Although our teeth are supposed to be permanent, many adults need to get a tooth extracted at one point or another. Tooth extraction near you can be required for many reasons, such as in the case of gum disease, crowded teeth, or impacted wisdom teeth.
While getting a tooth extraction may seem like a daunting process, the procedure itself is fairly simple. However, what you do after getting a tooth extraction is very important because proper aftercare is crucial to avoid complications such as infection. In this blog post, our team at Oliver Family Dental provides you with everything you need to know about healing after tooth extraction.
Recovery Time
The total healing time for tooth extraction depends on the location of the extraction site and the kind of extraction performed. Most of the time, you can expect the extraction site to heal within seven to ten days. In the case of a more complicated extraction, such as wisdom teeth removal in Edmonton, healing time may take two to three weeks.
Stages of Healing
There are four stages of healing that patients go through after getting tooth extractions:
- In the first 24 hours after your extraction, blood clotting begins. Some discomfort and pain are to be expected at this stage, and so is light bleeding. You can expect swelling to peak within the first 24 hours.
- In the first 24 to 48 hours following your extraction, the attention should turn toward the clot that has formed in your tooth’s socket. This begins the healing process, and swelling should start to subside.
- Roughly 72 hours after the extraction, the gum tissue will begin to close around the extraction site.
- This is the final stage of healing and occurs about seven to ten days after your tooth removal. At this point, the opening in your gums left from the extraction should have closed.
How to Speed Up Your Recovery
As mentioned earlier, every recovery is slightly different and varies depending on the location of the extraction and the type of extraction performed. Here are the top tips from our dentist near you to speed up your healing time:
- Take the pain medication prescribed as instructed. If you are not given any pain medications, you may use ibuprofen to manage your pain.
- Ice the area for fifteen minutes at a time to help with swelling.
- Leave the gauze that your dentist placed in your mouth for about four hours after your procedure. Apply pressure for the first half-hour by biting down on the gauze.
- After the first day, you can rinse your mouth two times a day with a saltwater solution.
What Should Your Extraction Site Look Like When Healing?
Many people find it difficult to determine if their extraction site is healing correctly. In the first couple of days, you can expect to experience minor swelling, pain, and bleeding. Discoloration, stiff jaw, sore throat, and bruising are also to be expected. Sometimes, you may feel bits of tooth working their way out of the socket. This is also normal, and it should come out on its own.
Generally, you will need to monitor the area to ensure that there is improvement each day, which is the ultimate goal during the healing process. It can help to look at pictures of healing extraction sites to get a better idea of what the site should look like.
If you have any concerns about recovering correctly, don’t hesitate to reach out to our dental clinic in Edmonton. Most patients heal from tooth extractions without any complications, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.
