After tooth extraction, keeping the mouth clean and protecting the blood clot are equally important. Being gentle with the wound does not mean stopping toothbrushing for several days.
During the first 24 hours
Do not rinse or spit. Do not touch the wound with a toothbrush, finger or tongue. You may gently clean your other teeth if your dentist has allowed this; let toothpaste and saliva drain out without forcing them. If you were told not to brush on the first day after surgery, follow that instruction.
After 24 hours
Clean your teeth twice daily with a soft toothbrush. Use gentle movements on the teeth near the wound and do not scrub inside the socket. Do not pull at stitches. With an electric toothbrush, do not press the head against the surgical site; temporarily use a manual brush if gentle cleaning is difficult.
How do you prepare a salt-water mouth bath?
Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a glass of about 250 ml of warm water. Hold a sip near the wound, then let it out gently. Vigorous rinsing or gargling is unnecessary. It can be used after meals, two or three times daily for a few days, according to your individual instructions. The water should not be hot, and the solution should not be swallowed.
Do you need an antiseptic mouthwash?
It is not necessary after every extraction. Use chlorhexidine at the concentration and for the duration advised by your clinician. Mouthwash does not replace brushing. Follow the product instructions about the interval between toothpaste and mouthwash.
What should you avoid using to clean the wound?
Do not direct an oral irrigator into the socket or try to clean it with a toothpick or cotton bud. Use a syringe for irrigation only if your oral surgeon has specifically instructed and shown you how. Do not scrape off the layer visible on the wound’s surface.
If pain increases, pus appears, or growing swelling is accompanied by an unpleasant taste, do not try progressively stronger disinfectants: arrange a dental review.
If the extraction involves a wisdom tooth, read more about wisdom tooth surgery .
For details of the relevant treatment, see our page on professional tartar removal .
For related advice on recovery and symptoms, see essential tooth extraction aftercare and good daily oral care .
Clinical sources: Kent NHS – oral care after extraction ; Cambridge University Hospitals – surgical tooth removal .