Recovery after a tooth extraction
What the first hours and days after an extraction look like, and when to call.
How recovery goes
The first 24 hours
Bite firmly on the gauze for half an hour. A blood clot forms in the socket: it is the natural dressing for healing, so on the first day don't rinse, spit, smoke or drink through a straw.
Ice wrapped in a towel, held on the cheek with breaks, helps with swelling. Eat once the anaesthetic has worn off, soft and lukewarm.
The first 3 days
From the second day you can rinse gently with warm salt water or the recommended solution after meals. Brush as normal, carefully around the extraction site. Take the recommended painkiller at the times written down.
The first week
The pain eases day by day. If stitches were placed, we remove them at the check-up, usually after about a week.
After the first month
The gum has closed and the bone keeps rebuilding underneath. If the tooth needs replacing, now is when we discuss the options: implant, bridge or denture.
This is usual
- Light bleeding that tints your saliva on the first day.
- Moderate swelling, more after a wisdom tooth.
- Some difficulty opening wide for a few days after a wisdom tooth.
- Discomfort that eases day by day.
This is not usual
- Pain that eases, then comes back stronger after the second or third day, often with a bad taste: this can be a dry socket.
- Swelling that grows after the third day.
- Numbness of the lip or tongue that hasn't worn off when the anaesthetic should have.
- A temperature above 38°C.
Call us if
- Bleeding that doesn't stop after 30 minutes of steady pressure with gauze.
- Swelling spreading towards the eye or the throat, or difficulty swallowing.
- Difficulty breathing: call 112.
Reviewed by Dr. Voinea ·
CMDR Romania · Galați University of Medicine and Pharmacy · General Dentistry