If you have a tooth extraction procedure coming up in the near future, you may find yourself asking, ‘What happens after tooth extraction?’ Aftercare is essential for any dental procedure, but it’s particularly important after invasive surgeries like tooth extractions, helping to support healing and prevent further complications from arising.
Your dentist should advise you of the appropriate aftercare steps to take, but if they don’t and something goes wrong, you may be able to open a dental negligence claim against your dentist. At the Dental Law Partnership, we’re a dedicated dental solicitor firm with experience in both the dental and legal fields. We’ve created this blog to guide you through the critical steps of tooth extraction aftercare.
However, if you’ve already had the surgery carried out and you believe your dentist made a mistake, we may still be able to help you with your dental claim. Please get in touch to find out more – you can also start your claim here.
Post-Extraction Care: Our Top Aftercare Tips
After having a tooth out, there will be some post-surgical instructions that you’ll need to follow for a short period of time, that your dentists will inform you of. This advice will largely be the same across the board for different forms of dental treatment, although some aftercare steps may be required specifically for tooth extraction procedures.
For example, if you’ve had to undergo dental sedation for your treatment, you will usually have to avoid driving and handling manual tools for the remainder of the day.
Your dental sedation options include:
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- An oral conscious sedation – An oral conscious sedation is usually given as a pill an hour before your dental appointment, including medications such as diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam.
- Intravenous (IV) sedation – Intravenous sedation is particularly suited for people struggling with dental anxiety or those undergoing lengthy procedures, as medication (like midazolam and meperidine) is delivered directly into your bloodstream. It’s the highest level of sedation that can be offered.
- A local anaesthetic injection – With an injection of local anaesthetic, your dentist will only numb the extraction site, so you should be able to drive if this is the only form of sedation you’ve had.
A common mistake made both before and after tooth extraction is to stop eating for a temporary time period, due to the fear that you might harm the affected area of your mouth.
However, this is not advised – instead, you should eat a light meal prior to any extractions, unless advised otherwise. This will prevent any complications like fainting during the procedure.
After a tooth extraction, you should avoid eating or drinking for at least three hours to allow a blood clot to form, and not be dislodged.
You should also avoid:
- Rinsing: Avoid rinsing your mouth out for 24 hours.
- Very hot or cold drinks: Avoid very hot or cold drinks for two days, or until they have cooled to a warm temperature – particularly if you are still numb and there is a danger you might burn your mouth.
- Sharp, scratchy, or sticky foods: Avoid foods like toffee or chewing gum. Be careful not to bite the lips and cheeks in the area where they may still be numb.
- Smoking: You should avoid smoking completely after tooth extraction.
- Alcohol: Do not drink alcohol for 24 to 48 hours, to ensure your blood pressure is not raised and the blood clot dislodged as a result.
- Avoid strenuous activity: Strenuous activity may dislodge the blood clot that forms over the extraction socket.
- Straws: Avoid using a straw to drink liquids. The suction can dislodge the blood clot.
What Should I Do After My Tooth Extraction?
On the following day after the extraction, you should follow these steps.
Around 24 hours after the procedure, you can start using a saltwater rinse to clean your mouth (by combining warm water and salt). This should be done twice a day for around a week to clean the extraction site – you can also use antibacterial mouthwashes, but you should resist using them for at least 30 minutes after brushing your teeth. This is because mouthwash will wash away the fluoride left on your teeth after brushing, which is an important part of your oral hygiene routine
Eat soft food (like mashed potatoes, smoothies or soup/broth) – chewing on the opposite side of your mouth from the extraction site is also advised. A liquid diet may be recommended in some cases – if you decide to take this approach, you should avoid straws and ensure you consume nutrient-rich food with a high protein intake.
You should also ensure adequate hydration – drinking beverages containing vitamin C is advised, as vitamin C has been shown to promote the healing process and reduce pain.
It’s important that blood clots form in the extraction area, and are not dislodged by drinks, food or strenuous activity. If you experience swelling, placing a cold compress or an ice pack on your face in the affected area may help to reduce inflammation and toothache.
The extraction site should be kept clean and you should continue to brush your teeth twice a day and floss every day, following a regular oral health routine.
How Can I Manage My Pain After Tooth Extraction?
It’s extremely unlikely that you’ll feel no pain after your tooth extraction, so some discomfort is expected. As well as the aftercare advice given above, there are also several pain relievers and home remedies you can use to provide relief and manage your pain after tooth extraction.
Your dentist may prescribe pain medication for you, which should be taken as advised. However, in some cases, OTC (over-the-counter) painkillers should be taken, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol., sometimes in combination. Aspirin may also be used for pain relief In some cases, but it’s not always recommended as it can cause further bleeding. Ask your dentist or pharmacist for advice.
