Caring For Your Extraction & Bone Graft
Your tooth was removed and a bone graft placed to preserve the bone for a future implant. The graft is a scaffold your own bone grows into. The first 72 hours matter the most: keep the site protected so the graft and clot stay put.
The First 72 Hours
- Bite on gauze with firm pressure for 30 to 45 minutes, replacing as needed.
- A few gritty particles working loose is normal. Do not hunt for them with your tongue.
- Rest, head elevated. Ice 20 on, 20 off the first day. Skip exercise.
Protect The Graft
For the first 72 hours, keep the graft and membrane still:
- No straws, smoking, spitting, or vigorous swishing. Suction is the enemy of a fresh graft.
- Do not press or play with the site.
- Soft, cool foods, chewing on the other side.
Stitches & Membrane
- You have stitches and a membrane. If you see something white, that is the membrane, which is normal.
- After 72 hours, brush the membrane well (no need to be gentle). Keeping plaque off it lets the graft heal.
- Loose stitches are normal as long as the membrane stays put.
- Come back in 3 weeks to have the stitches and membrane removed.
The Two Musts & Comfort
- Take your antibiotic exactly as prescribed so your body does not reject the graft.
- No nicotine of any kind. It chokes off the blood flow the graft needs to heal.
- Stay ahead of pain with medication on schedule. Warm salt water rinses on day four.
- For tender gums, vitamin E can soothe and help healing, or ask us for StellaLife gel.
Call Us If
- Bleeding is heavy and will not slow after 2 hours of pressure.
- Large pieces of graft come out, or the membrane comes off early.
- Pain worsens after day 3, or swelling grows with fever.
- A bad odor or yellow slime does not clear with brushing.
How To Give Your Graft The Best Chance
Your body grows bone beautifully when you put it in the best position to succeed. A few things are mandatory.
- Take your antibiotic fully, even after you feel fine, so your body accepts the graft.
- Zero nicotine. This is the big one. Nicotine cuts the blood supply the graft depends on and is the top reason grafts fail.
- Keep it clean. After 72 hours, brush the membrane well so plaque and bacteria cannot build up and stall healing.
Do these and you set your future implant up for success!
Questions about your graft or your recovery? Call the office anytime. We are here for you!
