DENTAL | Amy Luu

Only your Dentist or Oral Surgeon should answer the question; When can I smoke after a tooth extraction? Each person is different from mouth is different and each tooth extraction is too. Most Dentists recommend that you wait at least 48 hours before smoking or using tobacco products of any kind. One of the main reasons not to smoke immediately after tooth extraction is to help prevent the severe pain and negative symptoms of dry socket. Oral Surgeons and Dentists ideally recommend that you delay smoking indefinitely after tooth extraction so that you can avoid the harmful effects of tobacco products and cigarette smoke on your overall and oral health. Not smoking and abstaining from all tobacco products after a tooth extraction is one of the best things you can do to ensure the correct amount of oxygen for the best healing time, healthy recovery of your gums, and better overall oral health for life. Keep reading to discover more reasons not to smoke after tooth extraction or Wisdom tooth removal. Also tips and ideas to help avoid pain if you just cant wait the recommended time to smoke. What is Dry Socket and Why Smoking After Tooth Extraction Can Cause It.When Can I Smoke After a Wisdom Tooth Extraction?Has Anyone Smoked After Tooth Extraction?If You Can't Stop And Must Smoke a Cigarette After Tooth ExtractionWhy Is It Important To Not Smoke After Tooth Extraction?When Can I Smoke After A Tooth Extraction and Preventing Dry SocketSmoking After Tooth Extraction Can Cause Blood Clots to Loosen.Smoking After Tooth Extraction May Increase The Time it Takes to Heal.Smoking After Tooth Extraction with GauzeWhy Do Smokers Need a Tooth Extraction?How Long Do I Have to Wait to Vape After Tooth Extraction?Tips For Not Smoking & Quitting Smoking After Tooth ExtractionSmoking After Tooth Extraction Wrap-upReferences and Sources What is Dry Socket and Why Smoking After Tooth Extraction Can Cause It. Dry socket or alveolar osteitis is a painful condition that is more common for smokers. Besides being painful dry socket can have an adverse effect on healing times after both emergency tooth extractions and wisdom teeth removal procedures. Dry socket is a condition that can occur after extractions of teeth, especially wisdom teeth. It is caused when the blood clot at the site of the extraction does not form or becomes dislodged, leaving bone and nerves exposed to air and food particles. This can be very painful as nerve endings become irritated and inflamed. The condition can seriously delay healing of the wound in the mouth, and increase discomfort for patients who experience it. Smoking after tooth extraction increases risks of developing dry socket significantly because toxins from cigarettes prevent blood clots from forming properly. In addition, carbon monoxide from smoking decreases oxygen levels in the body which reduces healing capacity at surgical sites like extracted teeth sockets. Another reason smoking immediately after tooth extraction increases the chance of developing dry socket is the sucking action of smoking. The chemical reaction and the heat of the smoke as it passes in and out of the mouth heats and dries out the mouth and gums damaging your gums and teeth with every puff. Therefore, it is important for people to understand that smoking could lead to serious complications like dry socket following any type of dental surgery or tooth extraction. Dentist remove tooth of woman patient using forceps. When Can I Smoke After a Wisdom Tooth Extraction? Waiting at least 48hrs or more before you smoke after your wisdom tooth extraction is the minimum and should not be considered the industry standard. Questions about smoking after wisdom tooth extraction like, how soon, or when, can I smoke after wisdom tooth extraction should only be answered by your Dentist or Oral Surgeon. Smoking after undergoing a wisdom tooth removal procedure can be hazardous to your health. The recovery time for this type of procedure and the answer to when you can smoke after wisdom tooth removal varies from person to person. There are certain factors that dentists consider when determining how long you should wait after wisdom tooth extraction to let your gums heal and before you can smoke. First of all, the dentist will assess the individual’s overall oral health condition. If a patient has poor dental hygiene or has underlying oral health issues, the dentist may suggest that they wait longer before smoking than someone with healthier teeth and gums. Additionally, if an individual smokes heavily or has been diagnosed with gum disease, this will also affect how long their recovery should last before smoking again. The type and severity of the extraction is another important factor in determining how long to wait before smoking again. Some people are able to get there wisdom teeth removed by their dentist with little to no complications and will heal relatively fast with little or no complications . Other people will need to undergo major oral surgery to get a wisdom tooth extracted and may experience prolonged healing and longer then average recovery time afterward. Portrait of fashionable woman smoking a cigarette on dark background Has Anyone Smoked After Tooth Extraction? Yes there are people that have smoked after tooth extraction. However Most people have heard the stories or know someone that smoked two packs a day and lived to be 90 without getting emphysema or lung