How to put gauze in mouth after wisdom tooth extraction

Most problems that patients face after surgery are related to pain and swelling, bleeding or oozing, dietary difficulties, or medication-related side effects. We have attempted to provide some helpful hints that you may use to minimize any post-surgical difficulties and make your experience as pleasant as possible. If you have any questions, please call our office.

Bleeding

Bleeding is common to some degree in the first 24 hours. Your bleeding should stop within 4 hours after surgery. Oozing and episodes of occasional bleeding may occur for up to 1–2 weeks, and you should not be alarmed. Usually, simple pressure with a wet, rolled gauze pad over the extraction site will stop the bleeding when applied for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the gauze after about 1 hour and replace it if the bleeding persists. A tea bag is often more effective in stopping the bleeding. If bleeding persists, the tea bag may be used like a gauze pad. Take the staple out of the tea bag, dampen it, roll it up, and place it over the extraction site. Bite on the bag for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Swelling and Bruising

It is common to swell and bruise. Swelling is usually at its worst 48–72 hours after the surgery, and then it begins to improve. Bruising may occur over a few days and resolve within 2 weeks. Ice helps. Apply ice to your face over the surgical areas for about 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off over the first 24 hours.

Pain

Each person experiences pain in a different way, and what may seem like a minor procedure to one person may be very objectionable to another. Although pain may persist for a few days to some degree, it always seems to get better. If your pain does not improve, you may be developing a dry socket. A dry socket is a condition that may develop when the clot in an extraction site breaks down and leaves behind a painful socket that may need to be treated with medicated gauze in the office. Please call us if you are concerned that you may be experiencing unusual discomfort.

Warm saltwater rinses help muscle stiffness and pain. Mix a ½ teaspoon of salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water (as warm as possible without burning yourself). Swish over the extraction site(s) and spit 3–4 times per day for 1 week starting the morning after your surgery. Avoid smoking! Do not use straws, and do not use a Waterpik®.

Take over-the-counter ibuprofen (200 mg) every 6 hours for 3–4 days or the prescribed anti-inflammatory medication. Call us if you develop any nausea, stomach cramps, upset stomach, or notice blood in your stool.

You have been prescribed narcotic pain medication. Take this medication as prescribed on that bottle if necessary.

Infection

Continue to take any antibiotics as prescribed. Unusual swelling or discharge may mean that you have an infection. Please note that your healing wound will appear whitish-grey. A slight elevation in temperature after surgery is common in the first 24 hours and does not necessarily signify an infection.

Brush your teeth. Your teeth need to be clean to help prevent an infection. Use a toothbrush, softened under warm water, and brush gently around the teeth next to your extraction sites. A little bleeding with brushing is common.

Diet

After your surgery, it will be difficult to eat. Hot, spicy foods and sharp particulate foods are especially difficult to chew and may irritate a wound or tooth socket. Softer, bland foods are the best to eat. Jell-O®, cottage cheese, ice cream, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soft fish, apple sauce, macaroni and cheese, ground beef in small pieces, yogurt, and well-cooked vegetables are some examples.

You may try more substantial foods as the wounds begin to heal a few days after surgery. Be sure to use care when eating while your mouth is numb. You may expect to be numb from 2 to 12 hours depending on the anesthetic used.

Stitches

We may use dissolving or non-dissolving sutures. The sutures may untie, fall out, or dissolve in a few hours, a few days, or a week. Do not be alarmed by this. We usually remove them at your follow-up visit. They usually do not need to be present for more than a few hours.

Medications

Medications and general anesthetic agents may cause nausea and have undesirable effects. Take your medications with food if they upset your stomach, and please call us if you have any questions.

If you were provided an irrigation syringe because you had your lower wisdom teeth removed, please start using it 5–7 days after surgery.

Please review these tips for the safe use and proper disposal of prescription medications.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call our office at (360) 293-2808. Our after-hours emergency number is (360) 647-4027.

