Are you worried that your smoking habit will make things hard for you after your tooth removal? Tooth extraction is major oral surgery and requires several days for a healthy recovery. If you’re a regular smoker, the recovery from surgery will take longer than a non-smoker. In this blog, we’ll discuss a few issues that can arise due to smoking after extraction and how long after wisdom teeth removal can you smoke to avoid these complications.
What Issues Can Arise Due To Smoking?
Cigarettes contain tobacco and many other chemicals. Tobacco is a gum irritant that can make a person more prone to infection development. The other chemicals can damage the soft tissues of the mouth after surgery.
Moreover, these chemicals can discolor your teeth, harden the gums and increase the chances of catching oral diseases. When you undergo wisdom teeth removal, your mouth becomes highly sensitive.
It’s advised to avoid smoking for a minimum of one week after tooth extraction to prevent further damage. However, refraining from smoking isn’t easy for everyone. If you’re a heavy smoker and can’t resist your habit, it’s good to know about the related complications.
How Long After Wisdom Teeth Removal Can I Smoke?
The longer you stay away from smoking, the better for your oral health. But if you smoke heavily and are worried that withdrawing may give harmful symptoms, it’s best to ask your dentist or oral surgeon.
Depending on the complexity of your case, your dentist may tell you to stay away from smoking for 2 days to one week. Most of the time, you may be allowed to smoke 72 hours after the numbing agent fades.
With that, if you had any plans to quit smoking, tooth extraction might be the right time to give up on your smoky habit.
What Happens If You Smoke After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Here are some of the complications that may arise due to smoking after tooth extraction.
- The recovery process decelerates
- The pain and discomfort can worsen and stay for longer
- The chances of plaque and bacteria build-up increase, giving you bad breath.
What Are The Complications Related To Smoking?
The worst complication that can occur due to smoking after oral surgery is the dislocation of the blood clot that can give you a dry socket. This condition can give you excruciating pain and inflammation. This usually happens due to the suction motion created while smoking or the chemicals in cigarettes that can force the blood clot to dissolve earlier.
The formation of this clot is essential for a speedy and healthy recovery of the surgery site. Otherwise, you can end up with severe pain.
Conclusion
Summing up the facts, smoking after tooth extraction can hurt your healing process and oral health. The soreness can worsen even with ongoing pain relievers. So, we advise you not to smoke for 24-72 hours after wisdom teeth removal or for the time length your oral surgeon recommends.
If you still have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact Vintage Smile Family Dentistry. Give us a call today at (281) 251-7770 and book your appointment.