Tips To Follow After Your Tooth Extraction
Following these tips will ensure that your healing takes place comfortably and without complications.
- Dr. Baker may prescribe you some antibiotics and painkillers post tooth removal. Make sure you take them on time and complete the course to prevent pain and infections.
- Avoid smoking after your tooth extraction procedure.
- Do not spit forcefully or suck through a straw, as this can dislodge the blood clot.
- Make sure you maintain good oral hygiene, brush your teeth gently and avoid the extracted area.
- Take rest for at least 24 hours after your surgery to allow your body to start healing.
- Consume foods that have a soft consistency and are at normal room temperature.
- If you have swelling, use a cold ice pack and gently place it on the outer surface of your cheeks. This will help the swelling subside and will also reduce discomfort.
- Contact our emergency dentist in Mesa, AZ, immediately if you experience massive bleeding, excruciating pain, redness, or rash.
- If the swelling does not subside in 2-4 days, please call us, and we will schedule an emergency appointment for you at Dental Innovations, Mesa, AZ.
If you have any more questions or would like to know more about our emergency dental services, please feel free to reach out to us. Our team of excellent dental professionals at Dental Innovations will be there to assist you in your journey to better oral health. Contact us today to start your oral health journey!
You Develop Dry Socket
Dry socket happens when the protective blood clot that forms around your socket becomes dislodged, revealing the nerve underneath and exposing the bone. When this happens, you can feel extreme discomfort andthe area is exposed to develop infections. Fortunately, we can dress the site and provide medication that will make you feel better quickly.
How Its Treated
It is important to contact a dentist as soon as you suspect you have dry socket. Severe discomfort is enough to indicate that this is a possibility. We will examine the socket and possibly take some X-Rays to make sure the pain isnt being caused by pieces of bone or root that might have remained after the extraction.
Next, we will flush the socket clean of food debris and other particles. There are several medicated gels and pastes that can be used with dressings to provide fast relief. Depending on the severity of the situation, these might need to be changed several times.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare at Home
We will probably recommend some painkillers that will continue to make you feel better. At-home care can also include flushing the wound with a special syringe. You will receive instructions on how to do this, and usually, salt water or medicated rinses are recommended. You can expect to feel fully recovered within a few days.
You Can Be Confident About Our Care
Talking about getting your teeth pulled isnt always fun. However, with an experienced dental practice and the right tooth extraction aftercare, you will look back on the experience and realize it wasnt difficult at all. Remember, millions of teeth are extracted every year, greatly improving the dental health of patients.
At our practice, we take careful measures to ensure that your extraction goes perfectly and that you are comfortable throughout. Even if you have had your extraction done at a different practice, we can treat a problem situation quickly. Contact Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, GA for more information on our dental services. We are proud to provide gentle care and healthy smiles.
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What Happens During The Tooth Extraction Process
Healing of gums after tooth extractions takes, on average, 6 to 8 weeks for the gum tissue to fully close and toughen enough to tolerate eating firmer foods. Tooth extraction for dentures recovery time and complete healing of the underlying bone takes much longer 6 to 8 months for the sockets to fill in with new bone and for the majority of initial bone shrinkage to occur.
In todays fast-paced society, it is common for new denture patients to want to skip over this step, thinking that all of their problems will be solved as soon as their teeth are removed. Because healing is a biological process, it cant be rushed. Healing is a part of your DNA makeup and is unique to each individual person. There is nothing an oral surgeon or anyone else can do to speed the process.
That being said, there are things you can do that slow the healing process. Patients who smoke take longer to heal. Because smoking causes constriction of the blood vessels, it slows down oxygen-rich blood flow to the wounded area, making healing longer than the non-smoker.
How Long Does It Take To Recover From An Extraction
The answer to this question can really vary from patient to patient depending on a few important factors: the size and location of the tooth, a patients dental health, and the patients compliance with aftercare instructions.
For a simple extraction , the recovery process is usually very brief. Typically, your oral surgeon will ask that you at least take about 48-72 hours to relax afterward so the treatment area is allowed to clot. After that, a patient should be able to return to normal physical activity. The soft tissue will usually fully heal in about 3-4 weeks.
When a patient has undergone a surgical extraction , the recovery process is a little longer. Once again, the doctor will likely recommend that a patient take the first 48-72 hours easy, and after that, they should limit their physical activity for about a week or so before resuming normal activities.
As to how much time a patient will need to take off of work following an extraction, it will depend largely on the amount of physical activity required for their job. This should be discussed by a patient and their oral surgeon beforehand so the patient can coordinate with their employer if necessary.
