Can I use mouthwash after tooth extraction?

When can I use mouthwash after tooth extraction?

After the first day. The Kent NHS leaflet says not to rinse for 24 hours, and Healthline's recovery guide says to avoid spitting, swishing and rinsing for the first 24 hours. Healthline's dry socket prevention guide lists alcohol-based mouthwash among things to avoid in the first 24 hours. The Hull NHS leaflet says not to rinse on the first night and that from the morning after surgery you may use a salt-water mouthwash or an antibacterial mouthwash.

Which mouthwash is suitable

Sources name two types. The NHS recovery page says to rinse gently with mouthwash or warm salt water to keep the wound clean. Cleveland Clinic's wisdom teeth recovery page says to rinse gently with an antimicrobial mouthwash two to three times a day, and its oral surgery guide says to rinse by soaking the area with alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash, not swishing, to lower the risk of dry socket. Healthline's prevention guide says you may be prescribed an antibacterial mouthwash, and a Cleveland Clinic page on pericoronitis notes that prescription chlorhexidine mouthwash can cause temporary staining or taste changes.

• Warm salt water, from the day after surgery.
• Alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash, if your surgeon agrees.
• Prescription mouthwash, exactly as directed.
• Not alcohol-based mouthwash in the first 24 hours, according to Healthline.

How to rinse safely

Gentleness is the rule. Cleveland Clinic says to use gentle motions when rinsing or spitting, since vigorous action can dislodge stitches or clots. Healthline says to let the rinse water fall out into the sink rather than spitting it out, not to swish vigorously and not to use very hot or very cold water. Take a mouthful, tilt your head so the liquid reaches the area, hold it briefly and let it run out.

How often and for how long

The Kent leaflet says to rinse gently with warm salt water two to three times a day for three days after the first 24 hours. The Hull leaflet says rinse three to four times a day after meals for 10 days with warm salty water, or use a gentle home mouthwash. Cleveland Clinic says two to three times a day. The sources differ, so follow your surgeon's schedule, and rinse after meals so food does not collect in the socket.

Salt water recipe

The Kent leaflet says one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, and Healthline's food-in-the-socket page says one teaspoon of table salt in eight ounces of warm or room-temperature water, with another Healthline page suggesting half a teaspoon. Use lukewarm water rather than hot.

What to avoid

Avoid straws, smoking and vaping, spitting hard and poking the socket. Avoid alcohol-based mouthwash early on, and do not use mouthwash instead of brushing your other teeth gently, which the NHS says to keep doing while avoiding the treated area. Stop and call your dentist if mouthwash stings, causes ulcers or you develop a rash.

If the socket has food in it

Healthline says a small particle that is not bothering you can be left alone, and that after 24 hours gentle salt water rinses are generally fine, with a syringe of warm water only if your dentist approves. Call your dentist for severe pain, pus, a bad taste or visible bone.

Questions to ask your surgeon

Aftercare differs between offices, so ask for your mouth care instructions in writing.

• When can I start rinsing, and with what?
• Do you prescribe a mouthwash, and how long do I use it?
• How many times a day should I rinse, and for how many days?
• What should I do if mouthwash stings or tastes strange?
• Who should I call if the socket looks or feels wrong?

Frequently asked questions