How Long Does Surgical Extraction Take to Heal?
The recovery time for any medical procedure will depend on multiple factors, and this is no different for a surgical dental extraction. Healing times can vary due to the complexity of the procedure, the health of the patient, and the patient’s adherence to aftercare recommendations. In most cases, however, the soft tissues can heal in a couple of weeks, though bone takes longer to heal. While patients can resume normal activity within a few days after a surgical extraction, the bone doesn’t fully heal for at least a few weeks, and stitches usually remain in the gums for about a week. Properly taking care of your gums and teeth, and of your overall health, will help support and expedite your healing process.
What Should I Expect Right After Surgical Extraction?
To control bleeding, your oral surgeon will firmly nest a gauze pad on the extraction site. This gauze helps protect the area while a blood clot forms in the socket, which is vital to the healing process, and should be left in place for a few hours following extraction. As local anesthetic wears off, some pain is normal, and the area may also be swollen. Cold compresses applied to the outside of the face, near the extraction site, can help relieve these symptoms. You’ll want to maintain a diet of very soft foods and warm – not hot – beverages on day one, and you must refrain from smoking, using a straw, or otherwise threatening the integrity of the blood clot. If the clot is dislodged, you could end up with a painful, dangerous dry socket. You should expect swelling to continue for two or three days as the gums recover. Rinsing your mouth, gently, with warm salt water can help soothe inflamed tissues and remove food debris, and maintaining a diet of soft foods is still recommended. By about day four or five, you can slowly reintroduce more foods into your diet, and, by the end of week one, the soft tissues should be healed sufficiently for your stitches to be removed.
When Will My Surgical Extraction Be Completely Healed?
After the first week, the bone begins to fill in the tooth socket, relying on the vital tissues of the blood clot. It will take several weeks for the bone to fully form and heal, and, once the bone has healed, your dentist may resume treatment with a dental restoration to replace the extracted tooth. In some cases, dentists place bone grafts into the tooth socket after extracting a tooth, which helps compromised bone tissue regenerate sufficiently to support dental implants. While this general timeline is true for many patients, your dentist will review your expected timeline for the procedure, including any preparatory treatments and all healing times. Your dentist will also provide written aftercare instructions, and your adherence to these instructions plays a crucial role in the successful, and timely, healing of your surgical extraction. Take care to keep the extraction site, and your entire oral cavity, clean, closely following instructions, and complete all prescription medications per your dentist’s orders. See your dentist for your follow-up appointment, and don’t hesitate to call your dentist if anything seems amiss.