Losing a tooth is a fairly normal occurrence and generally does not involve much blood loss both in children, who are waiting for the tooth fairy to arrive, and in adults, who are scared of a visit to the dentist. However, when the extraction causes bleeding, there are simple strategies you can put in place to quickly fix the problem. However, you should not substitute the advice in this article with advice from a qualified doctor or dentist in case the extraction causes excessive bleeding that you cannot stop.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Stopping the Bleeding of a Milk Tooth Extraction
Step 1. Let nature take its course
When a milk tooth extraction causes more bleeding than might be expected, it means it was done ahead of time. Usually, it is recommended to wait for the tooth to naturally loosen to the point where very little force is required to detach it; in doing so, both pain and bleeding are minimized.
- Instead of tying the tooth to a thread and pulling it, as your father probably did with you, encourage the child to swing the tooth himself. Typically, the best "tool" is the tongue, and a gentle swaying motion is often the best trick.
- If you want to help the child, grab the tooth between your thumb and forefinger by covering it with gauze and try to shake it carefully. If you see that it is resisting, it means that it is not yet ready to be removed.
- If you have the impression that the loose tooth does not want to fall out, contact the child's dentist.
Step 2. Expect a slight bleeding
Some milk teeth fall out bloodlessly, but the presence of blood is completely normal. Remember that a few drops of blood mixed with saliva can cause you to think of severe bleeding, so warn your child (and don't overreact too) if blood builds up.
You can clean his mouth a bit by inviting him to spit and do a quick rinse with water, but don't insist; you have to allow a clot to form rather than wash it off
Step 3. Apply a clean, damp cotton gauze for fifteen minutes
If it is a mild bleeding, which is quite common when it comes to a milk tooth, there is no need to intervene in other ways. However, if the gum continues to bleed for a minute or more, you can use gauze to stop the bleeding and help clot.
- Roll up one or more clean gauze soaked in water to prevent the clot from sticking to it. Ask the child to grit his teeth 15 minutes.
- Instruct the baby not to release the pressure from the bandage and not to move it. Tell him to keep his mouth shut and not to loosen the bite. It may not be an easy task for you, but remind your child that the tooth fairy is coming.
- If the baby is small, you will need to hold the gauze in place yourself, especially if you are concerned that he may swallow it.
- Check the situation after 15 minutes. If the bleeding has not stopped, put on a new clean gauze as you did previously and contact your dentist.
Step 4. Have the baby hold his head up, with his face tilted slightly down
If you must use gauze to stop bleeding, this position helps gravity restrict blood flow, while the head tilted forward prevents blood (or the gauze itself) from entering your throat.
Swallowing blood can cause nausea; this is why you should tilt your head forward when suffering from nosebleeds
Step 5. Don't insist on rinsing
It is quite common to do this with warm, salty water to stop bleeding after a tooth has been extracted. However, if they are done during the formation of the clot, it is very likely that the clot will break off or dissolve, leading to further bleeding.
- Do not use alcohol-based solutions or hydrogen peroxide, as these substances dissolve the clot by removing it.
- Hot foods or drinks can also stimulate the bleeding to resume, so avoid soups until at least the next day. The ideal is to drink cold drinks to maintain proper hydration; this remedy is valid for both adults and children.
- You can start rinsing with a mixture of warm water and salt (about one teaspoon in 250ml of water) the day after tooth extraction to keep your mouth clean. Also make sure that the baby is able to spit out the saline solution and that he does.
Step 6. Contact your dentist if bleeding continues even after 15 minutes
It is worth remembering this concept, because a baby tooth under normal circumstances should not bleed all this time.
- If the bleeding does not stop, a tooth fragment may have remained in the gum, causing damage to the mouth, or the child may be suffering from some underlying disease, which can lead to excessive bleeding. To remove any doubts, contact a competent doctor.
