Select Dental Implants · Menifee, CA
After a Tooth Extraction
Protecting the healing socket — and avoiding dry socket — in the days after an extraction.
Right After Your Extraction
- Bite firmly on the gauze pad for 30–60 minutes to help a clot form. Replace as needed for light oozing.
- A blood clot in the socket is the whole game: it protects bone and nerves while new tissue grows.
- Manage discomfort with ibuprofen or acetaminophen as directed; use prescriptions exactly as written.
- Cold compress on the cheek, 15 minutes on / 15 off, for the first day.
Protecting the Clot (Avoiding Dry Socket)
- NO straws, NO smoking, NO spitting forcefully for at least 72 hours — suction pulls the clot out.
- Don’t rinse at all for the first 24 hours; then gentle warm salt-water rinses after meals.
- Skip alcohol and carbonated drinks for a few days.
- Dry socket typically announces itself with throbbing pain 3–5 days after extraction — if that’s you, call us; relief is quick in-office.
Eating & Activity
- Soft, cool foods the first day; progress as comfort allows, chewing away from the site.
- No strenuous activity for 48–72 hours.
- Sleep with your head slightly elevated the first night to limit swelling.
Call Us If
- Bleeding remains heavy after several gauze changes.
- Pain spikes on day 3–5 instead of fading (possible dry socket).
- Fever, spreading swelling, or difficulty swallowing develops.
Questions during recovery? Don’t wait and wonder — call us at (951) 672-6788. After-hours emergencies: call the same number and follow the prompts.
We’re Here Through Your Whole Recovery
Aftercare support is part of treatment at Select Dental Implants — never hesitate to call (951) 672-6788.