cancer. The fact is that most people that smoke two packs a day don't live into their golden years without negative health consequences from bad habits they have. Same goes for smoking too soon after getting a tooth extracted the chances of developing complications such as very painful dry socket go up significantly in people who choose to smoke immediately after their tooth removal procedure. If You Can't Stop And Must Smoke a Cigarette After Tooth Extraction Following your Doctors orders to not smoke is always smart especially when trying to avoid dry sockets the first couple of days after tooth extraction. If you don't have the willpower to stop smoking for any time let alone your Dentist's recommended time after your tooth extraction the following tips may help reduce your risk of dry sockets when you must smoke after tooth extraction. Ask your Oral Surgeon for stitches on your surgery site. When you resume smoking, inhale slowly and very gently. Reduce the heat of the smoke by smoking slowly. Keep and use gauze in place over your socket while smoking. Use extra gauze over your empty socket while smoking. Avoid smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco, vaping, snuff, and nicotine gum. Avoid directly brushing the extraction site use warm salt water rinse or prescription mouthwash instead. Do not use a straw for at least 48 hours. Avoid hot beverages, especially while smoking. Eat soft foods and avoid hard foods. Also avoid chewy, sticky, and crunchy foods. Avoid spitting vigorously after rinsing for at least 48 hours Why Is It Important To Not Smoke After Tooth Extraction? Smoking puts you at a higher risk for oral diseases in general and an increased risk for the painful experience of dry socket after tooth extraction and smoking. The repeated sucking and exhaling actions of smoking can cause a dry socket and are not good for recovery and open wound healing after tooth extraction. Furthermore, tobacco smoke decreases oxygen in the blood and contains volatile chemical toxins that can harm your gums and mouth tissue, and smoking exposes your healing gums to these toxins. The harmful toxins and decrease in blood oxygen levels from smoking can slow the healing process and may cause more serious complications, including damage to the surrounding teeth, gum disease, oral inflammation, or infection. When Can I Smoke After A Tooth Extraction and Preventing Dry Socket Cigarette in the man's mouth. Plaque teeth cavities and paradontosis. Smoking causes dental decay problems and bad smile. Dentist treatment concept. Harmful habit. One of the main reasons not to smoke after you have had a tooth extracted is to prevent the severe pain of dry sockets. Health complications stemming from a dry socket are serious and are more common for those who smoke immediately after emergency tooth extractions or wisdom teeth removal procedures. The dry socket and associated pain are due to nerve and bone tissue exposure in the root of the affected tooth cavity. It happens when the blood clot that forms over the wound site socket is displaced. A person may detect a tremendous bad breath smell, accompanied by moderate to severe pain, spreading from the tooth socket to the whole side of the face. Smoking After Tooth Extraction Can Cause Blood Clots to Loosen. Smoking and tobacco use after tooth extraction can cause the loosening of blood clots. This can lead to increased bleeding and swelling, and can also delay healing. It is best to avoid smoking for at least 72 hours after your extraction. The forming of blood clots is one of the first steps in the healing process timeline following a tooth extraction. The blood clot forms to cover the newly exposed bone and nerve endings under the gum line. The sucking action of inhaling a cigarette can be enough to cause the blood clot to be dislodged Smoking After Tooth Extraction May Increase The Time it Takes to Heal. Dentist using surgical pliers to remove a decaying tooth. Modern dental clinic Smoking and or use of tobacco not only causes dry sockets, but also leads to other overall health problems such as high blood pressure and gum disease. Gum disease is an infection of the gums that can cause inflammation and bleeding. Smoking slows the healing process and makes it harder for the gums to heal from infections. In fact, smokers are more likely to have gum disease, increased recovery times, tooth decay, and risk of infection than non-smokers. Smoking has a bad smell and an avid smoker will have issues with healing because smoking restricts and hardens blood vessels while decreasing oxygen and increasing carbon monoxide in the blood making it one of the worst things you can do for your general health. If you smoke, there are many good reasons why quitting is the best thing you can do for good oral hygiene and your oral health. Smoking After Tooth Extraction with Gauze If you absolutely must smoke a cigarette before the recommended 48 hour no smoking recommendation make sure you cover the extraction hole with gauze. Using gauze will help shield and protect your delict, healing gums and should help prevent dry socket. I want to emphasis should! Please note that using gauze for smoking after a tooth extraction is not recommended and might complicate your healing process. Teenager smoking and message on wall - Smokers die younger. No smoking concept with child. Casual clothes. Why Do Smokers Need a Tooth Extraction? Smoking is really bad for your