Nosht
Post-operative

After Your Tooth Extraction

What to expect after a tooth is taken out, how to manage pain, what to eat, and when to call your dental team.

7 min read

Urgent help: who to contact

Call 999 or go to A&E now if you find it hard to breathe, swallow or speak, if swelling spreads to your neck, under your tongue or around your eye, or if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction (such as swollen lips, tongue or throat).

Contact your dental team straight away if heavy bleeding will not stop after 30 minutes of firm pressure, if painkillers do not control severe pain, if swelling gets worse after 3 days, or if your temperature is above 38°C. If you cannot reach them, call NHS 111.

What to Expect in the First 24 Hours

Your body starts to heal as soon as the tooth is out. Knowing what is normal will help you feel calm at home.

  • Bleeding: some oozing or light bleeding is normal for the first few hours. Blood mixes with your spit, so it can look like more than it is. This is nothing to worry about.
  • A blood clot forms in the gap (socket): this clot is very important. It protects the bone underneath and lets healing start. Leave it alone.
  • Swelling: your cheek or jaw may swell a little, mostly over the first 24–48 hours. This is a normal part of healing.
  • Numbness: the numbing injection (local anaesthetic) can last 2–4 hours. Take care not to bite your cheek, lip or tongue while it is numb.
  • Children: watch them until the numbness wears off. They may bite, chew or suck their numb lip, cheek or tongue without noticing. This can cause a painful sore. Do not give them food or chewing gum until normal feeling has returned.
  • Soreness: once the numbness wears off, the area around the socket will feel tender. This is expected. It is usually worst on day 2 or 3.

If bleeding is heavier:

  • Fold a clean piece of gauze or a clean cloth into a firm pad. Wet it with water.
  • Bite down hard on it for 20–30 minutes. Do not check it during this time.
  • Sit upright. Do not lie flat.
  • If the bleeding carries on, use a fresh damp pad and do this once more.
  • You can also use a damp black tea bag. The tannic acid in tea helps blood to clot.
  • If heavy bleeding carries on after two rounds of firm pressure, contact your dental team or call NHS 111.

Pain and Swelling

Most people manage well with painkillers from a pharmacy or shop. Take them as the packet says. Do not wait until the pain is bad.

  • Paracetamol (adults): take 500mg to 1g (1 or 2 × 500mg tablets). Leave at least 4 hours between doses. Do not take more than 4g (8 × 500mg tablets) in 24 hours. If you weigh less than 50kg, you may need a lower dose. Ask a pharmacist.
  • Ibuprofen (adults): take 200mg to 400mg up to 3 times a day, with or after food. Leave at least 4 hours between doses. Do not take more than 1,200mg in 24 hours, unless your dentist or doctor has prescribed a different dose.
  • You can take paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time, or spread them out through the day. Never take more than the daily maximum of either.
  • Do not take paracetamol with other medicines that contain paracetamol, unless your dental team or doctor has told you to. These include co-codamol, co-dydramol and cold and flu remedies. Taking both can cause an accidental overdose.
  • Check with a pharmacist, dentist or doctor before you take ibuprofen if you have asthma, have had a stomach ulcer, have heart, kidney or liver problems, take blood-thinning medicines, or are pregnant.
  • Children: use children's paracetamol or ibuprofen. Give the dose on the packet or leaflet for your child's age (and weight, if given). Ask a pharmacist if you are not sure. Ibuprofen may not be suitable if your child has asthma.
  • Use a cold pack in the first 24 hours to help bring swelling down. Wrap a bag of frozen peas in a tea towel. Hold it on the outside of your cheek for 10–15 minutes at a time.
  • After 24 hours, use a warm pack instead if you still have swelling. This helps blood flow and healing.
  • Do not take aspirin for pain. It thins the blood and may make you bleed more. If your doctor has prescribed a daily low-dose aspirin or any other blood thinner, do not stop it. Keep taking it as normal unless your doctor or dentist tells you otherwise.
  • Painkillers with codeine in them (such as co-codamol) can make you sleepy. Do not drive or use machines if you feel sleepy. It is against the law to drive if a medicine affects your driving. Avoid alcohol while you take them.

Pain should get a little better each day. If it gets worse after day 3, you may have a dry socket (see below). Contact your dental team.

Eating, Drinking and Keeping Clean

What you eat and drink in the next few days makes a real difference to how well you heal.

Eating and drinking:

  • Eat soft foods for the first 2–3 days. For example: yoghurt, scrambled eggs, mashed potato, soup (not too hot) and smoothies.
  • Chew on the other side of your mouth.
  • Avoid hard, crunchy or chewy foods until the socket has healed. This usually takes 7–10 days.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid very hot drinks for the first 24 hours.
  • Do not drink through a straw for at least 48 hours. Sucking can pull out the blood clot.
  • Avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours. It can make you bleed more and slow healing.

Keeping your mouth clean:

  • Do not rinse your mouth at all for the first 24 hours. Rinsing can pull out the clot.
  • After 24 hours, rinse gently with warm salty water 3–4 times a day, mostly after meals. Use half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Do this for 5–7 days.
  • Keep brushing your other teeth as normal. Keep away from the gap for the first couple of days. Then slowly brush closer to it as it heals.

Things to Avoid

Some things can slow healing or cause problems. Please avoid the following:

  • Smoking: Smoking greatly increases the risk of dry socket (smokers have a much higher chance of getting it). Dry socket is a painful problem where the blood clot is lost. Do not smoke for at least 48–72 hours, and ideally for a week. If you smoke and your pain gets worse, see your dental team sooner.
  • Rinsing hard or spitting in the first 24 hours.
  • Hard exercise for 24–48 hours. It raises your blood pressure and can start the bleeding again.
  • Touching the socket with your tongue, fingers or anything else.
  • Hot food and drink on the day the tooth is taken out.
  • Alcohol for at least 24 hours.

What Is Dry Socket?

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) happens when the blood clot in the socket is lost or breaks down before the socket heals. It affects about 1 in 20 people after a routine tooth removal. It is more common after wisdom tooth removal.

Signs of dry socket include:

  • Pain that gets worse from day 1–3 onwards, instead of better
  • A dull, throbbing ache that may spread to your ear or jaw
  • A socket that looks empty. You may be able to see bone.
  • A nasty taste or bad breath

Dry socket is not an infection, but it is very painful. Contact your dental team if you think you have dry socket. They can put a dressing in the socket to ease the pain and help it heal. It will get better with treatment.

When to Contact Your Dental Team

Most sockets heal with no problems. But contact your dental team quickly if you have any of these:

  • Heavy bleeding that does not stop after 30 minutes of biting hard on clean gauze or a folded cloth
  • Pain that gets worse after day 2–3, instead of better
  • Swelling that gets worse after day 3
  • A high temperature (above 38°C / 100.4°F)
  • Pus or discharge from the socket
  • Trouble opening your mouth (trismus)
  • Numbness that has not worn off after 6 hours

Call 999 or go to A&E now if you find it hard to breathe, swallow or speak, or if swelling spreads to your neck, under your tongue or around your eye. For other urgent problems, contact your dental practice. If it is closed, call NHS 111.

This leaflet is for general information only and does not replace professional dental advice. Your dental team will discuss your individual circumstances and any risks specific to you. Treatment outcomes vary between patients depending on individual circumstances.

Sources

Links checked 18 October 2026.

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