Subsequent bleeding

After having dental treatment, you could experience subsequent bleeding. This does not happen for everyone, but additional bleeding could occur after having had a dental procedure. Because people often get very worried about subsequent bleeding we decided to give more information on the subject. This page is devoted to inform you on what subsequent bleeding is and how to deal with it.

What is subsequent bleeding?

Subsequent bleeding can occur when you have recently had a dental treatment and the wound in your mouth starts bleeding slightly. This is nothing to worry about and often feels worse than it is due to the blood getting mixed in with your saliva making it seem as though you are losing a lot of blood. It might also occur that you notice dark red remnants of blood in your saliva. This is also a sign of subsequent bleeding and is nothing to be alarmed about.

When can subsequent bleeding occur?

Subsequent bleeding can happen after having a dental surgical procedure such as a dental implant or an extraction. Due to the impactful nature of these treatments, it’s very common to experience subsequent bleeding.

The anaesthetic given by your dentist contains adrenaline. Adrenaline is a vasoconstrictive substance, when this wears off your vessels will start widening again. The consequence? You could experience subsequent bleeding as a result of the dental procedure you had.

What to do?

You can stem the bleeding by placing some gauze on a clean napkin on the wound. If you use a napkin you can tie a knot in it first, giving you something to bite on. If the bleeding hasn’t stopped after thirty minutes you can apply new gauze or a clean napkin and repeat the process. In case the wound continues bleeding you should contact your dentist so that your wound can be examined and treated properly to stem the bleeding.

Has the bleeding stopped? Then wait a while before rinsing your mouth as rinsing might cause the wound to open up again. We therefore always give the advice to wait a day before rinsing your mouth, giving the wound enough time to properly heal. You can rinse your mouth very carefully if you, for example, feel nauseated from the taste of blood in your mouth.

Prevent subsequent bleeding

The best way to prevent subsequent bleeding is to seal the wound as well as you can straight after the treatment. You can do this by using a piece of gauze or a napkin with a knot tied into it. Bite into the gauze or napkin for at least half an hour to considerably lower the chances of subsequent bleeding.

In addition to that it’s important to not consume any hard food or very cold or hot beverages after having had your treatment. Smoking and drinking can also have a negative effect, so we’d advise you to refrain from doing so for at least 24 hours after your treatment. Lastly it’s important to be careful when brushing your teeth, use gentle strokes and avoid the wound.

Important: Inform your dentist

In case you are on medication which directly affects your likeliness of bleeding or if you have a medical condition or illness which causes you to bleed more or faster, then always inform your dentist straight away. This allows your dentist to, if necessary, adapt to these circumstances and provide you with dental care more suited for your situation. By keeping each other informed there is a higher chance to prevent any subsequent bleeding.

Are you unsure whether or not your medication or illness makes you more prone to subsequent bleeding? Some medicines which affect your likeliness to bleed are Aspirin, Carbasalate calcium (Ascal), Marcoumar, Sintrom and Palvix. As for diseases or illnesses, people who suffer from autoimmune disease (ITP) and haemophilia A/B are more likely to experience subsequent bleeding. Even when in doubt, always inform your dentist about factors which could possibly influence the treatment or the healing process.

Questions? We are here to answer them

Do you have any questions about subsequent bleeding and are you unsure about what to do? Then contact us so we can advise you on what to do. Our dental professionals are here to help!