Smoking After Wisdom Teeth Removal and How to Ensure a Safe Recovery

Smoking After Wisdom Teeth Removal and How to Ensure a Safe Recovery

Those who smoke or vape often ask dentists how long they must wait after a wisdom tooth extraction to resume their habit. The answer is at least three days but dentists recommend for patients to quit the habit altogether to protect their long-term oral health.

How Smoking Affects Recovery

Getting a tooth pulled isn’t major surgery but it is surgery. There is a wound that needs to heal and good healing involves many factors like white cell count, possible infections, and blood flow.

Anecdotally, dentists see smokers bleed more after surgery. Smokers also experience more swelling in the next few days post-surgery compared to non-smokers. There is also a small increase in infections among smokers but it isn’t enough to claim smoking was the sole contributor.

A small research study in 2022 revealed that smokers were at triple the risk of getting dry sockets after oral surgery.  Non-smokers have a 3.8% risk while smokers have a 13.2% risk. Additionally, smokers who continue smoking immediately after surgery face the following risks:

Dry socket

This is when the blood clot doesn’t remain in the extraction area leaving exposed bone. Those with nicotine in their system have limited blood flow which reduces the ability for their blood to clot.

More Difficulty Healing

Smoking has toxins. These inhibit healing because they make it hard for gum tissue to repair itself. Toxins aggravate the surgical area creating more discomfort.

Other Effects on Blood Circulation

As stated, nicotine affects blood circulation. That means it also affects the amount of oxygen getting to tissues needing repair. That also deprives the injured tissues of vital nutrients needed for healing.

Another Reason Not to Smoke

Whenever a patient has a tooth extracted, the oral surgeon will tell them not to use straws for drinks and not to smoke. The reason is that the mouth movements made using straws and smoking devices can disrupt the blood clot.

Why Three Days?

The three-day rule was created to allow for a blood clot to firmly form and for healing to begin. It is based primarily on the effect of mouth movements, or sucking, that accompanies smoking rather than the actual product used.

However, dentists recommend that patients go longer than three days without smoking to achieve better healing. A dentist or oral surgeon will always encourage patients anticipating oral surgery to stop smoking completely. A decision to enter a cessation program before or after surgery makes for great timing since a patient shouldn’t smoke after the procedure anyway.

Can a Patient Use Something Else?

Patients addicted to cigarettes think that switching to vaping would be better after surgery. That doesn’t work for a couple of reasons. First, many vapes have nicotine with some containing more nicotine than cigarettes. Second, there is still the danger that smoking with a vape product will dislodge the blood clot.

Some think they can substitute other things that are, in their minds, less dangerous. This is a myth. Dentists advise no gum after surgery because it can dislodge the clot so nicotine gum is off the list. Other products aren’t recommended either because the act involves the sucking motion or the nicotine affects healing. Some products, like chewable tobacco, introduce toxins to the surgical area.

Dentists say the following products are off-limits after a tooth extraction:

  • Cigars
  • Smokeless tobacco
  • Nicotine of any kind in gum or pouches
  • Cannabis
  • Hookah
  • Herbal cigarettes
  • Vapes of any kind

Surgery Is Minor but Complications Are Serious

Tooth extractions are a minor surgery. Millions are done safely daily without any problems. Smokers have an increased risk because of their habits. Their immune response is lower and they can bleed more, leading to a higher risk of problems.

Smokers can get an infection that includes swelling, pain, skin discoloration, or pus secretions from the surgical site. They can have excessive bleeding and get a fever. Those who have these symptoms should call their dentist immediately.

Infection symptoms may be serious enough to go to an emergency clinic or a hospital emergency room. They could also be handled by your dentist cleaning the socket and reapplying dressings. The dentist may prescribe additional antibiotics.

Wisdom tooth extractions are a routine safe procedures. Yet, it comes with some risks that are elevated when you smoke. You can reduce your risk by avoiding smoking post-surgery and following your dentist’s or oral surgeon’s recommendations. Those with questions can contact us. We are happy to provide you with more information.