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How Long Does It Take For Your Gums To Heal After Tooth Extraction To Be Ready For Dentures
When you have your teeth extracted, this is a huge change to your mouth. Unlike a small cut on your arm that will heal quickly, the removal of teeth leaves relatively large holes in your gums. These holes do not heal overnight. The question of when youll be ready for dentures is somewhat complicated as a result of this.
Healing
After your teeth have been extracted, the holes where they were will have clots of black, dried blood in them for a few days. Then the blood will dissolve, and youll see the holes where the teeth were. Once this happens, the healing process has begun. The spaces previously occupied by teeth are quite large, and they will take several weeks to months for the spaces to fill in and full healing to occur. After just the first couple of weeks, you should no longer experience any bleeding, and any discomfort you feel should be minimal.
Temporary dentures
When all of your natural teeth are missing, whether through extraction or coming out on their own, your jawbone will naturally shrink and shift. During the healing process, your gums may still be swollen, and the shrinking and shifting that takes place will also change the alignment of dentures. This means that any dentures made for you right now would need to be refitted in order to properly fit you when the healing process is done.
Permanent dentures
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What Happens After A Tooth Extraction
The socket left in the gum after a tooth extraction passes through three stages as it heals. An article in Frontiers in Physiology explains that the first stage is the inflammatory phase. The gum becomes inflamed, a blood clot forms inside the socket and granulation tissue forms over the wound. New tissue usually replaces the clot within a week after the procedure. Following this process is the proliferative phase, when the wound begins to close. The final stage is the maturation phase. The cells in the site form new structures and bony networks, and connective tissue, called collagen, which populates the healing area.
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What To Avoid During Normal Healing After Tooth Extraction
You may still have some questions about what to do after tooth extraction. The most important step you can take is making certain not to disturb your extraction site since this can result in your clot breaking open. If this happens, your clotting process starts all over again and increases the length of time you will need to recover while increasing the risk of an infection developing. The best way to promote healing after your tooth extraction is to follow the tips below.
- Avoid the development of a dry socket
- Change your gauze often after your first few hours
- Do not use tobacco products or smoke
- Do not rinse out your mouth
- Try not to blow your nose or sneeze
- Allow a 24 rest period
- Do not use a straw for 24 hours
Avoid Using A Straw Or Smoking
Drinking through a straw or smoking creates negative pressure in your mouth, which can dislodge the blood clot that forms in the tooths socket. If the blood clot is dislodged, you are at risk of developing a painful health complication known as dry socket. Dry socket can lead to severe infections, deteriorate jaw bone, and damage nerves.
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What Is Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth and can be performed for various reasons, like:
- Damaged Teeth If you have a damaged or broken tooth that your dental professional deems is beyond repair, they will likely recommend its removal.
- Tooth Decay Likewise, if your tooth has decayed to the point that it can no longer be treated with a filling, root canal, or crown, it may be best for your oral health to have it pulled.
- Periodontal Disease When bacteria builds up and forms plaque underneath the gums, it can cause gum disease. Its severe form is called periodontal disease, and it can erode your gum tissue and bone. This can cause your teeth to loosen and potentially require their extraction.
- Crowded Teeth If you have a smaller jaw that doesn’t fit all of your teeth, if you have extra teeth, or if you have a tooth growing into or on top of the tooth next to it your dental professional may extract a tooth to eliminate overcrowding.
Learn more about tooth extraction.
Dentures After Tooth Extractions
Wearing dentures immediately after extractions does have its benefits. For someone who has suffered with bad teeth for many years, receiving dentures the same day teeth are removed is life-changing. Dentures act as a bandage to help protect your gums during the healing process. They make the transition to permanent dentures easier. Immediate dentures also provide support to the integrity of your bone structure.
While immediate dentures may be annoying or slightly uncomfortable, they shouldnt hurt or cause bleeding. If you experience pain or notice continued bleeding while the dentures are in your mouth, the dentures need an adjustment. Dont ignore the problem believing it to be normal. Contact your dentist or denturist. A simple denture adjustment can make a world of difference in your comfort level and your ability to use your dentures.
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Treatment Timing Making Plans To Replace Your Missing Tooth
The fact that it takes as long as 6 to 12 months for the bulk of the jawbones healing process to take place doesnt mean that you have to wait that long until your empty space can be filled in with a replacement tooth.
A healing period may be needed.
With some types of restorations there is typically a healing wait period that must be adhered to for best results. For many cases, this may be on the order of just 1 to a few months. With others, it may be 6 months or longer before the final prosthesis should be placed.
The general idea is that the dentist wants to wait for your sockets healing process to have progressed to a point where the changes it creates in the shape of the jawbone wont substantially adversely affect the fit, function, or appearance of the replacement teeth.
