A tooth extraction procedure refers to oral surgery in which a dentist removes a damaged tooth that has not responded to other types of dental treatment. This procedure will leave you with surgical sites in the sockets of these teeth that require time to recover properly. As you heal, the sites form blood clots, a normal phenomenon.
But you must not disturb or dislodge these clots or you could expose bone and nerves that will result in a severely painful condition called dry socket. You will need urgent intervention from your dentist to resolve this dental problem.
Save time, hassle, and discomfort by making efforts to prevent dry socket from occurring. Read on to find three tips from your dentist that will help you heal properly after a tooth extraction and avoid dry socket.
Practice Gentle At-Home Oral Care
When you return home after a tooth extraction procedure, you will still need to take care of your smile with your usual oral hygiene routine. Plaque still accumulates on your teeth and requires removal even during this recovery. Otherwise, you could form cavities and face a higher chance of infection at your surgical sites.
But you must be careful when brushing and flossing near these sites so that you do not disturb a healing blood clot. This could result in dry socket and the need to visit your dentist for urgent treatment.
Follow aftercare guidelines provided by your dentist when it comes to cleaning and maintaining your smile during this recovery period. If you notice extreme discomfort, bleeding, or swelling that does not respond to pain management tactics, call your dentist.
Do Not Perform Sucking Motions with Your Mouth
The combination of airflow and muscle movement when you suck with your mouth has a high likelihood of disturbing a healing blood clot at an extraction site. For this reason, your dentist will ask you to avoid using straws or consuming hard candy for at least three days after this procedure. You should also avoid rinsing or spitting, even if you think this will clean your mouth.
Your dentist will also recommend that you avoid smoking during your recovery period. This is because inhaling a cigarette poses this same threat to your surgical sites. You might want to limit your tobacco usage prior to your dental work. This way, you can better abstain from this habit as you heal.
Stick to Soft-Textured Foods
Your mouth might feel sore once you return home from your dentist’s office and the anesthetics wear off. You will feel more comfortable consuming soft-textured foods during this period. But you can also protect your surgical sites from harming healing blood clots with this choice.
Hard, sticky, and chewy foods can aggravate the clots and cause dry socket. So you will want to steer clear of these items for at least two days after your surgery. The day after your procedure, you can try eating more solid foods. But if you feel pain, revert back to soft options.