EXTRACTIONS

Whether you’ve had a tooth extraction due to decay, gum disease, physical trauma, or tooth crowding, the recovery process can be hard to deal with. Even a simple wisdom tooth extraction has a recovery time of almost 2 weeks. The empty, bloody sockets in the mouth can also make many people uncomfortable when they’re talking or eating. They are unaware of what’s normal and what isn’t.

What Are the Day by Day Tooth Extraction Healing Stages?

In the world of dentistry, tooth extraction is one of the relatively “simplest” procedures. Once that’s over with, you need to make sure that you are looking after your extraction site during the healing process. There are several stages that you will pass through at different times during the recovery. Keep in mind the tooth extraction healing stages can vary depending on the kind of procedure you had.

First 24 Hours After Tooth Extraction

If you had a simple, uncomplicated tooth extraction(s), you will bleed from the socket. However, during the first 24 hours after the tooth extractions, the healing of the gum tissue will begin. If there was a surgical intervention in the tooth extraction, which usually takes place if they’re impacted wisdom teeth, you will feel more pain during the first 24 hours. This happens when the anaesthesia starts to wear off. Other than that, you will have swelling.

A blood clot will form in the socket, which will stop further bleeding. Platelets, together with fibrin protein, form a plug in the socket of the extracted tooth. This blood clot will stay during the healing process. However, it will change form as the recovery progresses.

Do’s & Don’ts In the First 24 Hours

During this one of the tooth extraction healing stages, you may need to do the following:

• Take medications: Over-the-counter pain relievers can help; however, you should ask your dentist about pain medication if it’s not manageable. Normally, you will have prescription painkillers. Make sure to take these. Your dentist might also give you antibiotics.
• Eat soft foods: During the first 24 hours, you should not eat anything hard. Make sure that you eat soft foods that are more liquid-y. This doesn’t include alcohol. You have to avoid that for at least a few days. The food also shouldn’t be too hot as it can increase blood flow to the extraction site. Try eating yoghurt, eggs, pudding, mashed potatoes, ice cream, beans, and bananas.
• Take care of swelling: Try to keep your head elevated, even when you’re sleeping. You can also apply an ice pack for 10-15 minutes. This can help reduce swelling.
• Avoid smoking and/or vaping: It can reduce the blood flow to the extraction area, and you need it for healing, especially after oral surgery.
• No physical activity: Do not try any strenuous activity. If something hits your mouth, it can make the tooth socket bleed.
• It’s better if you take the day off after getting the tooth extracted.

2-3 Days After Tooth Extraction

After the first 24 hours, it is okay for you to rinse your mouth using salt water (make sure you use warm water). Do this gently as it can dislodge the blood clot and prolong healing time. At this stage, your tooth socket should not actively bleed. You will also notice a reduction in the wound site. You may still have some tenderness, swelling, and soreness in the extraction site.

Do’s & Don’ts In the 2-3 Day After Extraction

You should still take a rest. Also, it’s time that you change the gauze. You still need to make sure that you’re keeping your head elevated. Besides these things, you should continue eating soft foods. Do not use a straw or spit as it can put pressure on the wound. Even blowing the nose or sneezing can do the same, so be gentle.

You can start brushing and flossing your teeth but avoid the areas near the tooth extractions. Moreover, continue taking the medications during these tooth extraction healing stages that your dentist prescribed to counter pain and the risk of infection.

1 Week After Tooth Extraction

A week or two after the first two tooth extraction healing stages have passed, you’ll notice that the extraction site is mostly healed (the recovery timeline can vary depending on the type and size of the tooth). The diameter of the socket will have shrunk significantly. A week after the extraction, you may notice something white in the empty socket. It is the granulation tissue, which is made up of white blood cells, collagen, and blood vessels. It’s a sign that your wound is healing normally.

The purpose of granulation tissue is to protect the wound from any further injury. If the granulation tissue or the blood clot on the socket falls/doesn’t develop, you may get a dry socket. Not only does this cause pain, but also leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It can also cause bad breath.