- That said, be aware that if some fluid oozes from the tooth site or if saliva appears pink, it doesn't mean there is severe bleeding. If the blood is not gushing or dripping excessively, there is usually no danger.
Method 2 of 2: Stopping the Bleeding of a Permanent Tooth Extraction
Step 1. Let the dentist remove the tooth
It is never worth saving money and tackling this task yourself using pliers. You could break or break the tooth itself or those next to it, causing severe nerve, gum, or jaw damage, as well as the risk of developing an infection and even severe bleeding.
Have the problem diagnosed by a professional who can solve it adequately and, perhaps, even save the tooth with therapies
Step 2. Follow the directions given by the dentist to take care of the wound after the extraction
Different treatments will be needed, depending on the type of tooth you have removed, your medical history, and various other factors.
Below you can find some general tips for managing post-extraction bleeding; however, remember that they do not replace the specific recommendations of the dentist
Step 3. Press a clean, moistened cotton gauze onto the area by biting it to help the clot form
Your dentist will probably recommend that you do this right after the extraction. The doctor usually orders the gauze to be kept in place for at least fifteen minutes, up to even thirty or sixty, depending on the specific situation.
- Maintain constant pressure on the gauze pad and hold it still so as not to hinder the clot formation.
- If it starts to get too wet with blood within 15 minutes, place a new one on top of the existing one, without removing the first one. As already mentioned above, all of this is aimed at facilitating the formation of the clot.
- After holding the gauze in place for 45-60 minutes, you need to continue putting on new ones for the next 3-5 hours or longer. Always stick to your doctor's recommendations.
Step 4. Keep your head elevated, face slightly bent down
As described in the first section of the article, you must use the force of gravity to your advantage to reduce blood circulation in the head and minimize the amount of blood that can go down the throat.
Just like children, adults can feel nauseous from ingesting blood, so you should always tilt your head slightly forward when your mouth or nose is bleeding
Step 5. Try a tea bag
This does not mean drinking hot tea - or hot coffee or any other hot drink or food on the first day (or as prescribed), otherwise you could dissolve the clot that is struggling to form. Instead, you must rely on the inherent qualities of black tea to aid this process.
- The tannic acid contained in black tea promotes blood clotting, so you can wet a regular black tea bag and press it on the extraction site, as if it were cotton gauze. Hold it in place for fifteen minutes and see if the bleeding stops or slows. If necessary, repeat with a new sachet.
- Keep in mind that the tea may momentarily stain surrounding teeth or gum, but this generally disappears quickly.
Step 6. Do not rinse with salt water until the next day
Do not follow the advice of those who say that warm salt water can stop the bleeding; the clot that is trying to form at the extraction site is much more likely to dissolve. Salt water does, however, keep the mouth area clean, so it may be helpful in some ways.
- Rinse your mouth (and then spit out the solution) with a mixture of 250 ml of warm water and a teaspoon of salt. You can repeat this procedure one or more times a day starting 24 hours after the surgery or according to the dentist's instructions.
- Another possibility is to do a quick rinse immediately after the extraction, but avoid washing the mouth and spitting while the clot is forming; in particular, hydrogen peroxide and alcohol-based solutions can prevent their formation.
- In some cases, your dentist may recommend that you limit mouth rinsing during the post-extraction days to avoid dry alveolitis, a very annoying complication of the loss of a clot. In this situation, the hole left by the tooth remains exposed causing pain or infection.
Step 7. If the bleeding lasts beyond the expected period, call your dentist
Sweating or some blood loss is completely normal in the following days and should not cause concern; However, if you have heavy bleeding for a prolonged time, it may be a sign of some complication due to the surgery or other health problems independent of the oral situation.
- Blood that drips or collects at the extraction site within 15-20 seconds after removing the gauze indicates active bleeding.
- In addition to keeping your head elevated, limit physical activity for the next few days to reduce the chances of continued bleeding. Exercise increases blood pressure, which in turn makes bleeding more likely.
