Too often bleeding after extraction of a tooth is caused by over treatment. Our recommendations were to bite on the gauze with a light steady pressure for one hour. Do not change the gauze and no rinsing for twenty four hours. Fluids can be taken but no rinsing, just swallow. There will be some small amount of redness in the saliva. This is normal. The saliva dilutes the blood and make it appear as if the volume is greater. The saliva will turn brown later in the day. Swallowing a small amount of blood will do no harm.
Remain sitting or standing for the first few hours. Lying down increases the blood pressure in the head and increases the chance of bleeding and increases the amount of swelling.The gauze initially used is designed to aid in clotting without adhering to the clot. Biting on anything absorbent causes more bleeding. Subsequent use of gauze for minor seepage of small amounts of blood disturbs the clot and causes additional bleeding.The only post operative bleeding problems were those who didn’t bite on the gauze for the instructed length of time or those who over treated the site.
