You should refrain from smoking cigarettes for at least 72 hours after tooth extraction because it can dislodge the blood clot from your extraction site needed to help you heal. If the blood clot becomes dislodged, it makes you more susceptible to developing a painful condition called dry socket, which prolongs your recovery.
Have You Considered Quitting Smoking?
Quitting smoking improves not only your dental health but also your overall health and well-being.
Smoking and tobacco use weaken your immune system, making it harder to heal and recover from complicated dental procedures like oral surgery and tooth extraction.
Tobacco use also increases your risk of developing common problems like gum disease, which is an infection of your teeth's primary support system and the leading cause of tooth loss in American adults.
Additional Tooth Extraction Recovery Tips
Please stick to soft foods consumed at room temperature for the first few days after oral surgery to avoid irritating your extraction site. Here are some ideas on foods to promote your recovery:
- Oatmeal
- Scrambled eggs
- Soup
- Smoothies or shakes
- Apple sauce
If you have questions or concerns during your recovery from wisdom tooth extraction New Orleans, contact your team at Downtown Dental at (504) 528-7800.