When Can I Remove the Gauze After a Wisdom Teeth Extraction?

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One of the most agonizing waits a lot of people have to experience is the amount of time one has to wait before they can take off the gauze after a wisdom teeth extraction. In this article, we have a look at when the best time is to remove the gauze after any sort of tooth extraction. Your dentist may suggest that one or two hours is enough. However, it really depends on the state of your teeth, as well as the amount of it takes for a blood clot to form in the empty tooth socket.

The wait is agonizing because you are probably dying to eat some sort of food. Despite your hunger, it is important that you remove the gauze at the right time or else you may eventually suffer from a condition called dry sockets. People who have suffered from dry sockets will tell you straight up how painful it is. Dry sockets occur when the blood clot gets dislodged from the empty tooth socket. So when is it a good time to remove the gauze? Read on to find out.

Some people may end up having to only wait one hour while others may have to wait a little longer. The first thing to check is to see if the bleeding has stopped. You want to make sure the blood clot has solidified before you start eating. As well as examining your teeth through the mirror, you can also tell when the bleeding stops when you no longer taste blood in your saliva.

Some people may need to replace their gauze after a few hours if the bleeding does not stop quickly. If the bleeding does not stop after five or six hours, you may want to call your dentist and see if you need your teeth re-examined. While the gauze is still in the mouth, it is extremely important that you are putting a bit of pressure on it. The pressure will help the extracted socket heal faster because the bleeding will take place in a more consolidated space.

Soon after a wisdom teeth extraction, you will find it quite difficult to eat because your gums will also be suffering from inflammation. The best thing to eat at this stage is porridge. Make sure the porridge is lukewarm, and there is nothing within it that needs extra chewing. You should also be drinking plenty of water at this stage to promote saliva production. Once you had your first meal, you would notice that there are bits of food debris stuck in the empty socket hole. Click here to learn how to get rid of the food debris without damaging your teeth.