What does salt water rinse do for wisdom teeth removal

Table of Contents Show

How Do Salt Water Rinses Work?
Salt Water Rinse Uses
Making Your Salt Water Rinse
Does salt water speed up healing after tooth extraction?
Does salt water rinse help dry socket?
Why are salt water rinses good after tooth extraction?
How long should I do salt water rinses after tooth extraction?

If you’ve ever lost a tooth or had a sore throat, you’ve likely heard of salt water rinses. Salt water rinses have a long history of benefiting oral health. Salt promotes healing and reduces pain, which is why dentists often recommend salt water rinses for patients suffering from sore gums, oral surgery, or other oral health problems.

How Do Salt Water Rinses Work?

Salt water rinses have anti-bacterial and healing properties that make them perfect for sore throats, sores, healing gum tissues, and more. Salt temporarily increases the pH level of the mouth, creating an alkaline environment. Since bacteria prefer an acidic environment, they find this type of environment difficult to survive in. This is how salt water mouth rinses can help keep bacteria from multiplying in your mouth.

Salt’s healing properties stem from the fact that it is an isotonic solution that contains an equal concentration of the minerals and salts naturally found in the body. Because of this, salt water rinses will not irritate the mucous membranes the way some medicinal mouthwashes do.

Salt Water Rinse Uses

To use salt water rinses for oral health, all you have to do is gently swish the solution for about 30 seconds.

Sore Throats — Salt water rinses reduce sore throat pain and help promote healing. Some causes of sore throat that salt water rinses offer pain relief to are tonsillitis, the common cold, and strep throat.
Healing from Oral Surgery — Salt water rinses can promote natural healing and reduce pain and swelling after oral surgery. Salt water creates an environment bacteria have trouble surviving, and decreases swelling by forcing moisture out from the cells in your mouth responsible for the swelling. This is why many dental professionals recommend salt water rinses for wisdom teeth removal pain relief.
Relieves Oral Pain — A majority of the discomfort you feel when you have a toothache, or other oral injury is due swelling. Salt water rinses help decrease swelling, therefore offering pain relief.
Aids in Gum Health and Soothes Bleeding Gums — If you have irritated or bleeding gums caused by toothaches, gingivitis, or canker sores, a salt water rinse can help manage the pain.

Making Your Salt Water Rinse

Salt water rinses are easy to use and make. You can use any type of salt for a salt water rinse, and add in baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, honey, or many add-ins for additional healing properties. Most salt water rinse recipes call for 8 ounces of warm water and 1 teaspoon of salt.If your mouth is tender and the salt water rinse is stinging, you can use ½ tsp of salt instead of a full teaspoon for the first day or two.

To make the salt water rinse, bring your water to a boil using a stove or microwave. Remove your water from the heat, then add your salt and stir. This is also where you can add in your honey, hydrogen peroxide, or baking soda. Let the salt water cool to a warm temp before rinsing with it. Once you have finished your salt water rinse, you should discard any leftover solution to avoid contamination.

If you’re suffering from tooth pain and are thinking about resorting to salt water rinses, make sure you schedule an appointment with your dentist first. While salt water rinses are great for speeding up wound healing and decreasing mouth swelling, they won’t solve the root problem of your pain.

Williams, Daily & Frazier Dental is a family and cosmetic dentist in Raleigh, NC with a dedicated team of dentists, assistants, hygienists and administrators who are enthusiastic in their commitment to their patients. We offer dental implants, Invisalign teeth straightening, in-office and home teeth whitening options, and Oral-B electric toothbrushes.
Contact Williams, Daily & Frazier at (919) 846-9070 for more information and to schedule an appointment today.

Frequent mouth rinses with salt water after oral surgery promotes healing and helps to prevent infections. At our office, we first provide our patients with verbal and written instructions right after their oral surgery and review the importance of oral rinsing with salt water. Then we call them on the evening of surgery and review it again. Then our assistant calls them two days after surgery and goes over it once more. We also give them a large postcard with reminders about rinsing, not only once, but again on their follow up appointment. That’s how important it is.

Salt can potentially kill bacteria and prevent infection but adding more is not necessarily better. In fact, the main purpose of salt is to make the water more physiologic or “tissue friendly” for rinsing. Simply add a tablespoon of salt to a gallon of water, shake, and use it for your rinsing needs. The real benefit from rinsing with salt water is the washing away of plaque and food debris from the tooth extraction or dental implant surgery site. For that matter, you can use plain tap water, especially if you are at school or work and don’t have salt-water on hand. It’s best to avoid rinsing with alcohol-based mouth rinses during the first week after surgery because of irritation to the healing tissues.

So remember to rinse often with salt water or just water. You will have less post surgical pain, faster healing, and less chances of developing a mouth infection.

Does salt water speed up healing after tooth extraction?

Tip #1: Salt Water Rinse We recommend a gentle salt water rinse to clean the area that is healing and prevent food from getting caught. The salt water promotes healing and reduces the risk of complications.

Does salt water rinse help dry socket?

One of the best things you can do is rinse your mouth with warm saltwater. This will help to remove any food particles that could be irritating your dry socket and promote blood clotting. You want to make sure that you're using warm water and not hot because hot water could further irritate your wound.

Why are salt water rinses good after tooth extraction?

The salt water can inhibit the growth of bacteria that could cause an infection around the extraction site. In addition to that, it can help remove any debris that builds up in the mouth that can cause problems healing from the extraction. The salt also promotes healing too. Using a salt water rinse is easy.

How long should I do salt water rinses after tooth extraction?

A teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water gently rinsed around the socket twice a day can help to clean and heal the area. Keep this up for at least a week or for as long as your dentist tells you.