A tooth extraction is a quick procedure, but how you look after the socket in the days afterwards decides how comfortable your recovery is. These are the instructions we give every patient at M Dental Care, Kampala.

The first 24 hours

  • Keep the gauze in place for 30–45 minutes, biting gently. Replace with a clean pad if bleeding continues. Slight oozing that colours your saliva pink is normal.
  • Protect the blood clot. The clot that forms in the socket is what heals it. Do not rinse, spit forcefully, suck through a straw, smoke or poke the area with your tongue or fingers.
  • Rest. Avoid heavy work or exercise for the day — raised blood pressure restarts bleeding.
  • Manage pain early. Take the painkillers we prescribed before the anaesthetic wears off, and then as directed. Ibuprofen and paracetamol together work well for most people.
  • Eat soft and cool. Yoghurt, mashed potato, porridge, soup that has cooled, bananas. Chew on the other side. Nothing hot, hard, crunchy or spicy.
  • No alcohol for 24 hours, and no smoking for at least 48 — ideally a week. Smoking is the biggest single cause of dry socket.

From day two

  • Start gentle salt-water rinses. Half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, after meals and before bed. Let it fall out of your mouth rather than spitting hard.
  • Brush your other teeth normally and clean carefully around, not in, the socket.
  • Swelling peaks at 48–72 hours after a surgical extraction, then settles. A cold pack on the cheek in the first day helps; after that, warmth.
  • Stitches, if used, usually dissolve within 7–10 days.

What is dry socket, and how do I avoid it?

Dry socket happens when the blood clot is lost or dissolves too early, leaving the bone exposed. It causes a deep, throbbing pain that starts two to four days after the extraction and often radiates to the ear, with a bad taste. It is more common after lower wisdom tooth removal, in smokers and in women taking the contraceptive pill. Following the first-24-hour rules above prevents most cases. If you think you have one, call us — a medicated dressing relieves the pain quickly.

When to call us

  • Bleeding that does not stop with 30 minutes of firm pressure on gauze
  • Pain that gets worse after day three instead of better
  • Swelling that increases after day three, fever, or difficulty swallowing
  • Numbness of the lip or tongue that lasts beyond the day of treatment

Most sockets are comfortable within a week and fully healed in a few weeks. If the tooth you lost left a gap, read about replacing a missing tooth — the earlier a replacement is planned, the simpler it is. Questions? Call (+256) 0200 959927.