If you’re someone who can’t live without lighting a cigarette at least once a day, then chances are getting dental work done is your biggest nightmare. Most dental treatments require quitting smoking days before the procedure as well as after it. For instance, tooth extraction is an intense surgery where your oral health needs to be in proper shape. It’s why most people ask us when they can smoke after tooth extraction — and whether or not they are allowed to. So, if you’re in a similar dilemma and can’t decide, make sure to continue reading this blog to learn all about it.
Can You Smoke After Tooth Extraction?
Unfortunately, no. Most dentists recommend quitting smoking altogether. However, if you are unable to quit, it is best to avoid reaching for a nicotine fix, especially when you just had a tooth pulled out from its roots.
Tooth extraction is a serious procedure where, depending on the condition of your tooth, the dentist has to gently remove it from its socket. This can be due to extreme tooth decay, a broken tooth, an impacted wisdom tooth, or even malocclusion. However, regardless of the reason, smoking is strictly prohibited before as well as after the extraction surgery.
When Can You Smoke After Tooth Extraction Surgery?
It is crucial to take a break from smoking after tooth extraction. Until and unless the extraction site has completely healed, it is better to stay away from nicotine cigarettes or even e-cigarettes. The recovery period varies from person to person, but most dentists suggest waiting for at least 3 to 5 days after the extraction before resuming old smoking habits. This is so that a blood clot has formed over the extraction site, sealing the socket from bacteria and other germs. Thus, only when the blood clot is solid can you smoke. However, even in that instance, it is important to be careful not to disrupt the wound, or it may lead to further complications.
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Smoke After an Extraction Surgery!
Smoking has negative effects on your health. After all, there’s a reason why nicotine is considered bad for you. Nonetheless, if you’re still not convinced about its harmful qualities, take a look below to see why you shouldn’t go back to smoking right after tooth extraction.
- The smoke in cigarettes is filled with toxins, which make it harder for you to heal faster. If anything, it delays the healing process by days.
- The more you smoke, the higher the chances are of your blood clot getting dislodged, leading to a dry socket.
- Your gums and mouth tissues are very sensitive after an extraction surgery. Frequently, smoking can cause them to get infected, giving way to a more serious oral condition.
Final Takeaway
If curiosity got the best of you, making you wonder when you can smoke again after undergoing a tooth extraction, then by now, you probably know. Dentists typically recommend waiting for at least 72 hours before lighting a cigarette. This gives the extraction site enough time to slowly form a good clot over the socket.
Moreover, when you get back to smoking, make sure to only have one cigarette. Do not start going through packs of cigarettes, or it could dislodge the clot, leading to further complications.
Nevertheless, for more information, feel free to contact Rock Creek Oral Surgery at 832-930-7801 or visit 14119 Grant Road, Suite 140, Cypress, TX 77429, located near Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, for an in-depth evaluation.