On the day of surgery:

• Avoid: hot drinks, hot or hard food, alcohol, vigorous physical effort, playing with the wound, and rinsing your mouth.

• Drink plenty of cold or warm fluid, and eat soft food.

• Avoid smoking as this delays healing.

• Use the prescribed tablets for pain relief. It is recommended that you start this before the local anaesthesia wears off.

• Slight oozing of blood is normal. If significant bleeding occurs, place a gauze or cotton pad over the bleeding site and apply pressure by biting down firmly for 15-30 minutes. This may need to be repeated.

• If bleeding is excessive and uncontrolled by pressure, contact your dentist.

• To minimise swelling, an ice pack (small bag of frozen peas wrapped in a cloth) may be held on the side of the face. Apply 10-15 minutes every hour on the day of surgery.

On the day after surgery:

• It is essential to keep all wounds clean

• Brush your teeth, including those around the wound. Food remnants and plaque delay healing.

• For the next 5 - 7 days, rinse your mouth gently at meal times and before bed with very warm, salty water (one teaspoon of salt in a glass of water). Very vigorous rinsing in the first 24 hours should be avoided as this will disturb the blood clot.

• Chlorhexidine mouthwash will help reduce the risk of infection.

Important

Dry socket:

After a tooth is extracted, your body naturally forms a blood clot in the empty hole (socket). Think of this clot as a After a tooth is pulled, your body naturally forms a blood clot in the empty hole (socket). Think of this clot as a natural bandage. It protects the exposed bone and nerve endings underneath so your gums can heal safely. It protects the exposed bone and nerve endings underneath so your gums can heal safely.

A dry socket happens if that blood clot accidentally dissolves, gets knocked loose, or fails to form before the wound has a chance to heal. When the "bandage" disappears, the sensitive bone and nerves are left bare and unprotected against air, food particles, and bacteria.

How to Prevent Dry Socket:

To keep your "natural bandage" safe and in place while you heal, please follow these strict rules for the next 3 to 5 days:

• No Smoking, Vaping or Straws: The physical sucking motion can dislodge the clot, and the chemicals in smoke slow down your body's natural healing process.

• No Forceful Spitting or Rinsing: If you have fluid or blood in your mouth, gently swallow it or wipe your lips with a tissue. Do not spit forcefully. When rinsing your mouth, do not swish aggressively—simply let the liquid roll around and gently lean over the sink to let it fall out of your mouth.

• Stick to Soft Foods: Eat soft, easy-to-chew foods like yogurt, applesauce, mashed potatoes, or smooth soups. Avoid crunchy, sharp, or chewy foods (like chips, nuts, or rice) that could poke the area or get trapped in the hole.

• Rest and Relax: Avoid strenuous exercise, heavy lifting, or intense physical activity for the first 48 hours. Increased blood pressure from working out can cause the extraction site to start bleeding again and wash away the clot.

Infection:

It is normal to have some bleeding, swelling, discomfort and tightness of jaw muscles. However, if symptoms become severe, it could be an indication of infection - please contact us immediately.

Please contact us if you have any questions