Hesperian Health Guides
Problems After You Take Out a Tooth
HealthWiki > Where There Is No Dentist > Chapter 7 Part 2: Some Special Problems > Problems After You Take Out a Tooth
Contents
Swelling of the face
You can expect some swelling after you take out a tooth. But if the swelling continues to grow, and it is painful, this is not normal. Probably an infection has started. The treatment is the same as for a tooth abscess: penicillin for 10 days to fight infection, heat to reduce the swelling, and aspirin, paracetamol (acetominophen), or ibuprofen for pain.
Pain from the socket
There is always some pain after a tooth is taken out. Aspirin, paracetamol (acetominophen), or ibuprofen is usually enough to help.
However, sometimes a severe kind of pain starts inside the toothâs âsocketâ (the wound) 2 to 3 days after you take out the tooth. This problem is called dry socket and it needs special care.
Treatment:
- Place a dressing inside the socket. Change it each day until the pain stops.
First, clean out the socket.Squirt warm water inside the socket with a clean syringe. After the person spits out the water, squirt water inside once more. Use a blunt needle so that it does not hurt the gums or bone if it touches them.
Second, prepare the dressing.Soak 1 to 2 small pieces of cotton in eugenol (oil of cloves).
Squeeze each piece so that it is damp but not wet.
Note: There may be local medicine in your area that relieves pain. Use it instead of eugenol.
Third, place the dressing gently inside the socket.Place one piece of dressing into each root space. Push it down into the root space gently.
Cover the socket with plain cotton gauze, and send the person home biting against it. He can remove the plain cotton in an hour. The dressing should remain inside the socket. - Give spirin, paracetamol ( or acetominophen), or ibuprofen for pain.
Bleeding from the socket
When you take out a tooth it leaves a wound, so you can expect some blood. However, if the person bites firmly against a piece of cotton, it usually controls the bleeding. To help the wound heal (form a clot), tell the person not to smoke, rinse with salt water, or spit for 1 or 2 days after you take out the tooth.
When the first bleeding occurs, put a new piece of cotton on top of the wound and ask the person to close her teeth against it for an hour. Keep her there with you, to be sure she continues to bite on the cotton. (If it is too painful, you may want to inject anesthetic. See Chapter 9.) Change the cotton if it becomes soaked with blood.
Treatment (if the bleeding continues):
- Take her blood pressure (see Where There Is No Doctor, pages 410-411). If it is high, you may need medicine to bring it down. That can help slow the bleeding.
- Look carefully at the wound. If the gum is torn or loose, put in a suture.
- Wrap tea leaves in cotton gauze. Soak the bundle in water and then put it on the socket. Have the person bite against it. Or, have her bite against cotton gauze soaked with cactus juice. Let the person go home only when the bleeding stops. Give her some clean cotton to use in case the bleeding starts again later.