Bite on gauze for 30 minutes to an hour to stop bleeding. Change the gauze as needed. Use ice packs on the area for 20 to 30 minutes each hour. Take your pain medication as soon as you get home, before the numbness wears off. Be sure to have something in your stomach when you take the medication.
Don't use any mouthwash with alcohol as an ingredient.
Avoid carbonated beverages, alcohol, smoking, straws, and hot or spicy foods. Try to keep food out of the extraction site. Gentle salt-water rinses are allowed after 24 hours. Do not swish during the first 24 hours.
