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.
Drink water
Sip on a little more water than your normal daily amount to flush food particles away from the affected area. Drinking fluids following oral surgery will also speed up the healing process and help to prevent conditions like dry socket. However, when drinking liquids, do so by sipping on a cup or bottle.
That's usually at least 72 hours. Just to be on the safe side, though, you may want to wait seven to 10 days for the blood clot to fully form and the extraction site to finish healing. During that time, drink water instead. It's important to stay hydrated throughout the healing process.
Aside from applying ice packs on your face and cheeks after the surgery, you should also drink ice cold water. Ice does not just reduce swelling, but the coldness is also a great pain reliever, numbing the area of your mouth that is affected.
Avoid milk products (shakes and yogurt) for the first day if you had sedation. Milk products can cause nausea following sedation. Keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, but do not drink through a straw for at least 5-7 days.
Don't: Drink Carbonated Beverages or Alcohol
Both alcohol and carbonated beverages can damage the clot in your extraction site and cause complications, so avoid drinking them for at least four days after your extraction.
After having a tooth extracted, you can expect to heal within 1-2 weeks, but this varies on a case by case basis. In this blog from Woburn Dental Associates, we're detailing the entire healing process following an extraction so read on to learn more.
The total tooth extraction healing time depends on the location of the tooth and the type of extraction performed, but you can expect it to fully heal in seven to ten days. In the case of more complicated extractions, healing time maybe two to three weeks.
You will also need to avoid consuming very hot liquids or food. Apple juice, oatmeal, mashed potatoes and supplemental nutrition drinks are great for you to eat after surgery. You will need to avoid strenuous activities for the first 24 hours.
Tip #1: Salt Water Rinse
Be careful to use gentle swishing motions. Too much force while swishing the salt water could irritate and possibly lead to a dry socket. Also, it is best to stick to soft foods, like yogurt and applesauce for a few days to avoid hard food in the sockets.
While every patient heals at a slightly different pace, most people can begin drinking small amounts of coffee around 5 days after an extraction. If all goes well, within two weeks any swelling should subside and your mouth should be mostly healed. At that point, you can return to drinking your normal amount of coffee.
Diet: Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid carbonated and alcoholic beverages. A soft cold diet will be easiest: yogurt, milkshakes (no straw, use spoon) smoothies, soups, pasta (foods that don't involve too much chewing). Nothing too spicy is also recommended.
Alcohol consumption immediately after having a tooth pulled can lead to a condition called dry socket, which can be quite painful and cause the blood clot to dislodge.
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.
– Day 2. This stage comprises 24-48 hours after the tooth extraction. By now, a clot has formed in the socket, and platelets in the socket have begun to produce chemical factors to speed up the healing process. You will notice that the swelling is starting to subside.
The length of time of a blood clot's dissolution will vary from patient to patient. Typically, your tooth extraction site will be completely healed anywhere from seven to ten days after the extraction procedure.
Rest for at least 24 hours and elevate your head when lying down. Apply an ice pack to your cheek at 20-minute intervals to reduce swelling. Avoid rinsing your mouth, spitting, smoking, or drinking through a straw because this can dislodge your blood clot and cause a painful secondary condition called dry socket.
In most cases, walking and light physical activity is encouraged after the first day. This will also help with swelling and help get patients back into their normal routines. Depending on the procedure, patients should avoid vigorous physical activity for 3-5 days.
After the procedure, one should expect some discomfort, swelling, sensitivity, or pain. The pain experienced is usually due to the underlying gum inflammation. What is considered “normal” pain is likely to last for about three days post-extraction.
Following any type of oral surgery, including a tooth extraction, you should sleep elevated for the first 2-3 nights. This allows your body to drain more of the fluid away from the extraction site. If you were to lie flat on your back, the amount of swelling is much more likely to increase.
Immediately Following Surgery
Limit talking. The more you talk, the more your tongue and associated muscles move disturbing the clots. Vigorous mouth rinsing or touching the wound area following surgery should be avoided. This may initiate bleeding by causing the blood clot that has formed to become dislodged.
Don't rinse for the first 24 hours, and this will help your mouth to start healing. After this time use a salt-water mouthwash, which helps to heal the socket. A teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water gently rinsed around the socket twice a day can help to clean and heal the area.
For at least 24 hours after your tooth extraction, you should consume only soft foods and liquids. You can ease into a more normal diet when you feel comfortable doing so. Try to stick with easy-to-chew foods for a few days. Initially, choose cool foods like yogurt, pudding, Jell-O, and ice cream.