What You Should Expect Following a Dental Extraction

At Boulevard Dental, our team will do everything in our power to save your tooth. Drs. Chris Wujick and Lester Castillo in our Seminole office & Dr. Jason Kopakin in our Clearwater office will perform a safe tooth extraction only when there are no other options. If a tooth extraction becomes necessary, you will likely have questions about what to expect after.

At Home Care Following Your Surgery

When your surgery is complete, your dentist will have placed a clean gauze pad over the surgical incision, which you will want to keep pressure on by gently biting down on it. If this gauze begins to dry, dampen it with warm water. Maintain constant pressure for 45-to-60-minute intervals, replacing gauze as needed until bleeding lessens.

Other aftercare tips include:

• Keeping activity minimal and your head elevated
• Once 48 hours have passed, you can begin to rinse your mouth with salty warm water every hour. Do not use mouthwash unless your dentist prescribes you
• Avoid brushing if sutures have been placed
• Control swelling by using a cold compress for the first 24-48 hours, switching to heat afterward as needed
• Take any prescribed medications as instructed
• Your diet should consist of soft foods until your dentist tells you otherwise

Healing from a tooth extraction can take some time. Anywhere from a week to 14 days, you should notice that your sutures (if any have been placed) have either fallen out or dissolved. If sutures are placed which need to be physically removed, your dentist will schedule a follow-up appointment.

Possible Complications from An Extraction

Bleeding: Bleeding is expected following a tooth extraction. Your saliva will be a pinkish tint, and you should expect some subtle oozing in the first 24 to 36 hours following your extraction. However, bleeding should not be excessive. If bleeding does become excessive, use clean, damp gauze pads to try and control the bleeding, biting down gently to apply pressure. Please call our office if bleeding has not reduced 48 hours after your procedure.

Dry Socket: Any discomfort you feel due to your extraction should gradually subside. However, if you begin to feel a throbbing pain that shoots up to the ear, this could be the result of dry socket. A dry socket could occur when a developed blood clot becomes irritated and gets disturbed or removed before healing is complete. When a blood clot is removed, food or other debris could become lodged and cause irritation. While dry socket is not considered an infection, it will require a visit to your dentist, so if you believe you are suffering from this complication, please schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

Other complications that could arise from a tooth extraction include:

• Bone Fragments
• Lightheadedness
• Numbness
• Swelling
• Trismus

Tooth Replacement

Once your extraction site has completely healed, it will be time to look at tooth replacement options. A missing tooth is more than just a cosmetic issue and will ultimately lead to some dental complications down the line. Teeth could shift into the gap, misalignment issues, trouble chewing and speaking, and jawbone deterioration are all possible complications.

Talk with our team about tooth replacement options, including a dental bridge, dentures, and dental implants, by calling our Clearwater office at (727) 758-2898 or our Seminole office at (727) 308-6224 today.