Extraction and Denture

Question:

“I had a molar tooth extracted yesterday and had a partial denture put in straight away. It is now starting the clot, but over the denture as well.
Will this form over my denture when it is healed? Should I do anything?”

Answer:

Tooth Extraction Healing

After tooth removal, the empty socket will usually heal over time by itself.  Tooth extraction healing times vary, and depend on individual patients. It is normal that you will have a blood clot after tooth extraction. A partial denture is sometimes inserted shortly after extractions if only a few teeth are removed for esthetic reasons.

Partial Dentures work as Bandages after Extractions

During this time, the partial denture acts as a band-aid.  Most dentists recommend for you to sleep with the denture in for the first night, and then return the next day for a 24-hour post insertion recall appointment.  At that time, the dentist will remove the denture from your mouth, lightly debride the extraction site, and the denture itself.  If everything appears normal, the dentist will make adjustments as needed to the partial and place it back in your mouth.

After this appointment, return to normal home care for a partial, which includes removing it every night to clean and soak.

Tips to Remember After Extractions and Denture Delivery

A few things to note during extraction healing:

• Very gentle rinsing after the first 24 hrs with warm salt water is advisable, as this helps to remove any food around the extraction site. Please note that only very gentle spitting is advisable!
• Remove dentures at night, store and clean as per instructions given.
• Very gentle brushing around the extraction site, to keep the area clean.

Your tissues need a ‘break’, so very gentle rinsing and very gentle brushing at night, along with taking the denture out overnight, will help with the healing process. The clot itself will not heal over the denture. The excess clotted blood around the site (and around your denture) can be removed carefully with a damp, clean gauze.

Save My Smile Team

Post Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Question:

I just had my wisdom teeth removed earlier, but I misplaced my post-op instructions.  What do I need to do after a wisdom tooth removal?

Answer:

Thanks for writing in.  There are definitely some key steps that you need to take after extraction of your wisdom teeth.  Be sure to follow these instructions carefully.  Failure to do so could result in dry socket, infection, delayed healing, or even severe pain.

Post Wisdom Tooth Extraction Instructions

These instructions should be followed immediately (up to 24 hours) after the surgery.

Let’s take a look at immediate post-op instructions:

• Continue to bite down and exert pressure on the gauze (cotton squares).  This will slow the bleeding and help to form a blood clot.  If the gauze becomes saturated with blood, change it out with a new set.  The dentist will give you extra gauze to take with you in order to change as needed.  Change as often in necessary.
• DO NOT SPIT OR RINSE up to 24 hours after the surgery.  This is crucial.  Spitting or rinsing may cause you to dislodge the blood clot and delay the healing process.
• Lightly brush your teeth later on.  However, when you use the water to clean your teeth, let if drip out of your mouth, do not spit or force it out.
• Take any pain medications or antibiotics as prescribed by the dentist.
• DO NOT suck on a straw.  If you drink, only drink out of a glass or cup.  Again, this negative pressure in the mouth could possibly cause dry socket.
• Relax and don’t exert too much pressure or talk too much.  You just had a surgery so allow your body to relax.
• Do not deprive yourself of food.  However, consume a high calorie, high protein meal so that you do not need to eat as often.  Only eat soft or liquefied foods directly after the surgery.
• If you continue to have SEVERE pain and discomfort days after the surgery, return to your dentist for reevaluation.

Just remember to take it easy and light for the remainder of the day and to get plenty of rest.

Good luck,

SaveMySmile Team

Pericoronitis Treatment

Question:

If we decide to extract the recurrent pericoronitis tooth [should we] give antibiotic before the extraction or after the extraction of tooth?
ThankYou

Answer:

Pericoronitis, infection of the soft tissue typically around the crown of an impacted tooth, usually has a tendency to recur if the causative agent (the tooth) isn’t removed.  The tooth should not be removed until all signs and symptoms of the pericoronitis have been resolved.  If not, incidence of postoperative complications, specifically postoperative infection and dry socket, are highly increased.  However, some sources indicate that IF the pericoronitis is mild, and if the tooth can be easily removed, than an immediate extraction may be performed.  In the end, the recommendation is to treat the pericoronitis, then proceed with the extraction.

Hope this helps and good luck,

SaveMySmile Team

Dry Socket

What is Dry Socket?

After a tooth is pulled out (extraction) from the bone, a blood clot typically forms.  As with any other scar on the body, the blood clot is the first step to healing and serves as a framework for the replacement tissue (bone, etc).  But sometimes, this blood clot can be removed too early!  This condition, called alveolar osteitis, significantly delays healing and be an uncomfortable and painful condition.

Dry socket occurs in about 1-3% of extractions and 25-30% of surgical extractions (used if you had an impacted tooth).

Signs of Dry Socket

Most symptoms for dry socket occur a couple of days after the extraction and can last for up to 40 days if not treated.

Symptoms include:

• Severe pain in the area of the extraction
• Dull, aching pain that radiates to the ear
• Swelling around the tissues in the area
• Foul mouth odor (bad breath)
• Foul taste
• Swollen lymph nodes (only happens occasionally)

Causes of Dry Socket

• Most often unpredictable and not related to a specific cause
• Excessive trauma during the extraction
• Patients on birth control have a higher chance of dry socket
  • If you are on birth control, it’s best to have an extraction performed between days 23 to 28 of your menstrual cycle (days without estrogen supplementation)
• Smoking
• A history of dry socket in the past
• Not following the post-op instructions given to you by the dentist/staff

Treatment for Dry Socket

• Return to the dentist as soon as you experience this pain.  The following steps will be taken:
• The socket will be rinsed out to remove extra debris
• The dentist will insert medicated gauze into the opening.  The medicated gauze contains:
  • Eugenol
  • Topical anesthetic
• You will be advised to change the gauze every 24 hours for the next 3 days.
• Then change the gauze every 2-3 days until the clot forms and you do not experience anymore pain

Have more questions?  Feel free to leave a commit or submit a question to be included in our FAQ’s.

Do I have dry socket?

Question:

Last week,  I had 2 teeth taken out by the dentist.  But today, there was some type of bloody-white “ooze” coming out of the area where one of the teeth came out.  I haven’t had any pain, just the ooze.  Is this dry socket?

Answer:

From what your describing, it definitely isn’t dry socket.  Dry socket is quite painful and occurs when you’ve lost the blood clot in your tooth socket and the bone is exposed.  This sounds like an infection.  After an extraction, for the first couple of hours you can expect some bleeding and some slight pain.  The dentist should have prescribed pain pills and antibiotics so as to avoid an infection.  Depending on the severity of the infection now, the dentist may just prescribe some more antibiotics.  But please visit your dentist right away and tell him/her that you have an infection.

Good luck!