What should I do if I can’t stop the bleeding after tooth extraction? What should I do if the wound becomes more and more painful after tooth extraction? How should I take care of my tooth after extraction? In fact, in response to the many problems of patients, doctors usually explain some post-operative precautions to patients after tooth extraction, and even give them written medical advice, but inevitably they are forgotten by patients for various reasons. And due to inattention or ignorance of postoperative care, patients often increase their fears and unnecessary discomfort, which can cause wound infection in serious cases. Therefore, I will display the key points of post-operative care here, hoping to help some friends who had their teeth extracted to relieve discomfort and recover as soon as possible. 1. After tooth extraction, the doctor will place a gauze ball above the extraction socket for the patient to bite tightly to stop the bleeding by pressure. Generally, patients without blood disorders can stop bleeding by biting on the ball for half an hour in a quiet state. If there is strenuous exercise such as cycling or stair climbing during the period, the time to spit out the gauze ball should be extended appropriately. Patients with high blood pressure should also extend the time appropriately. However, the gauze ball should not be bitten for too long, because the oral cavity is a bacterial environment, if the time exceeds 5-6 hours or half a day without spitting out the gauze ball, instead, it is easy to cause the gauze ball to be contaminated and finally cause wound infection. 2. Don’t keep licking the wound with your tongue after tooth extraction A good blood clot is an important condition for the normal healing of tooth extraction wound and avoiding infection. When spitting out the gauze ball, the alveolar sockets have already stopped bleeding, and the blood clot has been formed at this time. However, if washed by saliva or drinking water, the blood clot will break down again, just like ice melting, eventually leading to clot dislodgement and rebleeding. Therefore, do not rinse your mouth and brush your teeth for 24 hours after tooth extraction, do not rinse your mouth hard when drinking water, and do not lick the wound with your tongue frequently. Although the bleeding has been stopped, talking and chewing can cause clot dislodgement and rebleeding, so talk as little as possible. It is normal to have blood in your saliva for the first three days after tooth extraction, so there is no need to be alarmed or want to spit it out. It is normal to have blood in your saliva for the first three days after extraction. Once the clot is dislodged, it may cause inflammation and pain in the wound, and in severe cases, dry socket, severe pain and delayed healing of the extraction wound. Therefore, it is important to protect the blood clot. 3, after surgery and bleeding, remember to bite the gauze ball Sometimes the bleeding has been stopped after spitting out the gauze ball, but after sports, talking, drinking, etc. caused by the alveolar sockets bleeding again, then you can use the gauze ball placed above the extraction sockets to bite tightly and compress to stop the bleeding, which is generally effective. If the bleeding cannot be stopped, go to the hospital in time. 4. Post-operative pain and swelling, use painkillers + cold compresses Post-operative pain and swelling of the cheek are normal physiological reactions and inevitable. Generally, the more complex the tooth is, the more traumatic the extraction is, the more serious the post-operative reaction is. Traumatic swelling generally reaches its peak 2-3 days after surgery and gradually decreases later; postoperative pain generally reaches its peak 6 hours after surgery and starts to decrease 12 hours after surgery. Swelling can be relieved by applying cold compresses. Cold compresses are applied to the operative area for 48 hours after surgery, and for every 15 minutes of cold compresses, more than 15 minutes of rest is required. Properly applied cold compresses help reduce postoperative swelling, bleeding, and pain. Some patients experience postoperative difficulty in opening and painful swallowing, which usually peaks at 16 hours postoperatively and gradually subsides thereafter. The pain is usually tolerable and can be relieved by oral pain medication, which does not cause major side effects for a day or two. You can also take dexamethasone prescribed by your doctor. Taking dexamethasone in small doses for a short period of time will not cause significant side effects and can be taken with confidence, but patients with hyperthyroidism, hypertension and diabetes should try to avoid taking it. 5. Don’t crave and stay away from spicy and hot food Two hours after tooth extraction, you can eat liquid food, and the first three days are mainly liquid food, the purpose is to facilitate swallowing so as not to destroy the blood clot in the alveolar sockets. Do not eat excessively hot and spicy stimulating food, but eat cool food, and take ice cubes or cold drinks by mouth to help stop bleeding. Try to rest on the same day and the next day, avoid strenuous exercise, and avoid lying down if you have a tendency to bleed, you can lie in a semi-recumbent position to reduce the blood flow in the head and face. Pay attention to supplemental nutrition, eat more food rich in protein and vitamins, and try not to smoke or drink alcohol for a week. 6. It is important and necessary to brush and rinse the mouth. After tooth extraction, it is more important to strengthen oral hygiene to avoid infection. Some patients hesitate to brush their teeth and rinse their mouths, resulting in poor oral hygiene and causing wound infection. As mentioned before, you can brush and rinse your teeth after 24 hours, just pay attention to gentle movements. After each meal, you can use mouthwash or light salt water to rinse your mouth, especially pay attention to timely cleaning the food residues that fall into the jaw socket. In general, people in good general condition do not need to use antibiotics routinely after surgery. If the extraction is traumatic, or if the patient is old and frail or diabetic, oral antibiotics can be given for 2-3 days. If there is no obvious infection, there is no need to take antibiotics for a long time. 7. Any discomfort should be followed up promptly After tooth extraction, if there is no obvious discomfort, you can not follow up. If there are sutures, the sutures can be removed at 5-7 days after surgery or at a nearby hospital. If the postoperative reaction is obvious, there is an increase in temperature, difficulty in opening the mouth and pain cannot be relieved, etc., you should follow up promptly. If severe pain in the extraction sockets starts to appear 3 days after surgery and cannot be relieved by taking painkillers, the pain radiates to the half side of the head, and there is a rotten odor inside the mouth, dry socket may have occurred, and timely follow-up should be made. 8. Post-operative reaction, everyone is different Post-operative reaction is temporary and usually does not cause serious discomfort. Everyone’s situation is different and not comparable, so don’t compare your feelings with other people’s experience. Treat post-operative reactions scientifically and calmly, and do not let them affect your normal life. The pain of the patient is also felt by the doctor. Therefore, it is expected that we will work together to minimize the discomfort after tooth extraction. The trust of my patients is the greatest motivation for me to move forward, and I will keep exploring and treating every tooth and every patient friend who trusts me with my heart.