AFTER THE REMOVAL OF MULTIPLE TEETH

• A small amount of bleeding is to be expected following the operation. If bleeding occurs, place a gauze pad directly over the bleeding socket and apply biting pressure for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues, a moist tea bag can be used for 30 minutes. If bleeding occurs avoid hot liquids, exercise, and elevate the head. If bleeding persists call my office immediately. Do not remove immediate denture unless the bleeding is severe, expect some oozing around the side of the denture.
  
  
• Use ice packs (externally) on the same side of the face as the operated area. Apply ice for the first 36 hours only. Apply ice continuously while you are awake.
  
  
• For mild discomfort use aspirin, or Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) 200mg and it can be taken using 2-3 tablets every 3-4 hours.
  
  
• For severe pain use the prescription given to you. If the pain does not begin to subside in 2 days, or increases after 2 days, please call our office. If an antibiotic has been prescribed, finish your prescription regardless of your symptoms.
  
  
• Drink plenty of fluids. If many teeth have been extracted the blood lost at this time needs to be replaced. Drink at least six glasses of liquid the first day.
  
  
• Do not rinse your mouth for the first post-operative day, or while there is bleeding. After the first day, use a warm salt water rinse every 4 hours and following meals to flush out particles of food and debris that may lodge in the operated area. (One half teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water.). After you have seen your dentist for denture adjustment, take out denture and rinse 3 to 4 times a day.
  
  
• Restrict your diet to liquids and soft foods, which are comfortable for you to eat. As the wounds heal you will be able to advance your diet.
  
  
• The removal of many teeth at one time is quite different than the extraction of one or two teeth. Because the bone must be shaped and smoothed prior to the insertion of a denture, the following conditions may occur, all of which are considered normal:
  
  
  • The area operated on will swell reaching a maximum in two days. Swelling and discoloration around the eye may occur. The application of a moist warm towel will help eliminate the discoloration quicker. The towel should be applied continuously for as long as tolerable beginning 36 hours after surgery (remember ice packs are used for the first 24-36 hours only)
    
    
  • A sore throat may develop. The muscles of the throat are near the extraction sites. Swelling into the throat muscles can cause pain. This is normal and should subside in 2-3 days.
    
    
  • If the corners of the mouth are stretched, they may dry out and crack. Your lips should be kept moist with an ointment like Vaseline. There may be a slight elevation of temperature for 24-48 hours. If temperature continues, notify my office.
    
    
  • If immediate dentures have been inserted, sore spots may develop. In most cases your dentist will see you within 24-48 hours after surgery and make the necessary adjustments to relieve those sore spots. Failure to do so may result in severe denture sores, which may prolong the healing process.

Post Operative Care – Use of an Irrigation Syringe

On your post operative visit, it may be determined that the extraction socket(s) pose a risk for trapping food debris. This is very normal as the wounds on the bottom teeth often create a crater during the early healing phase that can be a food trap. Most patients do develop this situation. You may be issued a syringe to use after each meal and before you go to bed in the evening to keep the extraction sockets clean. If they are not kept free of debris, the healing time can become delayed and there is a chance of developing an infection normally weeks later after the extraction. Normally, one of the assistants or the doctor will gently irrigate the socket site for you on your post-operative visit and determine if the sockets will require you to care for them with the irrigating syringe. You will be instructed on the use of the syringe and issued an instruction sheet. A copy of the instruction sheet can be found here.

Normally you retract your cheek with your finger or the side of a toothbrush in a well lit mirror (like the bathroom’s mirror) When you open your mouth and retract your cheek, you will notice a wound that appears behind the last tooth (farthest one in the back) in the lowest arch. The wound is normally off to a 45 degree angle to the cheek side. You place the syringe filled with water or salt water (see instruction sheet) over the top of the wound and gently irrigate until the water coming out is clear and free of debris. It may take one or several syringe rinses to get the irrigation fluid to come out clear. It is not unusual to see a little blood the rinse. Over time, the wound will get smaller and the amount of irrigation it takes to come out clear will decrease as well. The wound heals from the bottom up and the outside in, as such the last spot to close is the tissue behind the last tooth. When there is nothing to irrigate, you are finished using the syringe. This may be a few days or a few weeks. The length of time depends on how well you keep it clean, how your body heals, and the size of the sockets. Everyone is different. Please watch the video demonstrating the use of the syringe.

Click here to download our simple post operative instructions.