oral health. Statistics show that smokers are more likely to have tooth decay and need an emergency tooth extraction. Smoking in general causes bad breath and leaves traces of toxic chemicals and tar on your teeth that lead to discoloration and the build-up of plaque and tarter. Along with increased plaque and tarter avid smokers are at higher risk and are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease and gingivitis. Which leads to more tooth decay than non-smokers and eventually intense pain and emergency tooth extractions. How Long Do I Have to Wait to Vape After Tooth Extraction? Young Women Vaping. You should wait at least 48 hours after your tooth extraction procedures before vaping. Smoking habit and tobacco use are in the same category and therefore the same minimum recommended time, as vaping with some additional issues to watch out for. One of the newest and most recent common reasons dentists or oral surgeons are seeing for days of pain from blood clot loss and pain or symptoms of dry socket after an extraction dental procedure is Vaping. One of the first things many people think about vaping is that it is a safe ways alternative to smoking. Nothing could be further from the truth in fact it could be argued that vaping is more harmful than smoking and can lead to severe problems to the soft tissue around the surgical extractions, due to less oxygen and more suction from the suction activation control on most Vaporizers. Stop Smoking Before You Burn Out! Tips For Not Smoking & Quitting Smoking After Tooth Extraction Smoking is a bad habit that can be hard on your natural teeth and hard to break. It is especially important not to smoke after tooth extraction to avoid delayed healing and pain from dry socket. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American Dental Association recommend that you don't smoke or use tabacoo products. The recovery and healing period of time after oral surgery or emergency tooth removal is the perfect time to quit smoking. Use the time to recover and heal from your tooth extraction to get nicotine and other toxic chemicals out of your system. Remember that Nicotine is out of your system in 72 hours and after you get nicotine out of your system the cravings will decrease dramatically. If you're trying to quit or just need some motivation to stop for a few days after a tooth removal here are a few tips that may help: Set a quit date and stick to it. Get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays in your home. Avoid places where people are smoking. Drink plenty of water and eat healthy foods. Light physical exercise like walking and deep breathing exercises regularly. Avoid alcohol and other triggers that make you want to smoke. Tell your loved ones about your plan and ask for support and encouragement. Think about the health problems and diseases you could suffer from if you don't quit. Hang up pictures of mouth cancer and other graphic pictures for reminders of why you are quitting. Talk to your doctor about quitting aids such as nicotine replacement therapy or prescription medications. Smoking After Tooth Extraction Wrap-up In conclusion, smoking after a tooth extraction can lead to complications, such as dry socket. It is important to follow the dentist's advice when deciding when and how to smoke after an extraction. Even though it might take some time, quitting smoking is the best option for oral health. If you are not ready to quit, following the tips above will help reduce the risk of dry socket and other issues. Remember that your health should always come first! Take care of your teeth and gums to prevent any future complications. If you're struggling to quit, don't give up – keep trying until you succeed References and Sources Tarakji, B., Saleh, L. A., Umair, A., Azzeghaiby, S. N., & Hanouneh, S. (2015). Systemic review of dry socket: aetiology, treatment, and prevention. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR, 9(4), ZE10–ZE13. Smoking and oral health. (n.d.). dentalhealth.org/smoking-and-oral-health Awang MN. The aetiology of dry socket: a review. International Dental Journal. 1989 Dec;39(4):236-240. PMID: 2691403. Smoking, gum disease, and tooth loss. (2018). cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/periodontal-gum-disease.html Abu Younis MH, Abu Hantash RO. Dry socket: frequency, clinical picture, and risk factors in a Palestinian dental teaching center. Open Dent J. 2011 Feb 7;5:7-12. doi: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3089956/ Camila Lopes Cardoso, Moacyr Tadeu Vicente Rodrigues, Osny Ferreira Júnior, Gustavo Pompermaier Garlet, Paulo Sérgio Perri de Carvalho,Clinical Concepts of Dry Socket, Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Volume 68, Issue 8,2010, Pages 1922-1932, ISSN 0278-2391, About electronic cigarettes. (2020). cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html F.O Oginni, O.A Fatusi, A.O Alagbe, A clinical evaluation of dry socket in a Nigerian teaching hospital, Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Volume 61, Issue 8,2003, Pages 871-876, ISSN 0278-2391 https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/dry-socket Ahmad-Reza Noroozi, Rawle F. Philbert, Modern concepts in understanding and management of the “dry socket” syndrome: comprehensive review of the literature, Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology, Volume 107, Issue 1,2009, Pages 30-35, ISSN 1079-2104,