Getting a tooth extraction may seem scary, but if you follow a few basic recovery tips, you can ensure you minimize your pain and discomfort and heal quickly from your procedure.
Getting a tooth extraction may seem scary, but if you follow a few basic recovery tips, you can ensure you minimize your pain and discomfort and heal quickly from your procedure. In this blog, Opal Dental Group will discuss the basics of tooth extractions, how long it takes to recover, and what you should do after your procedure.
Sometimes A Tooth Extraction Is The Best Approach
Usually, the best way to treat a damaged tooth is to try to save it with a treatment like root canal therapy. But in some cases, a decayed, infected, or damaged tooth may be too far gone to treat with alternative methods.
In this case, an extraction is recommended. Tooth extractions can help eliminate pain and discomfort, prevent further complications, and restore your oral health.
In addition, after your mouth heals, you’ll be able to explore options for tooth replacement at Opal Dental Group, such as dentures, dental bridges, and dental implants.
How Long Does It Take To Recover?
Most patients will need at least 1-2 weeks to fully recover from a tooth extraction. Within a week, new gum and bone material will start to grow around the empty socket, and it will be fully healed within 2 weeks.
However, you won’t have to rest for the entire time. Usually, the symptoms of your extraction peak within a few days then start to fade. Most people go back to work or their day-to-day routine within 1-2 days after their extraction.
5 Tips For The Days After Your Tooth Extraction
After a tooth extraction, there are a few steps you’ll need to take to protect your oral health and reduce your discomfort.
- Minimize bleeding – You’ll get a gauze pack over the extraction site after your treatment. This should be left in place for about 45 minutes, then discarded. If the area is still bleeding, you should replace it with a new piece of gauze until the bleeding stops. To prevent further bleeding, you should avoid heavy exertion for a few days, and avoid brushing the extraction site directly.
- Mitigate the pain – You can take your preferred over-the-counter pain medication to treat pain, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or acetaminophen.
- Keep swelling down – You should apply an ice pack to the extraction site for 15 minutes at a time to help with swelling, which should start to fade after about 36 hours.
- Eat soft foods – You will need to eat a diet of exclusively soft foods, usually for about a week after your extraction. Once your mouth starts to heal, you can start reintroducing tougher foods to your diet.
- Avoid tobacco products of all types – Any kind of tobacco use can interfere with your healing and recovery. Do not smoke or use oral tobacco while recovering from a tooth extraction.
Come To Opal Dental Group For Expert Dental Care In Macomb
If you think you need a tooth extraction in Macomb, Dr. Umair Waheed is here to help. At Opal Dental Group, Dr. Waheed can examine your mouth, determine whether extraction is appropriate for your situation, and explain the next steps required to restore your oral health. Contact us online or give us a call at (313) 409-1773 to get started.
