When you have a tooth removed – also known as extracted – it takes a few days for the site to heal properly. Your overall health and lifestyle will impact the speed in which healing takes place.
If you are a smoker, you have additional precautions to consider. Here are the details.
Smoking Effects On Teeth
The heat of the smoke and the chemicals contained in it are harmful to your teeth, gums and soft tissue. In addition to staining your teeth, smoking will increase your chances of developing oral disease. Even with these dangers, we understand for some it is a difficult habit to break.
Smoking After Oral Surgery
As noted above, there are compounds contained within the inhaled cigarette smoke that will harm teeth and gums. Following a tooth extraction, smoking can increase the level of pain experienced at the site where a tooth has been removed. This also slows the healing process.
Also, the blood within the body of a smoker will hamper the healing process as well. This is because there is less oxygen in the smoker’s bloodstream. It is from the oxygen in the blood that flows to the wound site that is responsible for the process of healing.
If you are a smoker and you require tooth extraction, contact All Needs Dental today to discuss your options.
Smoking After Having A Tooth Pulled
When a tooth is removed, a blood clot forms in the extraction site. The blood clot must remain in place to ensure that the wound heals correctly. If the clot dissolves too quickly or moves, it can result in a condition known as dry socket. This is a very painful experience.
The clot can easily be moved out of place from smoking. The sucking action used to draw the smoke from the cigarette can pull at the blood clot. This can also happen if you vape or use e-cigarettes. Smoking may also contribute to the clot drying up or dissolving too quickly.
Other Possible Complications From Smoking After Tooth Extraction
There are situations where dry socket can form an abscess. An abscess can damage more than just the area around a tooth; it can impact your jaw bone as well. Bacteria and infection are what will attack healthy bone when an abscess is present resulting in swelling and severe pain.
Expect your dentist to discuss your smoking habit with you. Regardless of what you may find online, there are no safe ways of smoking any kind of product you inhale that will not cause damage to your teeth or have such a negative impact on your overall oral health.
How Long After Tooth Extraction Can I Smoke A Cigarette?
It is common for dentists to recommend that smokers stop smoking after tooth extraction for at least five days. If you truly cannot abstain, you risk complications that will result in costly consequences. For your dental procedure to heal correctly, you owe it to yourself to quit smoking for a few days after oral surgery.