Are you anticipating getting a tooth removed? There’s probably nothing to worry about. Here at Bayberry Dental Care, we routinely perform simple extractions that leave patients more comfortable and in a better position to care for their oral health in the future. We provide patients with instructions to stay safe and minimize discomfort while recuperating, but we thought it would be a good idea to teach people how to deal with swelling ahead of time.
Swelling prevents harmful pathogens from entering through the socket and makes membranes more permeable to peptides the immune system uses. But normally, the blood will quickly clot, sealing off the empty socket. In the first forty-eight hours after an extraction, the patient may try to minimize swelling by holding a cold pack against their mouth. The pack should be dry and they should use it for no more than fifteen minutes at a time. They should also allow fifteen minutes to pass before putting the cold pack back on.
Usually, swelling peaks within three days of an extraction. After that, a patient may try to speed its reduction by applying hot packs, again using the fifteen on/fifteen off rule. It will take a few days for the swelling to go down completely. Black or white discoloration around an extraction site requires urgent attention, but red discoloration is expected and will fade with the swelling.
Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit Bayberry Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.
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