Do’s & Don’ts 1-2 Weeks After Extraction

You can resume your routine activities. However, you still have to be careful about the tooth extraction site throughout these tooth extraction healing stages. Be gentle around the area when brushing or flossing. At this time, you can relax a little because you are far along in the healing process.

3-4 Weeks After Tooth Extraction

Many people wonder, “how long does a tooth extraction hole take to close.” At this point, the socket may have closed up. If not, it may take a couple more weeks. However, the jawbone inside can take almost 4 months to heal completely. On the outside, you might see a small indent in the

area of the extraction site. This indent is because the bone will take some more time to heal. Make sure that during the recovery, you visit your dental surgeon for a regular checkup.

Do’s & Don’ts 3-4 Weeks After Extraction

You can do things normally at this point. It may feel “weird”, and you may have slight tenderness when you eat hard foods, but, all in all, you should be good. Make sure to take good care of your oral health. If you’re planning to get crowns or dental implants in Turkey, you may have to wait for a few months after the tooth extraction healing stages. Talk to your doctor about this.

Healing After Multiple Tooth Extractions

In this case, the dental surgeon may give you clotting aids to stop the bleeding from multiple sockets in your mouth. After the procedure, you have to take even more care of your mouth throughout all the tooth extraction healing stages.

The dentist will guide you about special aftercare instructions in this case. Similarly, if you have had wisdom teeth removal, you may need dissolvable stitches or clotting aids to help with the bleeding. The healing time is more in these cases.

How Do You Know If Your Extracted Tooth Is Infected?

During the healing time, you need to keep an eye out for possible complications. If you have any of these problems during any of the tooth extraction healing stages, call our aftercare team right away:

Worsening of pain and swelling at the extraction site

Active bleeding from the wound 24 hours after the extraction High fever, nausea and/or vomiting

Severe pain that spreads to the ears

Foul-smelling drainage from the extraction site Bad taste in the mouth that won’t go away

Dry socket

If you don’t experience any of these complications after the surgery, you’re likely to heal within 2 weeks. However, keep an eye out for these.

How You Can Speed Up Tooth Extraction Recovery Process

There are a few things that you can do to speed up the recovery process during the tooth extraction healing stages.

• Take Your Medication: First and foremost, take the medicines that your dentist prescribes to you. This includes pain medications and antibiotics. Aspirin is a blood thinner, so don’t take that as it will delay clotting and healing.
• Don’t Poke Around: It’s almost fun to poke the extraction side with the tip of the tongue. That’s because the area’s really soft and mushy. You should definitely resist the urge to do so. You can dislodge the blood clot. Moreover, do not touch the area with your fingers. It may cause an infection.
  
• Eat & Drink Carefully: Avoid hard, crispy, crunchy or pointy foods in the first week or so. Try eating in small portions, even soft foods, so that you don’t chew much. Do not drink alcohol or smoke. Lastly, drink plenty of water as it helps in flushing out toxins from the body.
• Rinse Your Mouth with Salt Water: For that, mix half a teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water. This will remove food particles from the mouth after you’ve had a meal. Moreover, it can help reduce swelling and the risk of infection.

Bone Spicules

Bone spicules, which are sharp fragments of bone, may develop after a tooth extraction. These spicules can result in pain, a poking sensation, swelling, or infection. Patients are encouraged to report these symptoms to the dental provider.

How to Manage Bone Spicules

• Rinsing with warm salt water may help reduce inflammation and lower infection risk.
• Over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen, can be used as needed.
• Topical pain-relieving gels (e.g., Oragel) may provide temporary relief. These methods serve as temporary measures; please contact us.

Treatment Options for Bone Spicules

Bone spicules sometimes resolve without intervention through regular saline rinses. Removal may be considered if there is significant discomfort or infection. Small spicules can often be extracted with tweezers or specialized tools, while larger ones may require minor extraction procedures.

Pain that gradually improves over a week is normal. If pain intensifies after two days, schedule appointment as this could indicate “dry socket.”