How long until you can smoke after wisdom teeth surgery

Oral surgery requires healing time depending on the type of oral surgery and severity of the issue. Some common oral surgeries at Bo Stanley, DDS in Austin, TX consist of tooth removal, wisdom teeth extractions, or dental implants. Any time you have an oral surgery procedure there are precautions patients must take in order to ensure proper healing. We want all of our surgeries to be a success, and once patients return home, we recommend patients follow our at home care instructions to ensure all goes well.

How Many Days Should I Not Smoke After Oral Surgery?

Many patients wonder how soon they can resume normal activity or common habits at home like smoking after oral surgery. Smoking is never recommended, but if the patient is a smoker we recommend they refrain from smoking at least 72 hours or 3 days after their surgery. During the patient’s healing period blood clots need to have time to form, and waiting to smoke ensures the mouth can heal. Smoking can disrupt the healing process, and makes the risk for complications higher. Complications such as dry sockets after tooth removal among other issues can occur if patients smoke.

Toxins from the cigarette can cause inflammation of the gums, additional pain, and swelling. Smoking causes delayed healing of oral tissue, and can lengthen the process all together. If you notice increased pain or swelling around the oral surgery area contact our dental office in Austin, Texasimmediately. Any prolonged pain after oral surgery or swelling should always be addressed.

What Can Help Avoid the Urge to Smoke During the Healing Period?

If patients want to avoid complications during the healing period nicotine patches can be used. Our team also recommends to avoid any nicotine gum or chewing tobacco. Nicotine reduces blood flow to the skin and disrupts the area that is healing.

Distracting yourself with a new habit may help to avoid the urge to smoke during healing. Focus on healing and your oral hygiene routine at home to help keep your mind off the urge to smoke. We recommend rinsing with saltwater a few times a day and brushing gently while the area heals.

Contact Bo Stanley DDS in Austin, TX

If you are looking for quality oral surgery treatments in Austin, TX or have questions about the healing process and need more information, our friendly staff is here to help!

To inquire more about oral surgery and how you can make the healing process easier, contact Dr. Stanley to schedule your appointment at our oral surgery office inAustin, Texas. Our team would be happy to assist you!

Following the removal of wisdom teeth, it is essential to follow aftercare instructions as closely as possible to ensure a fast healing process and reduce your risk of developing post-procedural complications, such as dry socket. There are several factors that will impact your rate of healing, including your age, how impacted the tooth is, your oral hygiene habits, and whether you are a smoker.

Following the removal of your wisdom tooth, a blood clot begins to form over the removal spot. During this time, fibroblasts begin to generate bone. Patients who smoke run the risk of damaging this natural healing reaction due to the tobacco damaging the tissue cells. Additional, the carbon monoxide in cigarettes inhibits the amount of nutrients and oxygen to the tissues, which slows down the healing process. As a result, the healing process can take longer, and you place yourself at an increased risk of developing an infection and/or dry socket.

Smoking immediately following wisdom teeth extraction and the days that follow puts you at a much higher risk of developing complications such as a dry socket or an infection and can slow down the recovery period. In addition to putting you at a higher risk of infection and dry sockets, prolonged smoking also places you at an increased risk of developing periodontal disease, which can result in the need for additional teeth to be extracted in the future.

Additional Aftercare Instructions

In addition to avoiding smoking for at least the first 72 hours following wisdom teeth extraction, it is important to stay hydrated and eat a modified diet for the first few days, and possibly longer depending on how many teeth are removed and your body’s natural healing process. It is also important to avoid strenuous exercise, spitting, and drinking from a straw. By sticking to liquid or soft foods immediately following extraction of your wisdom teeth and avoiding smoking, you will avoid irritating the extraction site, which in turn will reduce your overall pain and speed up the healing process.

How Long Do I Need to Wait Until I Can Smoke Again?

At an absolute minimum, you should wait at least 24 hours following wisdom tooth extraction before smoking, although the preferred amount of time is 72 hours. Once you have reached the 72-hour mark, your risk of developing a dry socket significantly reduces. Waiting this amount of time will also speed up the healing process and facilitate the formation of the blood clot. If you do smoke within the first 72 hours, try to rinse your mouth with warm salt water immediately after doing so. This will not guarantee that you will not develop a dry socket, but it will provide extra protection.

While we understand that smoking is a personal choice, it can also cause many oral and physical health issues to develop. If you have been considering quitting smoking, having your wisdom teeth extracted may be the perfect opportunity to take that next step and kick your nicotine habit.

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