{"id":474,"date":"2023-06-08T00:13:01","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T00:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/?p=474"},"modified":"2026-04-05T01:03:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T01:03:13","slug":"how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Handle Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\/\" class=\"block-image-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_543093719__1690242149_46044.jpg\" alt=\"woman holding her cheek and tooth in her hand\" class=\"wp-image-475\" style=\"width:300px;height:200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_543093719__1690242149_46044.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_543093719__1690242149_46044-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_543093719__1690242149_46044-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><p>Often, wisdom tooth extractions are the first time that a patient has ever had a tooth removed. The procedure itself is fairly easy considering you won&rsquo;t be able to feel your mouth, but many patients are naturally concerned about what aftercare will entail.<\/p><p>If you have a wisdom tooth extraction coming up, here are a few things you should keep in mind directly after the procedure.<\/p><!--more--><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things You Should Do After An Extraction<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use Gauze to Protect the Wound<\/h3><p>You&rsquo;re likely to have a little bit of bleeding after the procedure, so you should replace the gauze your dentist placed periodically with a clean strip. Bite down gently on the gauze pad to keep it in place. Any bleeding should stop within the first 24-48 hours.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gently Use a Saltwater Rinse<\/h3><p>A saltwater rinse can remove excess bacteria from the mouth, but it&rsquo;s important to use them very gently so that you don&rsquo;t disturb the clot that&rsquo;s forming. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm (not hot) water and rinse with it a few times a day after the first 24 hours.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take All Prescribed Medicine<\/h3><p>If you were prescribed antibiotics after the extraction, it&rsquo;s vitally important that you complete the entire course to eliminate any bacteria that could cause infection.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eat Soft Foods<\/h3><p>Typically, it&rsquo;s recommended to switch to a soft food diet for the first week or two after a tooth extraction to avoid disturbing the clot that&rsquo;s forming. You can ask your dentist about what kinds of food staples would be okay for you to eat during this time.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things Not To Do<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do Not Use a Straw<\/h3><p>The suction that comes from drinking through a straw can pull the clot out of place, leading to an uncomfortable condition known as dry socket. For that reason, it&rsquo;s recommended to avoid using straws as much as possible until you&rsquo;ve healed completely.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do Not Do Strenuous Exercise<\/h3><p>Working out can cause an excess of blood flow to the mouth, which can induce excess bleeding or reopen the extraction wound. For that reason, you should do what you can to rest up as much as possible for a week or so after the procedure.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2><p>Dr. Jennifer Pham loves how her work allows her to make use of both her artistic sensibilities and her scientific knowledge for the benefit of her patients. Over the past decade, she has been able to use her skills to help her patients smile as brightly as possible. Dr. Pham received her degree from the Temple University School of Dentistry, and since then she has continued her education with the Las Vegas Institute of Neuromuscular and Restorative Dentistry.<\/p><p>If you have any questions about wisdom tooth extraction, we can be reached at our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/contact.html\">website<\/a> or by phone at <a href=\"tel:+17037775600\">(703) 777-5600<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Often, wisdom tooth extractions are the first time that a patient has ever had a tooth removed. The procedure itself is fairly easy considering you won\u2019t be able to feel your mouth, but many patients are naturally concerned about what aftercare will entail. If you have a wisdom tooth extraction coming up, here are a few things you should keep in mind directly after the procedure. <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare | Downtown Family Dental Of Leesburg<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wisdom teeth removals can require a fair amount of aftercare. Here are a few things to keep in mind while the wound heals.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare | Downtown Family Dental Of Leesburg\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wisdom teeth removals can require a fair amount of aftercare. Here are a few things to keep in mind while the wound heals.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Downtown Family Dental of Leesburg Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-08T00:13:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-05T01:03:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_543093719__1690242149_46044.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"533\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"dr_groy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"dr_groy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"dr_groy\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c3bd98a612b1ab564162baa654830289\"},\"headline\":\"How to Handle Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-08T00:13:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-05T01:03:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":485,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/AdobeStock_543093719__1690242149_46044.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\\\/\",\"name\":\"Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare | Downtown Family Dental Of Leesburg\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-handle-wisdom-tooth-extraction-aftercare\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/AdobeStock_543093719__1690242149_46044.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-08T00:13:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-05T01:03:13+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.leesburgdowntowndental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c3bd98a612b1ab564162baa654830289\"},\"description\":\"Wisdom teeth removals can require a fair amount of aftercare. 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