“When can I brush my teeth with toothpaste after an extraction?”

In answer to your question, you can brush your teeth after giving the extraction site a couple of hours to form a fibrin clot. However, I would not brush in the area of the extraction site, leaving a one tooth space around it. If, for example, you had a lower first molar removed, I brush up to, but not the second bicuspid.

Hope this helps,

Steven Chamish, DDS

Hello,

There are two important aspects for after an extraction is completed. First, a blood clot needs to be formed. Without hemostasis (stopping of bleeding), the gums will not heal properly and the patient will have ongoing problems; tasting blood constantly is the least of them. Secondly it is important to maintain that blood clot. In fact, loss of that blood clot is what we call dry socket (alveolar osteitis). This leaves a healing tooth socket with no protection. It will heal eventually; however, it usually comes with pain. We normally recommend to avoid using tooth paste for 24-48 hours after the extraction. After this time the clot is normally formed and relatively stable.
Hope this helps.

My best to you!

William F. Scott IV, DMD