You should never sleep with gauze in your mouth because it's a potential choking hazard. It's also critical to take care not to fall asleep when you're lying down with gauze in your mouth, especially if you're taking medications that may cause drowsiness.
Please remove the gauze when you eat or drink. Do not sleep with the gauze in your mouth. Pay special attention to the placement of the gauze , making sure it is over the surgical site and not just between the teeth.
Keep gauze on the surgical area with some pressure (biting) for 30–45 minutes. Remove the gauze after 30–45 minutes and replace it with a new piece of gauze if you are still bleeding. It is important to make sure the gauze is directly on the surgical site. Firm pressure for another hour should stop the bleeding.
Generally, you only need to leave the gauze in place as long as the site is actively oozing or bleeding. We recommend leaving the gauze in place, with direct biting pressure, for about one hour. After an hour, remove the gauze and evaluate the surgical site.
Change gauze every 30-60 minutes as needed until bleeding subsides (usually 2 – 3 hours after your procedure). If bleeding starts again, it's often controlled by these above measures. Ensure that you DO NOT sleep with gauze in your mouth.
Removing a somewhat dry gauze from over an extraction site can pull the developing clot out of the socket. This in turn can cause a dry socket--a painful infection of the tooth socket. Waiting at least 20 minutes before removing the gauze will ensure that the clot does not stick to the gauze.
You should try taking it easy for at least 1-2 days after the tooth extraction. When you are resting or sleeping, try to lie down so that your head is above your heart. This will lower your blood pressure and help control bleeding.
Gauze placed against the wound will draw blood from the clot and this, likewise, is not a sign of bleeding. Place an old towel over your pillow for the first night to reduce risk of staining. If the bleeding persists, contact the office.
Replace the gauze pad(s) about every 25 minutes. When the gauze pads have little or no blood on them, they are no longer necessary. The amount of bleeding will vary from person to person. Most of your bleeding will slow within 3–4 hours, but a small amount of bleeding is common for up to 24 hours.
During the initial stages of healing, the tooth extraction site may ooze. Because of this, sleeping on your side is best, at least for the first night. Plus, if you lie flat on your back, you might experience more swelling. That could increase your pain and make resting an even greater challenge.
After a tooth extraction, you should develop a blood clot in the socket (hole) that's left behind. It'll look like a dark-colored scab. But if you have a dry socket, the clot will be absent and you'll be able to see bone. For this reason, dry sockets usually appear white.
You should drink plenty of water after your tooth extraction to keep the extraction site clear and prevent infection. Remember to not drink through a straw, though, since the sucking motion can disturb the extraction site.
No Spitting: Do not spit for the first 7 days. Spitting can dislodge a blood clot, triggering bleeding and severe dry socket pain. If you feel like you need to spit, gently rinse water in your mouth and then let the water passively fall into the sink.
A bandage that's too tight can cut off circulation completely. Swelling at either end of the bandage, numbness or tingling, or discoloration means the bandage is too tight and needs to be adjusted.
Removing the old dressing
Do not touch the wound. If the dressing is stuck, soak with water or saline and wait for the dressing to loosen – allow a bit of time and avoid pulling as this will be painful and will damage the wound. If the dressing is adhesive or has an adhesive border, avoid peeling it off.
When Can I Stop Worrying About Dry Socket? Until the full recovery of your extraction site, a dry socket can form if you fail to follow the care tips. Usually, a week (7-8 days) after wisdom tooth extraction, you can stop worrying about a dry socket as gums take this much time to close fully.
After tooth extraction, it is normal for the area to bleed and then clot, generally within a few minutes. It is abnormal if bleeding continues without clot formation, or lasts beyond 8 to 12 hours; this is known as post‐extraction bleeding (PEB).
Another common symptom of a dry socket is a bad or sour taste in your mouth. This can be one of the first signs of infection, so don't let that smell linger without taking swift action. Swish warm salt water or a dentist-recommended rinse in your mouth gently before getting on the books at your local dental office.
Dry socket may be caused by a range of factors, such as an underlying infection in the mouth, trauma from the tooth extraction or problems with the jawbone. The condition occurs more often with wisdom teeth in the lower jaw than with other teeth. You are also more likely than others to develop dry socket if you: smoke.
Some patients who undergo tooth extraction may want to take a day off from work just to make sure they can rest well and address the immediate side effects of the procedure. Other patients may not need to spend a day recovering and will be able to return to work the next day so long as it is not physically demanding.