Recovery After Tooth Extraction: How Long Does It Take?

It’s no fun having your tooth pulled. In fact, no one looks forward to it, regardless of experiencing toothache or pain. However, there are scenarios when tooth extraction is inevitable. Even though this may not be your favorite pass time, it’s a fairly common procedure.

However, don’t get it wrong. Our Rifle dentist will do whatever is necessary to save your natural tooth, but if your dental health is at stake and the only option is tooth extraction, then we’d have to remove your teeth.
When this is done, you will need some time before the socket heals. This healing process is crucial since you don’t want to have an infection or a dry socket. With proper dental care and carefully adhering to our oral surgeon’s instructions, you will heal in no time.

However, one of the questions that plague most patients’ minds is how long it will take for the wound to heal.So, let’s delve into what you should expect after extraction has taken place.

Recovery Time After an Extraction

In essence, after you have had your tooth pulled, the recovery time will depend on the type of extraction. Typically, there are two main types of extractions that are performed on specific instances, and they are:

Simple Extraction

Our oral surgeon performs simple teeth extractions when the teeth being removed are visible. In other words, these teeth have erupted and are above the gum line. These teeth can be extracted because of:

• Severe tooth decay
• Overcrowding
• Infection

A simple extraction can also be performed if you need to undergo orthodontic treatment and you need to make room for the teeth to move into the desired positions.

After the tooth has been extracted, it can take seven days for the socket to close and the wound to heal if the tooth being extracted was small and has a single root. Complete healing can take another week.

However, if the tooth is large and has multiple roots, then you can expect the socket to close after three weeks. But healing will take much longer, usually several months later. During this period, the socket will be closed, but there may be an indentation that you can feel with your tongue or finger.

Surgical Extraction

This is a more extensive procedure as compared to a simple extraction. This means that it will take much longer for you to recover than after undergoing a simple extraction. Surgical extractions are inevitable when:

• You have an impacted tooth (wisdom teeth that haven’t erupted above the gum line)
• You have fragments of your tooth that have remained while being pulled during a simple extraction
• You have impacted canine teeth that need to be removed so that you can undergo orthodontic treatment
• You have remnants of a visible tooth that has broken off

Surgical extractions are the ideal solution when the tooth is not visible above the gum line. After the extraction, you can expect the socket to be fully closed after six weeks. You will feel an indentation that will eventually fill in after some time. You can expect to heal after several months fully.

Recovery Tips

Here are some of the recovery tips that will help you manage the wound:

• Immediately after the surgery, you should bite down on a gauze to help with blood clotting
• Give yourself time to rest so that your body can recuperate
• Drink lots of water; it should be room temperature
• Only eat soft foods during the first few days after the surgery
• Rinse the area with saltwater
• If you are using certain drugs such as blood thinners, which can delay healing, talk with our dentist to find the way forward
• You can use an ice pack to help reduce the swelling and numb the pain

On the other hand, avoid doing the following:

• Rinsing the area the first 24 hours after the surgery can dislodge the blood clot
• Drinking anything with extreme temperatures, be it hot or cold, for the first few days
• Avoiding alcohol-based mouth rinses and alcohol 24 hours after surgery
• Avoiding strenuous activity which leads to accelerated blood flow for a few days post-surgery
• Avoiding any activity that causes suction for the first few days, such as smoking, spitting, or drinking through a straw
• Avoiding foods that can become lodged in the socket, such as nuts

Remember that when a tooth is extracted, it leaves a hole that needs exceptional dental care to heal properly. You can contact our Rifle dentist at Rifle Dental Care if you have any more questions or need to schedule an appointment.