How long after wisdom teeth removal can I smoke?

Wisdom tooth extraction is the most common dental surgery. For smokers, they must pay attention to this aspect. It is best not to smoke 48 to 42 hours after wisdom tooth extraction. This is mainly because smoking immediately after wisdom tooth extraction can easily lead to infection and hinder wound healing. It is also easy to cause severe pain after tooth extraction, so you must pay attention to this aspect.

How long after wisdom teeth removal can I smoke?

Generally speaking, doctors will ask patients not to smoke for at least 48 hours after tooth extraction. This is the minimum requirement. If you want the best possible healing of your oral wounds, try not to smoke for at least 72 hours after surgery. Because first of all, smoking will dissolve blood clots and hinder wound healing; secondly, it will cause infection inside the mouth and induce inflammation. These complications are not good for the patient's health, so it is necessary to quit smoking as long as possible.

Dangers of smoking during tooth extraction

1. Smoking can cause wound infection

If you ignore your doctor's advice and continue to smoke during the period of wisdom tooth removal, there is a high possibility that the inside of your mouth will become seriously infected. When the area where the tooth was extracted becomes infected, it will secrete a thick white or yellow liquid, and the patient will also have a high fever and symptoms such as swelling and pain in the mouth.

2. Smoking hinders wound healing

When wisdom teeth are removed, a wound will be left where they originally grew. If you continue to smoke at this time, it will significantly slow down the healing of the wound and increase the risk of infection.

3. Smoking can aggravate the pain in the alveolar region

Compared with non-smokers, smokers who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day tend to suffer more pain after wisdom teeth extraction. The wound of the alveolar socket needs sufficient blood to heal, but smokers often cannot supply enough blood for wound healing. Wounds that do not heal for a long time will of course cause great pain and discomfort to people.

4. Smoking can cause secondary bleeding of wounds

Generally, within about 30 minutes after wisdom tooth removal surgery, the doctor will place gauze on the wound and ask the patient to bite it until the wound stops bleeding and blood clots are formed. At this time, the doctor will advise the patient to take all preventive measures to prevent further bleeding, such as not rinsing the mouth too hard, not using a straw, not brushing the teeth too hard, etc. In addition, you should not smoke, because smoking will cause blood clots to dissolve, causing the wound to bleed again.

5. Smoking increases the risk of osteomyelitis and pericoronitis

People who are addicted to smoking may find it difficult to quit smoking before and after surgery, so let us understand the serious consequences of smoking. As mentioned above, smoking dissolves blood clots, causing blood to continue to flow out of the wound area and prevent it from healing. In addition, oral experts have found through experimental studies and clinical cases that smoking increases the risk of periodontal infection in patients undergoing wisdom tooth removal surgery, and may even cause bone infection, ultimately leading to osteomyelitis.