Tooth extraction is recommended when a tooth is too damaged to stay in the gums. There are two kinds of dental extractions used in dentistry. Simple extractions are used to extract a tooth without making incisions or using complex equipment. Only forceps are used to pull out your tooth. Surgical extractions are the second option when your tooth is stuck under the gums and your dental surgeon has to remove it surgically. Regardless of the kind of extraction, there are similar rules to brushing your teeth with toothpaste after tooth extraction.
Why It Is Not Advisable to Brush With Toothpaste After Tooth Extraction?
After a tooth extraction, a gap is left in your gums that requires time to heal. This healing process is crucial for your overall recovery. Typically, the extraction site can start healing within 24 hours, but it may take longer. Using toothpaste during this period can disrupt the formation of a blood clot, the first step in the healing process.
You should keep your toothbrush away from the extraction site because it can also dislodge the blood clot on the extraction site and restart bleeding. Some people also tend to use force to spit out toothpaste from the mouth. Spitting is yet another risk to the blood clot that the spitting force can dislodge. It is advisable to avoid brushing your teeth with toothpaste for at least 3-4 days after tooth extraction.
What Happens if You Dislodge the Blood Clot From the Extraction Site?
A dry socket is a condition that can occur if the blood clot over the extraction site fails to form or gets dislodged. This condition can significantly impact your healing process and is often accompanied by severe pain and bad breath. The pain is usually localized around the extraction site and can be worsened by food particles that get trapped in the socket and decompose.
Oral Hygiene the First Three Days After Tooth Extraction
You can keep your teeth clean without using toothpaste, at least for the first three to four days. You should also keep the extraction site clean using gauze until when you are sure there is no more bleeding.
Tooth extraction is necessary to prevent tooth decay from spreading to other healthy teeth. After-care procedures are equally important in optimizing that primary goal.
Parkside Dental
703 E. FM 544 Suite 100 Murphy, TX 75094 972-442-7550
About - Murphy TX • Parkside Dental Learn more about Dr. Jason and Jean Larsen's dental practice in Murphy, TX. Meet the team and tour the office! Call Parkside Dental today to schedule! Parkside Dental, 703 E FM 544 Suite 100, Murphy, TX 75094 / 972-442-7550 / parksidedentaltx.com / 10/7/2024 / Related Terms: dentist Murphy TX /