How to Recover Faster from Tooth Extraction?

Tooth extractions are relatively standard and performed by dentists daily throughout the country. Dentists may advise that you need a tooth extraction if you have a severely decayed tooth beyond preserving or an impacted wisdom tooth besides other infections like gum disease, severe injuries, et cetera.

Tooth extractions involve removing a natural tooth from its socket after giving you anesthesia, either local, general, or sedation, depending on the tooth’s condition and the complexity of the removal.

Although tooth extractions by the dentist in Phoenix, AZ, are safe and straightforward initial recovery from the procedure requires between one and two weeks. If you follow your dentist’s instructions to the letter T, it helps you to speed up the recovery process.

Actions You Can Adopt to Speed Your Recovery

• Rest : it is vital that you get adequate rest after getting your tooth extracted. You must avoid strenuous activity and tasks requiring bending over or lifting heavy objects because it can increase blood pressure in your head, resulting in bleeding at the surgical site. Instead, the family dentist suggests managing postsurgical swelling and bleeding by keeping your head elevated using extra pillows to allow the lymph and blood to drain from the extraction site.
• Soft Food Diet : your body needs a nutrient-rich diet with vitamins and minerals to promote cell renewal and healing. However, it is crucial to avoid crunchy, complex, and chewy foods during your recovery to prevent irritation of the surgical site and the empty tooth socket. Therefore eating a soft diet recommended by general dentistry helps you get the necessary nutrition without damaging the soft tissue near the surgical area. To achieve your goal, you must rely on smoothies, lukewarm blended soup or broth without meat chunks, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, yogurt, mashed potatoes, avocados, and soft fish like tilapia during the initial days after your surgical procedure to remove your tooth.
• Avoiding Straws : using straws for drinking liquids or smoking creates adverse pressure in your mouth to dislodge the blood clot forming in the tooth’s socket. Dislodging the blood clot results in a dry socket, a painful condition that can lead to jawbone deterioration, severe infection, and nerve damage. It also delays your healing because it requires help from the Phoenix dentist with sedative dressings and medications to improve your oral health.
• Cold Therapy : postsurgical swelling can remain with you for a week after tooth removal peaking on day three. Excessive swelling hampers your healing and extends your recovery time. However, you can manage the swelling by intermittently applying ice packs on your cheeks for 15 intervals on and off. The cold inhibits blood flow to the surgical site to decrease swelling by numbing the area to reduce discomfort. Cold therapy is best used for maximum effectiveness during the initial 48 hours after the surgery. After that, you can use warm compresses on your cheeks for relief.
• Medications : after the anesthesia wears off, you will experience discomfort near the surgical site. While the pain dissipates over several days, you can manage painful symptoms by taking OTC painkillers and anti-inflammatories. It helps if you refrain from using medications for over three days and take the recommended dosage by the manufacturer. If the pain persists, it might indicate symptoms of an underlying issue like infections or a dry socket making it essential to contact the Phoenix dentist immediately.
• Dental Hygiene : although the dentist recommends not brushing or flossing near the surgical site for 48 hours after the surgical removal of a tooth, you can eliminate food debris to prevent infections by rinsing with warm salt water solution because it has antibacterial properties. However, you must avoid using over-the-counter mouthwash brands because they contain alcohol that might interact with your pain medications. When brushing your teeth, you must use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush gently around the surgical site to prevent damaging the blood clot. However, you can continue cleaning your remaining teeth twice daily to keep your oral health in optimal shape.

If you need a tooth or two extracted due to deep decay from a dental cavity, the tooth is better removed by the dentist to eradicate the bacteria in your mouth and prevent additional complications. However, following the suggestions in this article helps you recover quickly without confronting challenges during your healing.

Arizona Family Dentistry performs many tooth extractions, straightforward and complicated, using minimally invasive techniques and providing patients with information on how to recover quickly without complications. If you need a tooth removed, kindly arrange your appointment with them to extract the tooth and recover quickly from the procedure as soon as possible.