After the teeth have been extracted, the “holes” or tooth sockets will fill up with blood and form a “clot” or “scab” just like a cut on your skin. Every effort should be made to avoid disturbing or dislodging the clots at the extraction sites. You should avoid putting your tongue, toothbrush and rough foods near the surgical area. You should avoid sucking through a straw (the sucking action can suck the clots out of the sockets and start it bleeding). Often the extraction sockets may ooze a bit of blood for the first few hours after the surgery. If you “drool” blood, it is probably mostly saliva mixed with a bit of blood. If you do think the extraction sites are bleeding excessively, follow these steps:
- Wet two-or three 2 inch by 2 inch gauze pads and roll them up into a ball
- Place them over the bleeding extraction socket(s)
- Bite on them firmly for 20-30 minutes thereby applying firm pressure on the socket
- Repeat this procedure 2 – 3 times if needed
If you have no gauze at home, you can also use the corner of a facecloth or wet tea bags. This will generally stop any bleeding. If this doesn’t stop the bleeding, call the Clinic. Do not be surprised if you see a few spots of blood on your pillow the next morning.