If you’re a smoker and are about to have a tooth extracted, you may want to hold off on this habit for a while. Of course, this is not easy, and you likely have lots of questions about why you need to put the cigarette down after an extraction and how long it can take until you can pick it up again.
Check out our short blog post to understand everything about why you should never smoke after tooth extraction.
Smoking in general is very bad for your oral health. Every time you inhale the smoke, you are adding countless chemicals to your mouth’s environment, which over time can lead to a lot of dental health problems.
Smoking can lower the level of oxygen in the blood, which is needed for the body’s natural healing process. After tooth extraction, the site will need a healthy supply of oxygenated blood in order to close it and heal the tissue. With smoking, the healing process can be delayed.
And when healing is delayed, it increases the risks of potential complications, such as an infection.
There’s another reason why you shouldn’t smoke after an tooth extraction: dry socket.
Once a tooth’s been pulled from its socket, a blood clot will immediately form in its place. This clot protects the nerve endings and bone from exposure. If the clot bursts, it leads to a condition called dry socket, which can cause severe pain and many complications. A dry socket is a dental emergency.
And smoking can cause dry sockets simply because of the suction action required to smoke a cigarette. It’s the same reason why your Raleigh dentist tells you not to drink from a straw or spit after pulling out a tooth. The motion can cause the clot to burst.
You should wait at least 72 hours after a tooth extraction to smoke. This way, you will give the blood clot enough time to form and support the healing process. However, it’s important to note that each patient has a different healing speed, and the risk of dislodging the clot is present until the extraction site closes.
Ideally, you should refrain from smoking for as long as possible, to help speed up the whaling process and reduce your risks of further complications.
Smileplicity Dentistry provides quality and caring dental care services designed to support your oral health. Whether you need an extraction, oral surgery, have a dental emergency, or want to improve the look of your smile, our practice is here to help.
To get started, you can book a consultation in Raleigh with Dr. Daiana Atari online. Want to learn more about our practice or our services? Then feel free to call us at (919) 298-2308.
