Wisdom teeth removal gauze how long

Luckily your surgeon will give you plenty of gauze to staunch the bleeding. The more you disturb the mouth by swapping out the gauze, the longer it will take to stop the bleeding. The gauze should press against the spots that are bleeding, not just floating nearby to soak up excess blood.

Some people have better luck switching to a damp teabag after using gauze to stop most of the bleeding. The tea leaves can encourage clotting and reduce the discomfort in the back of the mouth. A wisdom tooth extraction is still a surgery, so physical discomfort after the procedure is normal. But you can take steps to lessen the discomfort.

First, you may want to take ibuprofen even before the surgery starts. If you wait until you feel like you need it, the discomfort will last longer. Plenty of bed rest is still the best course for recovery. After a day, some people will start to feel well enough to resume their daily functions. But others will need longer before going back to their normal routine. When the wisdom tooth is removed, the hole where the tooth used to be is called a socket.

Typically, a blood clot will form in the socket to protect the sensitive nerves below and encourage healing. But if the clot is dislodged for any reason, a dry socket forms. Dry sockets are unpleasant post-surgery complications. But they are very preventable. Violent actions like swirling, spitting, or sucking through a straw can all dislodge the blood clot. It does not take much force to cause a dry socket. Brush gently, eat gently and avoid smoking while you recover.

It may last for several days. Some bruising may also develop on the face. Please do not drink through a straw for the first week after surgery. You may resume a regular diet as soon as you feel up to it, although it is recommended that you avoid carbonated beverages for 2—3 days, and avoid crunchy foods like popcorn, chips, peanuts, etc.

You may start rinsing tomorrow, very gently, with some warm salt water 1 tsp of salt in 8 oz. Do this after meals and before bed for one week. Do not use alcohol-containing mouth rinses for the first week or so as it will burn. You may brush your teeth, avoiding the surgical area, either tonight or tomorrow morning. Be gentle! Do not spit or rinse forcefully.

Unless told otherwise, the sutures used during your procedure are dissolvable and will fall out on their own. This generally occurs in the first week after surgery, but timing varies from 4—10 days. If you had anesthesia during your procedure, you should remain under the supervision of a responsible adult for the remainder of the day. Also, your IV site may be tender to the touch, and you may even develop a small bruise. A heating pad and elevating your arm resting it on a pillow may help with tenderness in the area.

Please call your doctor if the pain persists or the IV site becomes swollen. You were probably given one or more prescriptions for medications. Take all medications as directed on the bottle. Call us if you experience severe nausea or diarrhea, or cannot swallow your pills. Pain Medicine : Usually it is necessary to take narcotic pain medication in a scheduled fashion every 4—6 hours for the first 24 hours and as needed thereafter. Remember that narcotics can make you drowsy, so no driving, swimming, operating machinery, or drinking alcoholic beverages while you are taking them.

If directed to do so, you may use ibuprofen, mg, every 6 hours while awake, for the first 4—5 days. Once you are no longer taking narcotic pain medication, you may resume your normal activities as you feel up to it.

Go easy at first with exercise and recreation, and increase your activity slowly over several days back to your normal routine.

Please follow these instructions as closely as possible. They are designed to help you heal quickly and comfortably. If you have a question about your procedure or treatment plan, our center has hour surgeon availability. If you would like to speak to your surgeon, please contact us at any time.

During business hours, please call our office. After hours, please call our office, and our answering service will page a surgeon. Use a tissue to wipe your mouth as needed, or swallow your saliva.