Permanent teeth should last a lifetime- but this isn’t always the case. Teeth may become damaged for a variety of reasons. Most dentists will try to salvage the natural tooth with dental fillings or crowns.
Smoking is dangerous for your oral and overall health, especially following tooth extraction. If you must smoke, experts recommend that you wait at least 72 hours following the procedure. This will allow the site time to develop the clot and begin healing.
Sometimes, extraction becomes necessary. Tooth extraction is the process of removing a tooth from the socket. There are several reasons why a dentist may recommend extraction, including:
Recovery from a tooth extraction typically takes a few days. During this time, you’ll want to avoid smoking, as it may inhibit healing and increase your risk of complications. You should also:
According to the American Dental Association, smoking after tooth extraction can cause a variety of complications, including:
Smoking disrupts blood flow to the alveolar nerve, which can cause increased pain in the extraction site. There is also some indication that the chemicals in cigarettes can slow tissue growth, which means the site takes longer to heal.
After a tooth is extracted, a blood clot will form in the space, which protects the jawbone from being exposed and allows the gum to heal. The suction from smoking can cause the clot to dislodge, which exposes the jawbone and nerve endings. This is known as dry socket and is a very painful condition, typically lasting approximately 7 days- but may result in other problems such as infection. Research shows that 45% of individuals who have dry socket must visit the dentist several times to treat the condition.
Smoking increases your risk of developing gum disease, especially following tooth extraction. Gum disease can destroy the jawbone supporting your teeth and increase your risk of needing additional teeth extracted.
If left untreated, dry socket can lead to infection, which can spread to your jawbone. An infection in the bone is known as osteomyelitis. This will cause your immune system to attack, causing an abscess to form inside the bone. An abscess will prevent blood flow to the bone, which will cause the bone to die.
There are several ways that you can manage pain following tooth extraction that do not involve smoking or tobacco use. These include:
Legacy Dental blog is proudly run by our Salt Lake City dentists team; We share knowledge about general dental care and practices. Apart from running this blog, we offer various dental services such as general dentistry, emergency dentistry, and dental implants for the community in Salt Lake City, Utah
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