“When can I stop rinsing with salt water after tooth extraction?”
I had a tooth extraction yesterday and I rinse with salt water. When can I stop rinsing with salt water after tooth extraction?
6 Answers
After healing of socket
You should not do any rinsing for at least 24 hours after an extraction. Whoever told you to rinse was giving you bad information.
You can stop now. But you can continue to swish lightly to remove food debris if you like.
Every Extraction surgery is different so the best answer would be from your treating surgeon and or his team. In general after the surgical site is most vulnerable for the first three days. After that it still has a benefit, but to a lesser extent. Beyond two weeks for rinsing it is about the same as normal tissue benefit.
2-3 days should be sufficient
Salt water is a great tool after tooth extraction to help shrink the inflamed gums. Make sure not to forcefully spit though! I always recommend to my patients continuing the salt water rinse for 1 week to help keep food out of the area where the tooth was extracted.
