Short answer
Expect light bleeding for a few hours, swelling that peaks around day two, and steady improvement from day three onward. Keep the clot undisturbed, eat soft food, avoid straws and smoking, and call your dentist if pain increases after day three or if you develop a fever.
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The first 24 hours
A blood clot forms in the socket within the first hour, and that clot is the foundation of everything that follows. Bite gently on the gauze you are given until the oozing stops, then leave the area alone.
Do not rinse forcefully, spit, drink through a straw or smoke during this period. Each of those creates suction or pressure that can pull the clot out of the socket. Keep your head slightly raised when you rest, and stay with cool, soft food.
Days two and three
Swelling usually peaks around 48 hours and then starts to fade. A cold compress on the outside of the cheek for short periods helps during the first day or two; after that, gentle warmth is more comfortable.
From day two you can normally begin rinsing gently with warm salt water after meals, unless you were told otherwise. Keep brushing your other teeth as usual and simply avoid the socket itself.
What is not normal
Pain that gets worse rather than better after the third day, often with a bad taste or an empty-looking socket, can be a sign of dry socket, where the clot has been lost. It is treatable, but it needs the dentist to look at it.
A fever, spreading swelling, difficulty swallowing or bleeding that does not settle with pressure are all reasons to call the office rather than wait.
Replacing the tooth
Once the site has healed, the gap itself is worth a conversation. Neighbouring teeth drift into a space over time and the bone in the area gradually shrinks, which is why replacement is usually discussed at the same visit as the extraction.
Depending on the tooth and your bite, that may mean an implant, a bridge or a denture. Back teeth that do not show still matter, because they carry much of the chewing load.
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