Everyone may agree that tooth extraction is the first among the most unpleasant procedures. However, you can prepare for such an undesirable manipulation, minimizing the negative consequences and side effects.
When to Stop Using Gauze After Tooth Extraction?
You should be aware that an open wound will appear at the site of the bad tooth, which needs to be appropriately treated. The cotton swab is designed to soothe the open wound and stop bleeding. Therefore, the answer to the question “When to stop using gauze after tooth extraction?” is when the hole formed at the site of the extracted tooth is covered with a blood clot. However, you should keep the cotton swab for no more than 20 minutes because it becomes a substrate for developing dangerous bacteria after this period. Sometimes, if the patient has poor blood clotting, the tampon can be kept for 30-40 minutes. If the gauze is overexposed, the blood clot can dry out and injure the wound during removal.
How Soon Can I Eat Ice Cream After Tooth Extraction?
Let’s imagine that the operation was successful, 2-5 hours have passed, the hole has healed, and you are hungry. During the postoperative period, adhering to strict dietary restrictions and avoiding impulsive purchases of unhealthy foods such as burgers and cola is essential. How soon can I eat ice cream after tooth extraction? Doctors advise waiting 1-3 days before eating it. However, if the desire to taste frozen sweets is stronger than doctors’ recommendations, you should at least prefer ice cream without additives, glaze, and nuts.
Can I Drink Soda After Tooth Extraction?
To give a comprehensive answer to this question, you should pay attention to the chemical composition of soda. Thus, its main component is carbon dioxide and its decomposition product, carbonic acid. The latter causes the well-known “prickling” of carbonated water. Therefore, if doctors recommend refraining from food and drinks that can injure a fresh wound, it is better to refuse drinking soda after tooth extraction.
Can You Drink Soda After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Most often, complications occur after the extraction of wisdom teeth. Can you drink soda after wisdom teeth removal? This question is frequently asked on the Internet. The answer is that you should avoid drinking it on the first day after surgery. It’s best to allow the wound to heal completely, which can take at least 2-3 days. The extraction of wisdom teeth is a complex process that often requires strict adherence to medical instructions and can be difficult to tolerate.
Can I Drink Alcohol After Tooth Extraction?
Perhaps everyone has heard the stereotype that alcohol acts as an antiseptic and promotes wound healing. It is not entirely true. Indeed, the basis of any alcoholic beverage is alcohol, which in turn can kill germs. However, if we are talking about an open wound, alcohol will dry it out, blocking and significantly slowing the healing process. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics to patients immediately after surgery to protect them from complications. In this case, the answer to the question “Can I drink alcohol after tooth extraction?” is: “No; it is strictly prohibited.
Can You Smoke After Tooth Extraction?
It is another definite no for the first days after surgery. All dentists, without exception, advise you to refrain from this bad habit for the first 2-3 days. The fact is that nicotine significantly slows down the tissue healing process, provoking bleeding. If the urge to smoke is irresistible and abstinence is a real challenge, you should reduce the number of cigarettes smoked daily to 3-5.
What Drinks and Foods Can Be Consumed After Tooth Extraction
After reviewing the answers to the most common questions about oral care after tooth extraction, we can conclude that the main thing is the patient’s diet. So, let’s create a list of foods that can be consumed after tooth extraction:
- Puree soups. A great alternative to the usual vegetables and fruits that can irritate the oral mucosa and slow down the wound healing process is light puree soups. Despite their liquid consistency, these soups satisfy hunger while saturating the body with all the necessary nutrients.
- Smoothies. There are cases when, after experiencing stress, patients completely lose the feeling of hunger but are constantly thirsty. There are many options for preparing a refreshing smoothie, but you should focus only on using non-acidic fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, apples, avocados, carrots, and beets.
- Porridge of light texture. Of course, the best option after surgery is the queen of porridge – oatmeal. It should be cooked with an ample amount of water or milk so that the finished dish is viscous.
- Herbal decoctions. Unlike alcoholic beverages, which can only harm, herbal decoctions have an antiseptic and soothing effect and promote rapid healing.
- Natural yogurt. It is yogurt that can be a great alternative to your favorite sweets that are on the list of sweets prohibited after surgery.
- Broth. If the surgery is complicated and special care is needed, it is better not to take risks. One needs to completely abandon solid and even semi-solid food, giving preference to liquid broths.
And now to the foods that are strictly prohibited for consumption after tooth extraction:
- spicy food (it will only cause pain and provoke bleeding);
- nuts and seeds (small grains can get into the wound and even get stuck in it, which will cause more discomfort);
- biscuits, chips, crackers (they will irritate the wound and prevent it from healing);
- chewing gum, viscous candies, fragile sweets (such goodies will cause pain and irritation of soft tissues if they get into the wound);
- carbonated and alcoholic beverages (drinking highly carbonated or strong drinks will provoke bleeding and significantly slow the healing process).
Of course, the tooth extraction procedure can hardly be called pleasant. Still, knowing the basic rules of oral care in the postoperative period, it can be endured as comfortably as possible. No matter what problems you may be facing, they are only temporary. So, remember to smile big and keep a positive attitude towards life!