Hygiene After Dental Extractions or “Wisdom Teeth” Removal

  • Do not rinse your mouth for the first 24 hours after surgery. You may rinse the clots out of the sockets and start the socket(s) bleeding
  • After 24 hours, start gently rinsing with a salt water mixture (a pinch of salt in a glass of warm water) and let it fall out gently
  • As the gum incision heals, you can rinse more vigorously
  • Do not rinse for 1 week with anything other than the warm water and salt
  • You can brush your teeth after 24 hours but do not brush the area of the extraction(s) for 5-7 days
  • If you are temporarily left with some “open holes” or sockets, you may have to rinse more often to keep the sockets clean until they heal over with normal gum tissue