Having a bloody taste in the mouth, a little oozing of blood or having a little blood in spit is normal and should be expected. No further steps need to be taken.
You should only be concerned about bleeding when there is a constant gush of blood from the wound. This can be stopped by placing a piece of gauze over the wound and biting hard with constant pressure, for 30-60 minutes. If there is a slight ooze or smear of blood around the area initially, it is normal.
There will be a blood clot in the wound for the first few days. As the mouth is a constantly wet environment, the blood clot does not dry up and should be left in place.
Please follow the post op care instructions given by your dentist to ensure proper healing.
• Have a good rest for the next few days. Do not do vigorous exercise or do heavy work. Try to keep the mouth closed.
• Do not smoke or drink alcohol
• Do not rinse the mouth often, and when you rinse do not rinse vigorously. Do not use your tongue to poke or press the wound. Vigorous rinsing may dislodge the blood clot and cause further bleeding or complications such as dry socket.
• You may place an ice-cold towel or ice pack over your cheek to help reduce the swelling. Do not put warm compresses on the cheek as this will worsen the swelling
• Take all the medicines given to you at the prescribed times. Painkillers can be stopped if you do not have pain. If antibiotics have been given to you, please complete the whole course.
• Keep to a soft diet. Avoid food that is hard (such as nuts or peanuts) , spicy or difficult to chew.
Continue to brush your teeth as per normal, avoiding areas that are painful. You may use an antibacterial mouth rinse.
