A clean and healthy mouth heals more quickly
- If you have had an injection in the mouth, you will be numb for the next few hours. Until the effects wear off, you should be careful not to bite your lip, cheek or tongue (especially children) and avoid touching your face or gum where it feels numb.
- You should expect some discomfort and/or swelling in the area for a few days.
- You may have limited mouth opening.
- There will be some blood in your saliva for several days.
To encourage the area to heal –
DO:
- Take it easy for the rest of the day, avoiding any strenuous exercise.
- Eat later in the day, but be careful to avoid foods which are too hard, hot or difficult to chew.
- Brush your teeth as normal from that evening but be careful around the extraction site.
- Take painkillers if required and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not take aspirin as this may cause bleeding. If in doubt, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
- Start warm salty mouth rinses after 24 hours (a teaspoon of salt in a tumbler of warm water), use after each meal for at least 5 days.
- If persistent bleeding starts, bite firmly over the area on a folded gauze pack for at least 15 minutes (the Dentist will have given you some to take home to use). If the bleeding has not stopped after an hour, contact your dentist or dental out of hours for further advice.
DO NOT:
- Mouth rinse for the first 24 hours.
- Drink alcohol or smoke for the next 24 hours as this will significantly increase the risk of post-operative problems such as pain, infection or bleeding.
- Eat or drink for the first few hours after extraction (unless told to do so by the dentist).
- Exceed the recommended dose of painkillers.
Please contact us if:
- The pain is not improving/getting worse after 3 days.
- There is continuous bleeding not stopped by the advice in this leaflet
- You are concerned that the socket is not healing.
Opening hours and contact details:
Monday – Thursday, 8.30am – 5.00pm
Friday, 8.30am – 4.30pm
St Catherine’s Health Centre Dental Clinic – call 0151 652 6527
Victoria Central Health Centre Dental Clinic – call 0151 604 732
Out of Hours contact
Out of Hours Service – call 111
Revive Dental Care – call 0161 476 9651