Mouth tape after a tooth extraction, filling or dental surgery: when to wait

After a tooth extraction, implant or gum surgery, put mouth tape aside until the area has stopped bleeding, the swelling has gone down and your dentist says you're healing well. For most people that means days to a couple of weeks, not one night. After a simple filling the wait is much shorter, usually just until the numbness wears off. In every case, your dentist's aftercare instructions come first.

Why wait to use mouth tape after dental work?

No study has tested mouth tape after dental treatment, so there's no evidence-based waiting time. What there is, is clear aftercare guidance from the NHS and Cleveland Clinic, and several parts of it don't sit well with a strip of tape over your lips.

The first is bleeding. Cleveland Clinic says you may still ooze small amounts of blood the first night after an extraction, and that this is normal. A leaflet from Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust suggests covering your pillow with a towel to soak up saliva and blood that may dribble in the night. With your lips taped, that has nowhere to go.

The second is swelling and a stiff jaw. The NHS says that for up to 2 weeks after wisdom tooth removal you'll usually have some pain and swelling, your jaw may be sore and stiff, and you may find chewing and swallowing uncomfortable. A Hull hospital leaflet adds that mouth opening may be reduced for up to 2 weeks after removal of wisdom teeth and difficult lower molars. Mouth tape works best when you can open your mouth easily and the tape comes off without a fight.

The third is that you need to be able to see and reach the area. If bleeding restarts, the NHS says to press on the area for at least 10 minutes with a clean cloth or cotton wool, and the Kent leaflet says to bite firmly on a damp cotton roll. That's simpler without tape in the way.

What does extraction aftercare usually involve?

Extraction aftercare is about protecting the blood clot in the socket. The NHS explains that a clot forms over the wound and helps it heal. Cleveland Clinic says that if the clot doesn't form or comes out too soon, the bone and nerves underneath can be exposed. That's dry socket, which it says affects about 2% to 5% of extractions and is more common after wisdom tooth removal.

Cleveland Clinic says dry socket usually develops in the first three days, and that if you haven't had symptoms by day five, you're likely in the clear. To protect the clot, it advises skipping straws for at least a week, rinsing gently rather than swishing hard, and not smoking or vaping. The Kent leaflet says not to rinse and spit for 24 hours, then to rinse gently with warm salt water two to three times a day for three days.

Recovery from the procedure itself is fairly quick. Cleveland Clinic says most people return to routine activities within 48 to 72 hours, though the jawbone takes several weeks to heal, and up to four months for a large tooth like a molar.

How long should you wait after each type of treatment?

There's no fixed rule, but the aftercare sources give a sense of the healing window for each. Use this as a starting point for a conversation with your dentist, not a schedule.

What about fillings and numbness?

After a routine filling, the main issue is numbness. Cleveland Clinic says the numbness and tingling from dental anesthetics usually go away in about two hours, though a higher dose or several injections can make it last longer. It lists biting your lip, cheek or tongue among the more common side effects. The Kent leaflet warns that a bite you don't feel while numb will hurt once feeling comes back.

While your lips are numb, you can't tell whether tape is pulling, rubbing or irritating the skin. So at the very least, wait until feeling has fully returned. A filling doesn't leave an open wound the way an extraction does, so once you're no longer numb, it's reasonable to ask your dentist whether taping that night is fine.

What about implants and gum surgery?

Implants and gum surgery involve stitches and soft tissue that's healing, so the wait is longer. Cambridge University Hospitals says implant stitches are usually dissolvable but may take several weeks to disappear, and that the site should be kept as clean as possible for the first few weeks. It also says that with implants in the lower jaw, the nerves that supply feeling to the lower lip, chin and tongue can sometimes be bruised, causing tingling or numbness that usually recovers over a few months.

After gum surgery, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust says swelling can take 2 to 3 days to appear and up to 2 weeks to go down completely, and that some bleeding is normal in the first 2 days. It also advises against pulling back your lips or cheeks to look inside your mouth, because that can affect healing. Peeling tape off your lips each morning pulls on the same area, which is one more reason to wait for your review appointment, which it says happens 1 to 4 weeks after surgery.

How do you keep nose breathing while you heal?

You can keep up the habit without tape. A clear nose makes it easier to breathe with your mouth closed, and our guide on how to unblock your nose before bed covers saline rinses and steam. A nasal strip sits on the nose rather than the mouth, so it doesn't touch the treated area; see nasal strips for mouth breathers and check with your dentist if you're unsure.

During the day, practice resting with your lips together and breathing through your nose. Our guide on how to stop mouth breathing during the day has simple habits.

How do you restart mouth tape after dental work?

Restart once bleeding has stopped, swelling has gone, you can open your mouth normally and your dentist is happy with how you're healing. Then take it slowly.

Begin with a short daytime session, as in our daytime mouth taping guide, and notice how your jaw and lips feel. If everything is comfortable, try a night. Put the tape on clean, dry lips, fold over one corner so it's easy to grab, and peel it off slowly in the morning. Our guide on how to remove mouth tape has the technique.

If you wear something in your mouth after treatment, such as a denture or retainer, our guides to mouth tape with dentures and mouth tape with a retainer or braces cover how to combine them. For the bigger picture on saliva, teeth and gums, see mouth tape and oral health.

The usual cautions apply too. Cleveland Clinic lists difficulty breathing and redness, irritation or allergic reactions on the lips and skin among the possible side effects of mouth taping, and says you should never use it with nasal obstruction, nasal congestion, chronic allergies or sinus infections.

When should you call your dentist or a doctor?

Call your dentist if healing isn't going the way you expected. The NHS says to ask for an urgent dental appointment, or call NHS 111 in the UK, if bleeding doesn't stop, if pain and swelling are severe or getting worse and painkillers aren't helping, or if you have pain with a bad taste in your mouth, a high temperature or feel unwell. Cleveland Clinic says to call about signs of infection like fever or drainage from the site. The Hull leaflet asks you to contact your dentist if numbness in your lip or tongue is still there the day after surgery.

Separately, talk to a doctor before taping if you snore loudly and also stop breathing, gasp or choke in your sleep, or feel very tired in the day. The NHS lists these as signs of sleep apnoea. Don't tape with a blocked nose; our nose test is a quick check. If you're pregnant, ask your midwife or doctor before trying mouth tape. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

Read next

• When can you use mouth tape after lip filler?
• How to start mouth taping: your first week
• Is mouth taping safe?

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.