  • Bite hard on the gauze for 30 minutes if you are dismissed with gauze in your mouth. Remove the gauze after 30 minutes and do NOT place new gauze in your mouth if bleeding has stopped. A trail of blood in your saliva is NOT bleeding. Residual bleeding can last up to 36 hours. Bleeding is saturated blood constantly oozing out of the extraction site and it would outflow when you try to speak. If you have bleeding, then place new gauze over the extraction site (NOT between the teeth) and bite hard on it for one hour. Make sure that you swallow your saliva as you bite on the gauze during that time. (Only about 5% of our patients have to apply new gauze after leaving our office.) If you still bleed after doing this, contact our office immediately.
  • SWALLOW YOUR SALIVA!!!!!!! Swallowing your saliva will create enough pressure to stop the residual bleeding and stabilize the blood clot. Swallowing your saliva will prevent DRY-SOCKET PAIN.
  • To reduce swelling, apply a cold compress in the area—10 minutes on, 10 minutes off in the first hour after surgery. It is normal to develop swelling after the surgery. Just know that the peak of the swelling is around noon the next day. The swelling should resolve slowly after the afternoon the next day. If the swelling gets worse after the next day, you must contact our office immediately. We would like to bring you in for evaluation.
  • Do not spit, suck on extraction site, smoke cigarettes, rinse your mouth vigorously, or drink through a straw for at least 4 days. These activities or anything you do to disturb the blood clot will lead to delayed healing and DRY-SOCKET PAIN.
  • Take pain medication and other medications as directed. We recommend taking pain medication before the surgery. But if you did not, then it is very important that you take pain medication ASAP before numbness wears off. Just remember that when you have pain, it takes longer for pain medication to take effect. So take pain medication ASAP.
  • Wait for numbness to wear off before you eat. This may take a few hours.
  • Eat soft food. Chew on the opposite side if appropriate. Do NOT eat temperature hot and spicy food. Return to normal diet as you feel comfortable.
  • Limit strenuous activity and exposure to the hot sun heat for two days after the extraction surgery.
  • Brush and floss your teeth without disturbing the extraction site. Do NOT use the Waterpik for one week after surgery.
  • Rinse your mouth with Chlorohexidine if dispensed you. Rinse with Chlorohexidine for 30 seconds twice daily after you brush your teeth in the morning and at night. You can substitute Chlorohexidine with warm salt and water as well.
  • Nausea is not uncommon after surgery. It is sometimes caused by the pain medication. To reduce nausea, you must eat before you take the pain medication and take the pill with a lot of water. If you do not feel better or vomit repeatedly, please call our office immediately.
  • If you feel sharp edges in the surgical areas with your tongue, it is probably small slivers of bone working themselves out during the first week or two after surgery. They are not pieces of the tooth. If they bother you, we will remove them. Please come in for an evaluation.
  • Do not disturb or touch the wound.
  • Avoid rinsing or spitting for 2 days (48 hours) to allow blood clot and graft material stabilization.
  • Do not apply pressure with your tongue or fingers to the grafted area, as the material is movable during the initial healing.
  • Do not lift or pull on the lip to look at the sutures. This can actually cause damage to the wound site and tear the sutures.
  • Do not smoke.
  • For mild discomfort, take Tylenol® or ibuprofen every 3–4 hours.
  • For severe pain, use the medication prescribed to you.
  • If you develop DRY-SOCKET PAIN, you need to come in for treatment. DRY-SOCKET PAIN is noticeable, distinct, persistent, throbbing pain in the jaw often radiating toward the ear. DRY-SOCKET PAIN can develop days after you have been feeling better. DRY-SOCKET PAIN can easily be treated in the office so don’t wait.

EXTRACTION SITE 101

After the tooth is extracted, the bony extraction socket is exposed. Blood fills up the bony socket and solidifies into a clot. The clot is the healing tissue. This clot is necessary for healing. Anything you do to lift or dislodge this clot, you will develop DRY-SOCKET PAIN. Just how painful is DRY-SOCKET PAIN? How do you rate pain when your bone socket is exposed to the air? Let’s avoid developing DRY-SOCKET PAIN.

TOP THREE MISTAKES LEADING TO DRY-SOCKET PAIN

3. Smoking cigarettes

2. Spitting

1. Placing dry gauze over extraction site after bleeding has stopped. The blood clot will stick to the gauze and you will remove it. Just bite, we mean really bite hard on that same gauze that we dismiss you with for 30 minutes and then toss it. Swallow your saliva after that. Swallowing your saliva will create enough pressure to stop the rest of the bleeding and swallowing your saliva will ensure that the precious blood clot is intact and stable.

SHOULD YOU FORGET WHAT YOU JUST READ SO FAR, JUST REMEMBER ONE SIMPLE RULE AND YOU ARE FAR BETTER OFF AFTER EXTRACTION SURGERY – SWALLOW YOUR SALIVA!!!!!!

If you have prolonged or severe pain, swelling, bleeding, or fever contact our office immediately. We will give you exact instructions on how to care for your problem.

How long do you do gauze after wisdom teeth removal?

After Wisdom Tooth Removal.
The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for about 45 minutes, or until you get something soft to eat/drink, such as a milkshake or smoothie. ... .
Vigorous mouth rinsing and/or touching the wound area following surgery should be avoided..

Do I sleep with gauze in my mouth after wisdom tooth extraction?

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.

Can gauze pull out blood clot?

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.