Having a tooth extracted can be scary. However, knowing what to expect can help ease your mind and prepare you for a successful recovery. Here’s a closer look at how long it takes to heal from tooth removal, including tips to help you recover with confidence.
Step One: Tooth Extraction
It’s natural to have concerns about getting a tooth removed. What will it feel like, and will it hurt? Don’t worry, you’ll be given local anesthesia to prevent pain during the extraction. It should not hurt, although you may sense some movement and pressure.
Here at Manchester Oral Surgery, we also offer sedation anesthesia as an option for patients who are extremely anxious. This is offered in addition to local anesthesia to help patients feel more comfortable and relaxed.
The First 24 Hours After Tooth Extraction
Even though you shouldn’t feel any pain during the extraction itself, it’s normal to experience some bleeding and pain afterwards – especially in the first 24 hours. Your oral surgeon will give you guidelines on how to manage this.
Your initial recovery instructions may likely include:
- Resting and relaxing
- Following certain dietary recommendations, including eating soft, cold foods
- Avoiding strenuous activities
- Not smoking
- Not drinking through a straw (because the suction may cause problems)
- Applying ice to your face
- Biting moistened gauze to control minor bleeding, as needed
- Taking pain medication per your doctor’s instructions
2 Days to a Week After Tooth Extraction
By the end of day 2, some healing should have taken place in the empty hole, or socket, where your tooth used to be. As part of the healing process, a clot forms in the socket, and any residual bleeding should completely resolve. Swelling of your mouth and face, however, may start to develop. Your oral surgeon will recommend that you start gently rinsing your mouth with warm salt water, which can help clean the socket. Your doctor may also want you to apply warm compresses to your face to stimulate blood flow to both the surgical site and your face to help with healing.
Even though you should expect to gradually feel better over the first week after tooth extraction, the socket needs more time to continue healing. It typically takes 10 to 14 days to feel recovered from a multiple tooth extraction procedure, and the sockets will continue healing for weeks to months after that.
What Is a Dry Socket?
A dry socket is a possible complication of tooth extraction which may occur if a blood clot does not form properly in the empty tooth socket, or if the blood clot formed in the socket dislodges. This may result in pain in your mouth and face.
Your oral surgeon can usually diagnose dry socket by looking at the extraction site. Here at Manchester Oral Surgery, we offer a platelet therapy called Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin (L-PRF) to help minimize the risk of developing dry socket after teeth extractions for an easier recovery.
Schedule an Appointment at Manchester Oral Surgery
Whether you need your wisdom teeth removed or whether you need a tooth extraction for an orthodontic procedure or for a reconstructive treatment like dental implants, Manchester Oral Surgery is committed to making your care go as smoothly and comfortably as possible. In certain circumstances, we also utilize our Piezosurgery unit, which allows for a more precise, less traumatic approach to the removal of teeth. Call 603-622-9441 today to learn more and to schedule an appointment.