These after care instructions will allow a blood clot to form and allow the healing to occur. Firstly, the patient is advised to keep biting on the gauze for 20 minutes after the removal. If it is still bleeding, the dentist will provide you with a new gauze to take home, which you must roll up and bite on with pressure for another 20 minutes. A towel-wrapped ice pack can also be applied to the affected side.
One should eat soft foods for the next 24 hours and do not engage in any strenuous activities. Also, drinking through a straw, consuming alcohol, smoking as well rinsing and swishing water around your mouth should be avoided for the next 48 hours. Specifically, on the third day after the extraction, start doing warm saltwater rinses, two times a day.