You will receive a set of printed instructions to follow once you arrive home, so you will know exactly what to do. Basically, your list of instructions will inform you of the following points.

Avoid disturbing the area where the wound exists to prevent unnecessary bleeding or reopening of the wound. It will heal faster if you leave it alone.

Avoid using any type of swishing with liquids for a minimum of twenty-four hours as this may cause the blood clot to dissipate and lead to renewed bleeding. You may use a salt-water rinse after a full day has passed if recommended by your dentist. Do not use straws to drink your beverages as this could also destroy the blood clot.

Once the extraction takes place, a clean, gauze pad is placed upon the opening to help control the bleeding. Initially, you will be required to gently remove the gauze pad and replace it with a new one after every twenty minutes. The gauze must be large enough to fully cover the opening where the tooth has been extracted. Once the bleeding stops, you are no longer required to continue using the gauze.

If you accidentally cause the opening to begin bleeding, you can take a fresh piece of gauze, cover the opening, bite down on the gauze, and keep it there for twenty minutes. If the bleeding does not stop after that, continue the process for the next hour or so, switching out the used gauze for fresh pads every twenty minutes. If the bleeding does not stop after an hour, please contact us.

The amount of pain that is experienced varies by patient, and it often depends on whether or not the tooth had to be cut out of the bone or simply pulled from the gums. In the event that you do experience pain, you may use over-the-counter pain management pills. Please do not take anything else without contacting your Las Vegas dentist first.

It is recommended that you ice the area to the outside of the extraction for the first hour or as soon as possible after the procedure has taken place. The recommended procedure is to place an ice pack on for twenty minutes, off for an equal amount of time, and then back on for another twenty minutes.