Here you can find copies of our post treatment information in case you lost the one we gave you at our office:

• After Your Extraction
• Splint (Bite Guard) Use

After Your Extraction

A few days after the extraction of a tooth, the wound usually heals to the point where you can function normally. In the meantime, you should follow a few rules to help prevent complications, and make yourself more comfortable.

THE BLOOD CLOT: After an extraction, a blood clot forms in the tooth socket. This clot is part of the normal healing process. It is important to avoid activities that might disturb the clot. Here is what you should do to protect it.

1. Do not smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously, or drink through a straw for 24 hours. These activities create suction in the mouth, which could dislodge the clot and delay healing.
2. Do not clean the teeth next to the healing tooth socket for the rest of the day. You should, however, brush and floss the other teeth thoroughly.
3. Limit strenuous activities for 24 hours after extraction to reduce bleeding and help the blood clot form.

BLEEDING: Your dentist will place a gauze pack on the extraction site to limit bleeding and confine the blood while the clotting takes place. This gauze pack should be left in place for 30 to 45 minutes after you leave the dentist office. Do not chew on the pack. If the bleeding or oozing continues after the pack is removed, follow this procedure:

1. Fold a piece of clean gauze into a pad thick enough to bite on. Dampen the pad and place it directly on the extraction site.
2. Apply moderate pressure by closing the teeth firmly over the pad for about 30 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
3. Do not suck on the extraction site (Remember that a lot of saliva and a little blood may look like a lot of bleeding). You may spit out saliva once in a while.

*** IF HEAVY BLEEDING CONTINUES, CALL YOUR DENTIST. ***

MEDICATION: Your dentist may prescribe medication to control pain and prevent infection. Use it only as directed. If the medication prescribed does not seem to work for you, DO NOT increase the dosage. If you have prolonged or severe pain, swelling, bleeding, or fever, call you dentist immediately. He/She will give you exact instructions on how to care for your problem.

SWELLING AND PAIN: After a tooth is removed, you may have some discomfort and notice some swelling. You can help reduce swelling and pain by applying cold compresses to the face for several hours after the extraction. You can use an ice pack or cold, moist cloth. Your dentist may recommend this and give you a plastic bag of ice to use on your way home.

RINSING: The day after the extraction, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1/2 a teaspoon of salt in 1 glass of warm water). Rinsing after meals is important to keep food particles out of the extraction site, but remember not to rinse your mouth vigorously.

DIET: The day of the extraction, drink lots of liquids and eat soft foods. Avoid alcoholic beverages and hot liquids. Begin eating solid foods the next day or when you can chew comfortably. For about two days, chew food on the other side, opposite to the extraction side. If you experience nausea and vomiting, call your dentist for advice.

ORAL HYGIENE (CLEANLINESS): It is important to brush and floss the teeth at least once a day. The tongue should also be brushed. This will eliminate the bad breath and unpleasant taste that is common after an extraction. Always use a soft bristled brush so that you do not injure the tissue in your mouth.

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Patient Information on Splint

The splint (or bite guard) with which you have been fitted is made of hard, clear plastic material that fits snugly over your upper teeth. It is designed to provide a guiding ramp to allow your teeth to close in a more forward position than normal.

The purpose of your splint is to hold your lower jaw in a forward position to allow the disc (or pad) to reposition itself back onto the condyle (or ball of the jaw joint). Once the disc is repositioned, it will take several weeks for the stretched ligaments of the jaw joint to heal. During this period it is very important not to allow your lower jaw to bite back in its normal position. It usually requires 6 to 8 weeks of treatment for initial healing to occur. On occasion there may need to be adjustments made at no additional cost during the first six weeks of treatment. This initial healing phase is then followed by another 4 to 6 weeks of adjustment and gradual reduction of wearing time. Due to the extreme variation of time needed during this reduction period a charge per visit will be made.

While you are being treated, you should make every effort to limit your jaw movements to only those that are comfortable. You should eat a relatively soft diet, take small bites, chew slowly and do not open wide. Hard foods should be avoided.

You should wear your splint at all times, including eating, 24 hours a day. It should be taken out only to clean. When the splint is out, you should be careful not to let your jaw slip back or bite on your back teeth.

The splint should be brushed daily with toothpaste. Every 2-3 days you may wish to clean the splint with a commercial denture cleanser.

For the first 2 or 3 days that you wear the splint, you may experience some mild soreness or tenderness in the face or jaw joints. If you do, aspirin or Tylenol is recommended for discomfort.

If any problems develop while wearing the splint or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.

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