Extraction Aftercare

Advice for care after extractions and minor surgery.

• DO NOT RINSE your mouth out today, as this will encourage bleeding. You can have a drink but nothing hot until the following day.
• DO NOT smoke or drink alcohol for 24 hours.
• Take care not to bite or burn your mouth or lips while still numb.
• Your mouth is bound to be sore, so you may wish to take painkillers over the next 24-48 hours. Take whatever you normally take for discomfort or pain, but DO NOT take ASPIRIN, as it may make the area bleed. If needed, it is possible for adults to alternate between taking 1 or 2 500g paracetamol and 400mg Ibuprofen. This will leave 8 hours between taking a dose of the same painkiller, which is a safe amount to avoid overdose. Please DO NOT exceed the maximum daily dosage recommended on the box.
• If the area/socket starts to bleed, roll up a clean handkerchief into a sausage shape, put it into the wound, and apply pressure for 10-15 minutes or as directed by your dentist. This should stop the area from bleeding.
• No exercise for the next 24hrs. Try to rest for the rest of the day.
• If you had a difficult extraction or minor oral surgery, then applying ice packs to the outer surface of the face, local to the wound, will minimise swelling and reduce after-effects.
• Start the day after the extraction, rinse your mouth with warm salt water to promote healing. Use 1 teaspoon of salt to one cup of warm water. Rinse 3-4 times daily.
• Antibiotics may have been prescribed, and it’s strongly advised that you take them as instructed. If you suffer any side effects like an itchy rash, stop taking the medicine and let us know. Diarrhoea from antibiotics is not an allergy and may be helped by eating unsterilised yoghurt once or twice a day.
• Antibiotics may decrease the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill, so extra precautions are advised until the start of your next cycle.
• If you have been prescribed METRONIDAZOLE (FLAGYL), it is important to AVOID alcohol.

If you have any queries, please ring the practice on 01883 712 201. There is an answering machine with contact numbers for those outside working hours.