Sometimes home remedies come with actual science.
You know how moms always seem to have a fix for everything? Cold washcloth on the forehead, chicken soup for a cold and, if you grew up in Maine, probably a lecture about wearing your hat. When it comes to bleeding after a tooth extraction, though, mom really did have a few tricks up her sleeve that are worth keeping around. Spoiler: they involve tea, frozen vegetables, and a respectable stack of pillows.
The Tea Bag Trick
If your mom ever handed you a damp tea bag after you had a tooth pulled, you probably rolled your eyes and thought, “Really? This is the best we can do?”
Turns out, she wasn’t just improvising a gauze alternative with whatever she had on hand from the pantry. Your mother knew best when it came to bleeding after a tooth extraction. But did you every wonder why that tea bag has the ability to stop bleeding? Black tea contains tannin that stops the bleeding with just one application. Tannic Acid is considered to be the most active of all vegetable astringents, and especially powerful on albumen, gelatin and fibrin. It constringes the tissues, temporarily decreasing their vascularity, and causing contraction of their blood vessels. It arrests secretion and condenses relaxed and feeble tissues. When mixed with blood, it forms a clot rapidly on account of coagulation of the albumen.
In plain English, Black tea:
- Constricts blood vessels which slows the bleeding.
- Encourages clotting, which seals the socket.
- Tightens soft tissue, which helps protect the wound.
So to help stop bleeding gums after tooth extraction, you can apply a cold black teabag in the area. In a small bowl, put an ice cube and some water. Place a black teabag in it till the teabag is fully soaked in water. Then squeeze out the excess water from the teabag, place it on the bleeding socket, and bite it.
That’s why a tea bag works better than just chewing on gauze. The recipe is simple:
- Chill a black tea bag in a cup of water with an ice cube until the tea bag is fully soaked in water.
- Remove the tea bag and squeeze out the excess water.
- Place it on the extraction site and bite down for 20 to 30 minutes.
Herbal teas won’t cut it. You need plain black tea with tannins!
Frozen Peas: Mom’s Cold Compress Upgrade
Mom may have reached for the trusty bag of frozen peas to put on a twisted ankle, but it’s just as handy after a tooth extraction. Cold therapy helps reduce swelling, and when swelling is under control, bleeding tends to slow down, too.
Just remember: always wrap the peas (or an ice pack) in a towel so you’re not freezing your skin.
The Pillow Fort Method
Your mom probably told you to “sit up if you’re bleeding.” Turns out, that logic still applies when you’re lying in bed. Keeping your head slightly elevated on a couple of pillows means less blood rushing to your jaw, which = less oozing onto your pillowcase.
So yes, you now have official dentist approval to build a mini pillow fort.
Here in Lewiston (and Auburn, and honestly all of Androscoggin County), we’ve seen every version of “home remedies meets dental reality.” We’re big believers that good advice can come from both your mom and your dentist, especially when it comes to healing up quickly and comfortably.
At Drews Dental we only use the most up-to-date modern cosmetic dentistry tools. The appearance of your teeth, face, and smile mean the world to us that’s why every single patient is treated and evaluated differently; to fit their personal needs.
We want you to be impressed when you enter our office and know you will be when your treatment is complete. We offer checkups, cleanings, implants, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, digital x-rays, root canals, tooth-colored fillings, dentures, night guards, extractions, crowns, and bridges.
Proof that dentistry and mom-ology occasionally overlap,
