How Often Should I Change the Gauze?

Question:

I had another question about how to stopped the bleeding on an extracted tooth, but now I ask: How often should I change the gauze?

Some have said wait 30min, check to see if it's still bleeding, if so, place a new gauze on it and re-do. Others have said an hour, some have said 4. One dentist even said you don't need to change it unless it becomes soaked in blood. (which I thought would be a leading cause of infections...)

I ask, what time limit to check and change is the best to promote clotting? When is it time to remove the gauze and just not wear it anymore?

My other tooth healed right away, such as when I removed the gauze there was some dried blood, but nothing fresh, so I left it uncovered and it's been fine since. But -this- tooth socket is just so... ARGH frustrating.

Answers:
I tell my patients change it out every 30 minutes. You dont have to, but most people will gag tasting the blood in there... so changing it out often stops this from happening.

Majority of people will bleed for about 2 hours. Just depends on what your doing when you leave the office. If you go home and work.. you'll bleed longer. If you go home and relax and kick back, you'll see the bleeding process slows down alot. You clot faster by relaxing and not stressing your body out by working.

As far as, when it doesnt stop bleeding and how to make it stop... Applying a small single tea bad over the extract site, helps. The acid, inside the tea, stops the bleeding. Believe it or not .... its true! Once it stops bleeding, remove the gauze and you'll be fine. The clotting process is in full swing. Just be careful not to do anything to pull that clot out. If you do... and open air reaches the bone, PAIN comes quick!!

*Hope this helps! Good luck...

ok, just do the same thing that u did with the other tooth. like if today it was the extraction, just wait until you dont have any more blood in there, and it should be fine.

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How Often Should I Change the Gauze?

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