But even if some sort of wait period is required, your dentist should have some type of temporary tooth or appliance that can be placed or worn until that point in time when your jawbones healing has advanced enough.
White Film On Gums After Tooth Extraction
Plaque is a sticky film made up of bacteria. Normally, brushing your teeth and flossing breaks up this film. However, after several days of not being able to clean your tooth socket, you may notice white plaque forming around the wound. Once youre able to clean around your extracted tooth normally, the plaque should go away.
You may also notice that your gums turn white around your wound. This is usually caused by the trauma of the surgery and should go away after a few days.
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How Long Does It Take For Gums To Heal After Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction is a procedure of taking off the tooth from the gum. After the completion of the procedure, the site of removal should be healed up fast to avoid further problems like bleeding or infection. The recovery period for gums to heal varies from individual to individual and also as per the procedure done to extract the tooth.
Why Would A Person Need A Tooth Extraction
A dentist will usually recommend that a tooth be removed if:
- A large cavity has damaged it beyond repair
- It is so broken that it cannot be put back together
- Advanced gum disease has weakened the bone needed to support it
- It wont fall out naturally/is blocking an incoming adult tooth
- Room needs to be created for a denture, dental implant, or orthodontic treatment
- It has become painful, impacted , or infected
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How Long Do Gums Need To Heal
The time it takes for gums and other tissue to heal varies from patient to patient. The type of denture a patient is planning to get also plays a factor. For example, a custom-made denture requires gums to heal for three to six months. During this time, gums will be allowed to heal and patients meet with their dentist for fittings and adjustments. This ensures that when the gums are healed and ready for the permanent dentures, they will be a perfect fit. In the meantime, patients are often given temporary dentures.
You Show Signs Of An Infection
After you have a tooth pulled, it is possible that bacteria can enter the extraction site before it has fully healed. Practicing good hygiene will usually avoid this, but you should keep an eye on the situation just in case. Contact us if you experience:
- Extreme discomfort that lasts more than 4 hours after the extraction
- Discomfort that occurs after you initially start to feel better
- Discomfort that cannot be controlled with painkillers
- Fever or chills
- Discharge, swelling, and/or redness at or near the extraction area
- Nausea, vomiting, chest pain, cough, or shortness of breath
- A sour or bitter taste in your mouth
- Sensitivity to extreme temperatures
- Tenderness in your gums, jaw, or neck
How Its Treated
The above symptoms could indicate an infection of the month or in the bone. Bone infections, called osteomyelitis, are rare. In either case, we can flush the infection and prescribe antibiotics that will solve the problem.
What You Can Do at Home
After your appointment, be sure to follow all of the instructions we provide. If you are prescribed antibiotics, take the full course, even if you start feeling better before you finish. Infections can come back stronger when antibiotics are taken incorrectly.
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What Is A Dry Socket
Dry socket is a fairly common complication that follows a tooth extraction. According to Healthline, 1 to 5% of patients who have teeth removed get dry socket. It occurs when the blood clot that forms in the extraction site doesnt properly develop. Dry socket is problematic as it may cause bone and nerve exposure.
You may have dry socket if:
- You can see a visible bone in the socket, or your socket appears grey in appearance or empty-looking.
- Youre in severe pain following your tooth extraction. This pain will radiate from the extraction site to your ears, eyes or temples.
- Youve lost your blood clot.
- You have consistent bad breath or an unpleasant taste in your mouth despite brushing your teeth and practicing good oral hygiene.
If youve been monitoring your extraction site and you suspect you have dry socket, contact your trusted dentist or oral surgeon right away.
How Long Do You Have To Wait To Get Dentures After Teeth Are Pulled
This is a common question asked by most potential denture patients. The answer depends on your priorities. There are two different approaches to getting dentures for the very first time. Each offers their own distinct advantages and disadvantages.
One method involves having your teeth removed and allowing your gum tissue to heal 6 to 8 weeks or longer before receiving your temporary dentures. Advantages to this method include not having to deal with learning to wear dentures while your gums are sore.
When you receive your first dentures, they will fit better because they are made to fit gums that have closed and had some time for initial shrinkage. The obvious disadvantage to this method is you must be committed to being without teeth for 6 to 8 weeks.
The second method involves making dentures before the teeth have been removed. Then, the dentures are inserted immediately after extractions, hence the phrase immediate dentures. Wearing dentures immediately after extractions can be challenging. It takes real commitment to learning to chew all over again with artificial appliances while simultaneously dealing with sore gums. Why would anyone choose to do this? One reason: to avoid having no teeth.
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