Dental Care Instructions
Tooth extraction is the complete removal of a tooth, from the part of the tooth that you
can see to the roots that are in the jawbone. Damage caused by tooth decay is the most
common reason for a tooth's extraction. Other reasons for removing a tooth include
infection or injury. Removing the tooth can help keep an infection from spreading to
other parts of the mouth. And some teeth may be removed to prevent or correct
crowding in the mouth.
A blood clot will form in the tooth socket after the extraction. The clot protects the bone
during healing. If that blood clot gets loose or comes out of the socket, you may have a
dry socket, which exposes the bone. A dry socket may last for several days and can
cause severe pain. If you get a dry socket, your oral surgeon must be notified
• Stop eating at midnight. This is very important!
Stop eating and drinking all non-clear fluids at midnight. This is very important
• You may DRINK CLEAR FLUIDS ONLY up to 3 hours before surgery. This includes
BLACK coffee, tea, Gatorade, apple juice and water.
Plan Ahead
• Plan a ride home. Ask a family member or friend to bring you home after your
hospital visit and stay with you for 24 hrs
• Plan for meals. Good nutrition is important for your recovery, but cooking may be
harder to do right after you get home. Prepare and freeze meals before your surgery or
ask friends and family to help you cook or shop for groceries.
• Get help with chores. After you get home you may need help. For a short time after
your surgery, you may be told to avoid certain physical activities. Plan ahead and
arrange to have some help with chores after your surgery.
Be as healthy as possible
• Be active. Being active before surgery will make it easier for you to be active after
surgery. If you’re normally active, keep doing your regular activities up to the day of
your surgery. If you aren’t used to exercising, start slowly. You can start by going for 15
minute walks.
• Eat healthy. Eating healthy foods will give your body the nutrients it needs to prepare
for and handle the surgery. Eat healthy foods and drink enough fluids in the weeks
before your surgery. Your healthcare team will tell you how long before surgery that you
need to stop eating and drinking.
• Manage your medical conditions. If you have other medical conditions, such as
anemia or high or low blood sugar, ask your healthcare team what you need to do to
prepare for surgery.
• Quit tobacco. You can heal faster and prevent lung problems after surgery if you quit
tobacco. Aim to quit smoking and using tobacco and tobacco-like products at least 4
weeks before surgery. Talk to your healthcare team about ways to quit or cut
back. Don’t drink alcohol 24 hours before surgery. Alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs
may interact with medicines you take before and after surgery. Talk to your healthcare
team if you need help stopping or cutting back on alcohol, cannabis, or other drugs.
Do the following before your surgery to help you feel better sooner and recover
faster.
The day before surgery
• Know the time of your surgery, when you need to be at the hospital, and where you
need to go when you get there.
• Follow any instructions the healthcare team or your surgeon gave you for your
medicines (including herbal or complementary medicines).
Morning of surgery
Plan to arrive at the hospital on time.
• Follow any instructions provided
• Bring all of the things you packed for your hospital stay if you are being admitted.
• Follow all other instructions the healthcare team gave you to prepare for surgery.
• Bring your CPAP if you use one
Discharge
How you may feel after your operation
• You may feel nauseated, light headed dizzy or sleepy for up to 24 hours after
your surgery
• You may have a slight temperature for 2 days
• You may feel tired for a few days after your surgery
For 24 hours after your surgery do not…. Drive a vehicle
Operate heavy equipment
Drink alcohol or smoke
Make any important or legal decisions
At Home
You may need some help once you are home. It may take up to a few months before
you fully recover. Talk to your healthcare team if you have any concerns about your
recovery.
Your ERAS Care Pathway doesn’t stop when you leave the hospital. To help your
recovery at home:
• Slowly get more active.
• Eat healthy and drink fluids as you did before surgery (unless your healthcare team gives
you other instructions).
• Drink oral nutritional supplements (like Ensure Protein Max) for the first month after
surgery to give you extra protein and help you heal faster.
• Take less pain medicine as your pain gets better.
• Take your blood thinner and other medicines as you were told.
What is anesthesia?
Anesthesia controls pain. And it keeps all your organs working normally during surgery
or another kind of procedure.
Anesthesia can relax you. It can also make you sleepy or forgetful. Or it may make you
unconscious. It depends on what kind you get.
Your anesthesia provider (anesthesiologist) will make sure you are comfortable and safe
during the procedure or surgery.
There are different types of anesthesia.
• Local anesthesia. This type numbs a small part of the body. Doctors use it for simple
procedures.
o You get a shot in the area the doctor will work on.
o You will feel some pressure during the procedure.
o You may stay awake. Or you may get medicine to help you relax or sleep.
• Regional anesthesia. This type blocks pain to a larger area of the body. It can also help
relieve pain right after surgery. And it may reduce your need for other pain medicine
after surgery. There are different types. They include:
o Peripheral nerve block. This is a shot near a specific nerve or group of nerves. It blocks
pain in the part of the body supplied by the nerve. This is often used for procedures on
the hands, arms, feet, legs, or face.
o Epidural and spinal anesthesia. This is a shot near the spinal cord and the nerves around
it. It blocks pain from an entire area of the body, such as the belly, hips, or legs.
