Your tooth extraction is complete, and now proper aftercare will help ensure smooth healing and prevent complications. Some discomfort, swelling, and light bleeding are completely normal following an extraction. Whether you had a simple or surgical extraction, following these guidelines will support your recovery. Please watch the short video below and review these instructions carefully.

The First 24 Hours: Immediate Care

Managing Bleeding

Some bleeding and saliva on the gauze is normal after a tooth extraction. The key to healing is forming and protecting the blood clot in the extraction site. Here’s how to control bleeding:

Bite down firmly on the gauze pad placed over the extraction site
Maintain steady pressure for 30 minutes at a time
Replace the gauze every 30 minutes as needed; we will provide extra pieces for your convenience
Once the gauze shows only a pinkish color, you can remove it and leave it out
Repeat as needed until bleeding stops

What to Avoid

During the first week, do NOT:

Suck on a straw
Smoke
Suck on hard candies or popsicles
Brush near the extraction site (first 24 hours only)
Rinse your mouth (first 24 hours only)
Spit forcefully

These activities create suction that can dislodge the blood clot protecting your extraction site, potentially causing a painful condition called dry socket.

Diet Restrictions

You will remain on a soft food diet for the first week. Stick to easy to chew foods such as:

Mashed potatoes
Soups (lukewarm, not hot)
Yogurt
Smoothies (no straw)
Scrambled eggs
Fish
Jell-O
Applesauce

Avoid hot and spicy foods, as well as carbonated and alcoholic beverages for at least 24 hours. Stay away from hard, crunchy, or chewy foods that could irritate the extraction site.

Rest and Activity

Restrict your activities on the day of surgery. Avoid excessive work or strenuous physical activity. Rest with your head slightly elevated to help reduce swelling. You can resume normal activities the following day as you feel comfortable.

Medications

It is important to understand that you may have some discomfort after your procedure. You will likely be prescribed an antibiotic and pain reliever. Please have these filled as soon as possible and begin taking them as soon as you receive them.

Antibiotics: Continue taking until the entire prescription is gone to help prevent infection
Pain medication: Take as needed for comfort

Important: If you have been prescribed pain medication other than aspirin, Tylenol, or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), do not drive, operate heavy equipment, work around machinery or tools, or engage in any activity that requires full alertness. These medications will affect your reflexes and judgment.

Important for Parents

Children should be supervised closely after an extraction to make sure they do not bite or chew their tongue, lips, or cheeks while still numb. This can cause serious injury to the soft tissue.

Days 2-3: Reducing Swelling

Managing Swelling

Swelling will be at its peak on the second or third day after surgery. Swelling around your face, eyes, and the extraction site is common and a normal part of healing.

Cold Therapy (First 24 Hours)

Apply ice packs to the outside of your face near the extraction site
Never apply ice directly to your skin; always use a cloth barrier
Use for 20 minutes on, then 20 minutes off
Repeat as needed throughout the day

Warm Therapy (After 24 Hours)

Switch to warm compresses on the sides of your face near the surgical areas
Use a warm washcloth or heating pad
Continue the 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off pattern
This helps reduce lingering swelling

Starting Oral Hygiene

Maintaining your oral health is very important after your surgery. The day after your procedure, you can begin gentle oral care:

Salt Water Rinses

Mix one half teaspoon of salt in an eight ounce glass of warm water
Rinse gently four times a day
Do not swish vigorously; let the water move gently through your mouth
Do not spit forcefully; lean over and let the water fall out

Brushing

You may begin brushing the day after surgery
Be careful to avoid the extraction sites
Brush the rest of your teeth normally

Days 4-7: Continued Healing

Expanding Your Diet

As you feel comfortable, you can gradually introduce more solid foods. Continue to follow a soft food diet for the first week, avoiding anything hard, crunchy, or chewy that could irritate the extraction site. Most patients can begin eating more normally after the first week, depending on their comfort level and healing progress.

Sutures

You will have stitches in the surgical site which will dissolve on their own, typically within seven to ten days. It may not be necessary to return to the office for suture removal. If your sutures do require a follow-up visit, we will let you know at the time they are placed.

Understanding Normal Healing

Recovery time depends on the type of extraction you had:

Simple extractions: Recovery typically takes three to four days, with mild swelling and soreness
Surgical extractions: You may need a full week to recover, with swelling and discomfort lasting longer

Most patients feel significantly better within a week, though complete healing of the bone and gum tissue can take several weeks to months.

When to Call Our Office

Severe pain that is not relieved by medication
Excessive bleeding that doesn’t stop with gauze pressure
Significant swelling that worsens after the first few days
Signs of infection (fever, increasing pain, pus, or foul taste)
Difficulty swallowing or breathing
Any concerns about your healing progress

Your post-operative instruction sheet includes a phone number that is available 24 hours if you have any questions or concerns after the office is closed.

For serious or life threatening emergencies, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns during your recovery, please call our office. We’re here to support you through every stage of healing and ensure you recover comfortably.

Tooth Extraction Aftercare Instructions