Bleeding Won't Stop After a Tooth Extraction: What to Do
Bleeding after a tooth extraction that won't stop can be alarming. Learn how to control it, what is normal, and when to call our Palm Beach Gardens dentists.
Bleeding Won't Stop After a Tooth Extraction: What to Do
How Much Bleeding Is Normal?
Some oozing for the first several hours after a tooth extraction is completely normal, and because a little blood mixes with saliva, it often looks like much more than it really is. Steady, active bleeding that soaks through gauze after the first few hours, or bleeding that suddenly restarts a day or two later, is the kind that needs attention. The encouraging news is that most post-extraction bleeding can be brought under control at home with firm, patient pressure, and the rest is quickly handled by your dentist.
How to Stop Bleeding After an Extraction at Home
The Gauze, Pressure, and Tea Bag Method
The single most effective thing you can do is apply firm, uninterrupted pressure. Here is the approach our dentists recommend:
Bite on gauze, folding a clean piece into a thick pad placed directly over the socket, and hold steady pressure for 30 to 45 minutes without peeking or talking.
Try a moist black tea bag in place of gauze if bleeding continues, since the natural tannic acid helps a clot form.
Stay upright with your head elevated, and rest quietly rather than lying flat.
For the first 24 hours, avoid rinsing, spitting, straws, smoking, hot drinks, and heavy activity, all of which can dislodge the clot and restart bleeding.
When Extraction Bleeding Is an Emergency
Signs You Should Call Right Away
Contact our dentists promptly if heavy bleeding continues after one to two hours of firm pressure, if blood is actively pooling or gushing, or if you feel weak, dizzy, or lightheaded. Let us know if you take blood thinners or have a clotting condition, since that changes how we manage it. At the office, we can pack the socket with a clotting dressing, place a stitch, or apply a medication to stop the bleeding quickly. Our extraction recovery guide covers normal healing, and our guide on what counts as a dental emergency can help you judge the urgency.
Worried About Bleeding? Call Our Palm Beach Gardens Team
Post-extraction bleeding is usually controllable, but you should never sit at home anxious and unsure. At Gardens Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry, we would much rather hear from you and help you stop the bleeding than have you wait and worry. If bleeding will not stop after a tooth extraction, contact our Palm Beach Gardens office right away.
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