If there is a risk of infection, you may also be prescribed a course of antibiotics, for a few days.
How Long Does the Healing Process Take?
Naturally, the length of time it takes to heal after a tooth extraction will depend largely on the complexity of your case – particularly if you need more than one tooth removed. For example, wisdom tooth extractions can be more difficult than removing other teeth, so it’s worth asking your dentist for advice before undergoing this wisdom tooth treatment.
There are three main phases you’ll undergo during the tooth extraction healing process:
- The inflammatory phase: During the inflammatory phase, the tissue will become inflamed, before a blood clot forms inside the tooth socket – granulation tissue will then start to form over the wound. Around a week after your procedure, the blood clot will start to be replaced by new tissue.
- The proliferative phase: During the proliferative phase, the wound begins to close.
- The maturation phase: The maturation phase is the final step in the healing process. During this phase, new structures made of cells will be formed in the extraction site, as bony networks and collagen (a connective tissue) form within the area.
However, most people start to feel normal in a couple of days, and you should be able to return to your daily routine within 48-72 hours. Your jawbone usually takes a few months to heal completely, so if you’re considering replacing your tooth with a dental implant, you may need to wait a few months before undergoing further treatment.
Other dental restoration surgeries such as dental bridges or partial dentures can also help restore your appearance and tooth function, so it’s worth speaking to a dental professional before your extraction procedure to discuss your replacement options. You’ll also need a post-op check-up to judge how well the healing process is progressing – your dentist should be able to provide more information at this appointment.
When Should I Seek Professional Help?
In most cases, the extraction site should heal properly if the correct aftercare steps are followed. However, in some situations, you may experience delayed healing. It’s normal to feel some toothache, swelling and discomfort following dental surgery. However, if your tooth extraction is not healing or you develop severe pain after dental work, it’s a clear sign that something has gone wrong and you should seek out further help from your dentist.
Before your treatment, your dentist has a duty of care to make you aware of any risks, side effects or alternative treatments available to gain fully informed consent from you. If they don’t do this and something goes wrong, you may be able to open a dental negligence claim.
The following oral health issues can sometimes arise as a result of tooth extraction – if you were not advised of all the alternative treatments and risks before your procedure, you may be able to open a case against your dentist:
- Post-surgical infections: Infections aren’t always the fault of your dentist, but they can be serious, so you must contact a dental professional if you suspect you have a post-surgical infection. You’ll usually experience throbbing pain, swelling, fever, pus, the development of abscesses and difficulties with chewing if you have a tooth infection.
- Nerve injury and nerve damage: Several nerves reside inside your face, which can become seriously damaged from negligent dental treatment. Common symptoms of nerve injury include tingling (like the feeling of pins and needles), numbness, a burning sensation and severe pain.
- Dry socket: Dry socket is a particular type of infection of the bone at the site of extraction and is a common risk after tooth extraction. Dry socket takes place when the blood clot in the extraction site is dislodged or doesn’t form, leaving the bone and nerve endings exposed, which can be very painful.
- Wrong tooth extraction: It’s extremely rare, but on occasion, dentists have accidentally removed the wrong tooth. As well as causing trauma (both physical and psychological), wrong tooth extraction can also be rather costly, as you’ll need to undergo a restorative procedure (such as dental implants or dentures – both full and partial) to replace the tooth.
If you do experience any of these oral health conditions after your tooth extraction surgery, or your pain does not go away or gets worse, we recommend contacting a dental professional for a check-up as soon as possible. Your dentist should be able to locate the issue, although it should be noted that dental X-rays may be required.
By opening a dental negligence claim, you may be able to claim back financial compensation to cover future restorative treatment, helping you to regain confidence in the dental field. Our team of highly skilled dental solicitors only work on a no-win, no-fee basis, so there is no need to worry about paying for a case that you might not win, as we’ll only take a small fee should your claim be successful.
Speak to our dedicated team of legal professionals on 0800 152 2034 and we’ll take you through the entire process.
Ensure a Smooth Recovery After Tooth Extraction
Hopefully, now you’ve read through this page and the aftercare steps laid out above, you should be able to answer the question ‘What happens after tooth extraction?’ satisfactorily. You can also find out more about the surgery in our guide to tooth extraction procedures here.
Following your dentist’s recommended aftercare steps after a tooth extraction procedure is essential for promoting healing, preventing infection and avoiding further complications that may occur, such as dry socket. If you adhere to your dentist’s professional advice, most extraction surgeries will heal without any issues, but it is important to seek out prompt care if complications arise, as they can make a significant difference to your recovery time.
However, if you have concerns about the care you’ve received from your dentist, we may be able to help you with a dental negligence claim, administered on a purely no-win, no-fee basis for all our clients.
Please request a callback here or contact our expert team on 0800 152 2034 to find out more.