chewing while your mouth is numb. The numbness should go away within a few hours. If it doesn’t, contact your dentist.

Follow Up

If you have sutures that require removal, your dentist will tell you when to return to the office.