---
title: "What Is Gauze pressure? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "Gauze pressure means biting down on clean gauze to press on an extraction site. It helps stop bleeding and lets a blood clot form."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/gauze-pressure
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Oral Surgery

# Gauze pressure

Gauze pressure means biting down on clean gauze to press on an extraction site. It helps stop bleeding and lets a blood clot form.

Gauze pressure is a simple first step after an extraction. MyOMS advises gently biting on a clean gauze pad or a moistened tea bag placed over the extraction site to reduce bleeding. Cleveland Clinic says to place a folded piece of gauze over the site and gently close down for 15 minutes, and to repeat as needed.

Pressure helps a [blood clot](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/blood-clot-socket-clot) form. MouthHealthy says that in most cases a small amount of bleeding is normal after an extraction. Do not keep checking the site, and do not rinse hard, because that can disturb the clot.

If bleeding does not slow after several rounds of pressure, call your dentist. See [post-operative instructions](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/post-operative-instructions) and [sutures](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/sutures-stitches). The [tooth extraction](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/tooth-extraction) page has the practice's own information.

[Town Center Dental can helpTooth Extraction](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/tooth-extraction)

## Related terms

-   [Blood clot (socket clot)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/blood-clot-socket-clot)
-   [Post-operative instructions](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/post-operative-instructions)
-   [Sutures (stitches)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/sutures-stitches)
-   [Dry socket (alveolar osteitis)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dry-socket-alveolar-osteitis)
-   [Tooth extraction](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/tooth-extraction)

## Sources

1.  [Cleveland Clinic: Tooth Extraction](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22120-tooth-extraction)
2.  [ADA MouthHealthy: Extractions](https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/extractions)

## Ready when you are

[Request an appointment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment)[Call (636) 273-5866](tel:+1-636-273-5866)