Our wisdom teeth are just as valuable as others, but chewing our food with wisdom teeth can cause pain and problems. In most cases, wisdom teeth do not erupt in harmony with other teeth and mostly erupt in the late teens or twenties.
Delayed eruption of the third molar is because the third molar size is much larger for underdeveloped children’s jaws.
Like any other teeth, wisdom teeth are susceptible to problems like caries, infection, and decay, but the most common is impacted wisdom teeth.
An impacted third molar cannot emerge in an upward direction, and it starts to grow sideways, which may result in overcrowding of teeth. This can be extremely painful, and in such cases, it is removed.
A hole is made in gums; wisdom teeth are removed, and gauze is used after the surgical process to stop bleeding. The most common complication after surgery is bleeding and swelling. In most cases, bleeding doesn’t stop quickly, and people may become scared of removing gauze, imagining that the teeth will bleed again.
For this purpose, we will discuss “when to stop using gauze after tooth extraction.”
When To Stop Using Gauze After Tooth Extraction?
Abnormal or excessive bleeding after any surgery is not a good sign. Leaving it untreated may lead to life-threatening situations, so placing gauze on your wisdom teeth for a specific period is necessary even after a suture.
For How Much Time You Have To Use Gauze After Wisdom Teeth Extraction?
As discussed above, placing Gauze on wisdom teeth holes is necessary. After wisdom teeth have been extracted, your dentist will place gauze on the surgical area to help stop bleeding.
Your dentist will also advise you to close your bite and maintain gentle pressure on the gauze for 30 to 50 minutes.
After 30 to 45 minutes, you can remove your gauze and see if your wound starts bleeding. If there is no bleeding, you are all ok to go, but if you observe slight bleeding, then take a new gauze and place it in place of extraction.
Keep putting gentle pressure on the gauze for another hour; your bleeding must stop by this time. If that’s not the case, you can go for another hour with new gauze or speak to your dentist if it is bleeding profusely.
What To Do After Wisdom Tooth Removal?
You must follow some essential steps after tooth extraction: violating these steps will result in infection and excessive bleeding.
Post-operative Care For Bleeding
After wisdom tooth extraction, it is normal to observe a little bleeding, oozing, and redness in the saliva.
You can control excessive bleeding by rinsing your mouth with water and wiping away any old clots.
After that, as discussed previously, take a Gauze and place it directly on the surgical location and bite it for 30 minutes.
If you are concerned about continuous bleeding, you can bite on the tea bag for 30 minutes.
The reason behind this is the tannic acid present in the tea. Tannic acid is considered a vasoconstrictor, and it will contract the vessels, which will stop the bleeding
If still, your teeth are profusely bleeding, then it’s an emergency; contact your doctor immediately in this case.
How To Deal With Any Swelling?
Swelling is one of the common post-operative symptoms which you can observe. It is common to feel swelling around your jaw, cheeks, eyes, and side of the face.
It is the body’s natural defense mechanism and will eventually be reversed. This swelling is mostly observed after 24 hours of surgery and is maximum after 2 to 3 days. After that, it will slowly fade away.
If you are feeling excessive irritation by swelling, it can be minimized with the help of an ice pack. After surgery, you can apply an ice pack on both sides of your face.
But make sure that you are using ice in the first 36 hours after surgery because, after that, the ice has no beneficial effect on bleeding and swelling.
If you are feeling excessive stiffness in the jaw, which may be present for more than three to six days, it is also normal as we all are built differently, and our bodies react differently to different procedures.
After 36 hours of surgery to deal with swelling and pain, you can use moist heat on both sides of the face but make sure not to apply the heat source directly on the skin.
Diet
After anesthetic or Iv sedation, It is always advised to take liquid at first; after wisdom tooth extraction, you must also avoid drinking with the help of a straw.
Make sure to drink from a glass, as the sucking action of the straw can dislodge the blood clot and cause more bleeding.
You can also eat anything soft like rice or cereal, but ensure to eat it away from this surgical side.
After tooth extraction, high protein and high-calorie intake are very important.
Your doctor will also suggest specific diet and instructions, which may be given verbally or in the form of a brochure.
Stay away from dehydration at any cost because your food or solid intake will be limited for the first few days.
You can take milkshakes and smoothies to compensate for the solid food intake and drink 5 to 6 glasses of water.
Instead of three meals, try to go for five to six meals and never miss a meal as it will help in better recovery.
Make sure to be much more careful about solid intake after 6 to 7 days of wisdom tooth surgery, as any carelessness will cost you blood.
Oral Hygiene
The main risk after wisdom teeth surgery is mostly infection.
The bacteria can enter the open wound and cause infection, which may worsen with time.
To prevent infection, it is essential to maintain good oral hygiene, brush twice daily, rinse your mouth with salt water, and so on. Make sure you do not brush vigorously on the surgical side, as it will dislodge the clot.
Pain
You will feel excessive pain after the first two to three days of surgery. For moderate pain, you can take one or two tablets of Tylenol. Your doctor may also suggest you take Ibuprofen every three to four hours.
For severe pain, take the medication as directed by your dentist.
After taking painkillers, your reflexes will slow down, so make sure not to work with machinery or drive a car.
If you feel continuous pain after two weeks, it is a sign of something abnormal in your teeth. Immediately contact your dentist and discuss it.
Some Precautions
After wisdom tooth extraction, you must take preventive measures to avoid excessive pain and abnormal bleeding.
- Do not spit saliva
- Avoid smoking or sucking with a straw
- Don’t touch the surgical area
- Use gauze as advised by the dentist; if you want to keep gauze in your teeth for a longer duration, such as overnight, then you can look at this Guide Can I Sleep With Gauze After Tooth Extraction?
If you feel dizziness on standing after lying down, sit for a minute before standing.
FAQs
What to do if bleeding doesn’t stop after removing gauze?
Place a new gauze and press gently. If the bleeding still doesn’t stop, then seek medical help.
After how much time can I eat solid food?
After two weeks of surgery, you can eat your favorite food without hesitation.
Which mouthwash is best after wisdom teeth extraction?
You can go for chlorhexidine after wisdom teeth extraction.
Conclusion
The main troublesome factor after wisdom teeth extraction is bleeding, which may become hard to stop. Your dentist will put gauze on your teeth and sutures to prevent bleeding.
This article is the perfect guide if you want to know When To Stop Using Gauze After Tooth Extraction and what possible complications can be