Tips for Fast Recovery After Tooth Extraction

Tips for Fast Recovery After Tooth Extraction

May 20, 2022

Tooth extractions become the order of the day if you have an impacted wisdom tooth or a severely decayed tooth that is challenging to preserve. Tooth removals involve surgical extraction of the entire tooth under anesthesia, either local or general, depending on the condition of the tooth and the complexity of the removal.

Tooth extractions are relatively safe and straightforward. However, you might require about one or two weeks to recover from the initial procedure. You can speed up the recovery process if you follow the after-care regimen recommended by the dentist in Phoenix. In addition, following the dentist’s instructions to the word ensures your recovery proceeds smoothly without requiring additional interventions from the dental professional.

How Can You Speed Your Recovery?

Get Plenty of Rest

Getting adequate rest is crucial after tooth extraction. You must avoid strenuous activity and any tasks requiring you to bend over or lift heavy objects to prevent the increase of blood pressure in your head to result in bleeding at the surgical site.

Managing the postsurgical swelling and bleeding shouldn’t challenge you if you rest your head in an elevated position by using extra pillows. The elevation allows the lymph and blood to flow in a different direction from the extraction site to reduce inflammation and allow you to recover faster.

Rely on a Soft Food Diet

Whether you had a tooth extracted because of tooth decay or underwent surgical removal of an impacted wisdom tooth, you must rely on a nutrient-rich diet to provide your body with the vitamins and minerals essential to promote cell renewal and wound healing. Therefore, it is crucial for you to avoid crunchy, chewy, and hard foods during your recovery to minimize irritation in the empty tooth socket.

Having a soft Food diet permits you to receive the nutrition you need without causing damage to the soft tissue around the extraction site. For example, during the initial days after tooth removal, you can have fruit smoothies, lukewarm blended soups or broths, yogurt, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, avocado, soft cooked fish, et cetera.

Ice Packs

After tooth removal, postsurgical swelling lasts for around a week peaking around day three. Excessive swelling hinders your recovery and delays the healing time. You can manage the swelling by applying an ice pack on the affected side of your face intermittently for 15 minutes. Besides slowing down blood flow to reduce swelling, the ice packs also numb the area to reduce your discomfort. Ice packs are best used and effective during the initial 48 hours after your surgical process.

Over-The-Counter Medications

You will experience some discomfort when the anesthesia begins wearing off. The pain may remain with you for several days, making it essential to seek over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. However, you must refrain from using the medicines for over 72 hours and also take the dosage recommended by the manufacturer. If the pain doesn’t subside, you might have an underlying problem such as an infection or dry socket, a painful condition. You might consider seeking help from the emergency dentist near me to manage the issue if you cannot reach the Phoenix dentist for any reason.

Maintain Excellent Oral Hygiene

Your oral health must take precedence over everything after you have a tooth removed. You will confront challenges brushing and flossing around the extraction site for about 48 hours after tooth removal. However, you can use a saltwater rinse to remove food debris and prevent infections by gently swishing the solution in your mouth approximately three to four times per day.

Besides the above, you must continue brushing and flossing your remaining teeth as suggested by your dentist for two minutes each twice a day. The brushing and flossing help prevent gum disease from developing in your mouth from plaque buildup, another leading cause of tooth loss or extraction. Ensure that you don’t use alcohol-based mouthwash to prevent irritation to the tooth socket.

Tooth extractions are not a pleasant experience but become necessary among adults for various reasons. If you must have a tooth or two extracted, you must understand the procedure is not complicated and completed by the dentist in under an hour. In addition, you do not have to endure lengthy recovery periods after tooth removal if you follow the tips mentioned in this article for fast recovery.

If you must have a tooth extracted for impaction or decay, the professionals at Open Wide Dental can remove the tooth using minimally invasive techniques. They also provide detailed after-care instructions to ensure a speedy recovery. Call the practice today to schedule your appointment for the extraction.

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  • Glendale

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