Post-Extraction Swelling

Tooth extractions are a simple matter at Bernstein Dental Care in Bay Ridge. We provide patients with easy-to-understand instructions about how to care for themselves afterward and we respond quickly in the rare cases when people experience complications. But swelling immediately after an operation is normal, so patients should know what to expect and whether there is cause for concern.


When a tooth is extracted, the bone at the base of the socket will briefly be exposed before the socket scabs over. Inflammation, like clotting, helps to prevent outside pathogens from traveling through the body. Extractions which required surgical incisions into the gum tend to cause a lot more inflammation than ones in which the tooth is simply rocked until it can be lifted out. Swelling will usually peak thirty-six hours after the extraction, so patients should try to minimize it until then by applying cold packs. The cold packs should be held against the skin for fifteen minutes at a time, with fifteen minutes between applications.


If all goes well, patients can begin applying hot packs once the swelling has peaked, using hot packs in the same fifteen-minute increments as cold packs. However, patients should seek medical attention if swelling continues to increase forty-eight hours after the extraction, or if tissue in the area turns black or white. If anesthetic was delivered into a lip, patients may also experience lip swelling, particularly if they bite on it while it’s numb. But lip swelling is also usually harmless unless the tissue turns black or smells rotten.


Dr. Paul Bernstein runs Bernstein Dental Care at 350 91st St, Suite 1C, Brooklyn, New York, 11209. To schedule an appointment, visit Bernstein Dental Care or call 718-833-9191.


 

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