• General anesthesia. This type affects the brain and the whole body. You may get it
through a small tube placed in a vein (IV).You are unconscious and will not feel pain.
During the surgery, you will be comfortable. Later, you will not remember much about
the surgery.
What type will you have?
The type of anesthesia you have depends on many things, such as:
• The type of surgery or procedure and the reason you are having it.
• Test results, such as blood tests.
• How worried you feel about the surgery.
• Your health. Your doctor and nurses will ask you about any past surgeries. They will ask
about any health problems you may have, such as diabetes, lung or heart disease, or a
history of stroke. They will want to know if you take medicine, such as blood thinners.
Your doctor may also ask if any family members have had any problems with anesthesia.
You will talk with your anesthesia provider about your options. In many cases, you may
be able to choose the type of anesthesia you have.
What can you expect after having anesthesia?
Right after the surgery, you will be in the recovery room. Nurses will make sure you are
comfortable. As the anesthesia wears off, you may feel some pain and discomfort from
your surgery.
Tell someone if you have pain. Pain medicine works better if you take it before the pain
gets bad.
You may feel some of the effects of anesthesia for a while. It takes time for the effects of
the medicine to completely wear off.
• If you had local or regional anesthesia you may feel numb and have less feeling in part
of your body. It may also take a few hours for you to be able to move and control your
muscles as usual.
• When you first wake up from general anesthesia, you may be confused. Or it may be
hard to think clearly. This is normal.
• Don't do anything for 24 hours that requires attention to detail. This includes going to
work, making important decisions, or signing any legal documents.
Other common side effects of anesthesia include:
• Nausea and vomiting. This does not usually last long. It can be treated with medicine.
• A slight drop in body temperature. You may feel cold and shiver when you first wake up.
• A sore throat, if you had general anesthesia.
• Muscle aches or weakness.
• Feeling tired.
You may go home the same day of surgery or you may stay in the hospital. Your doctor
will check on your recovery from the anesthesia. He or she will answer any questions
you may have.
For answers to frequently asked questions about your anesthetic, please visit
https://www.cas.ca/en/about-cas/advocacy/anesthesia-faq
Tooth Extraction: What to Expect at Home
How can you care for yourself at home?
• While your mouth is numb, be careful not to bite your tongue or the inside of your
cheek or lip.
• Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
o If the dentist gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
• If your dentist prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them
just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• If you have bleeding, bite gently on a gauze pad. Change the pad as it becomes soaked
with blood.
• AFTER 24 hours, rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water several times a day. Your
dentist may recommend other mouth rinses if needed. Do not rinse hard. This can
loosen the blood clot and delay healing. Do not rinse before 24hrs as this can loosen
the clot and cause dry socket.
• Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue or swishing liquid in your mouth. And don't
use a straw for the first few days. These actions can loosen the blood clot and delay
healing.
• Avoid chewing in the area where the tooth was removed until your mouth heals. Soft
foods like gelatin or soup might be easier to eat and may help you heal.
• If needed, put ice or a cold pack on your cheek for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do
this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when you are awake) or until the swelling
goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
• Do not smoke for at least 24 hours after the extraction. Tobacco use can delay healing.
Activity
•
Relax after surgery. Physical activity may increase bleeding.
•
Do not lie flat. This may prolong bleeding. Prop up your head with pillows.
Diet
•
Eat soft foods, such as gelatin, pudding, or a thin soup. Gradually add solid foods to
your diet as you heal. Avoid dairy and fatty foods as this might upset your stomach
•
Do not use a straw for the first few days. Sucking on a straw can loosen the blood clot
that forms at the surgery site. If this happens, it can delay healing.
Medicines
•
Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. He or she will also
give you instructions about taking any new medicines.
•
If you take aspirin or some other blood thinner, ask your doctor if and when to start
taking it again. Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to
do.
•
If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them
just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
•
Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
Incision care
•
Bite gently on the gauze pad periodically, and change pads as they become soaked
with blood. Call your dentist or oral surgeon if you still have bleeding 24 hours after
your surgery.
•
While your mouth is numb (frozen), be careful not to bite the inside of your cheek or
lip, or your tongue.
•
After 24 hours, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times a day to
reduce swelling and relieve pain. Do not rinse hard. This can loosen the blood clot and
delay healing.
•
Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue or touching it with your fingers.
•
Continue to brush your teeth and tongue carefully.
Ice and heat
•
Try using an ice pack on the outside of your cheek for the first 24 hours. You can use
moist heat—such as a face cloth soaked in warm water and wrung out—for the
following 2 or 3 days.
Other instructions
•
Do not smoke for at least 24 hours after your surgery. The sucking motion can loosen
the clot and delay healing. In addition, smoking decreases the blood supply and can
bring germs and contaminants to the surgery area.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to
all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea
to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
When should you call for help?
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
•
You passed out (lost consciousness).
•
You have severe trouble breathing.
Call your oral surgeon now or seek immediate medical care if:
•
You have new or more bleeding from the site.
•
You have signs of infection, such as:
o
Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
o
Red streaks leading from the area.
o
Pus draining from the area.
o
A fever.
•
You have new or worse nausea or vomiting.
