How Long After a Tooth Extraction Should My Gums Be Healed?

If a dentist has recommended that you receive a tooth extraction, you may wonder what that really means.

An extraction refers to the removal of a tooth. A tooth may need to be removed because of trauma, disease or crowding. Most commonly, the wisdom teeth are extracted either to prevent crowding or because of trauma if they are impacted. While you may have heard stories from someone you know about someone receiving an extraction, the procedure is not bad at all. In fact, it’s actually quite simple, as long as you strictly follow any directions given by the dentist.

Prior to the extraction, the dentist will numb the gums and teeth to ensure that no pain is felt during the process. In most cases, you will remain numb for a few hours after the extraction as well. The numbness slowly starts to fade away as time goes on. Be sure that you do not bite your cheeks, lip or tongue as this can cause pain once the numbness completely subsides.

Following the extraction, your dentist will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to properly take care of your mouth. These instructions are meant to promote healing of the gums and teeth, reduce any complications and overall, make you as comfortable as possible during the process.

A few of these instructions may be as follows:

• Bleeding is normal following an extraction. For the first 24-48 hours you may notice bleeding. Be sure to switch out gauze in your mouth once it has become saturated.
• Do not smoke or rinse your mouth vigorously as these actions could cause the blood clot to dislodge, as well.
• Avoid drinking from a straw. The suction action of a straw can cause the blood clot to dislodge from the socket (dry socket) and cause extreme pain. This event can also cause infection, which would drastically delay healing.
• Avoid any strenuous activity for at least 24 hours following the extraction.

If you stick to the instructions given by your dentist, you can expect to feel better anywhere from two-seven days. You will most likely sense a difference in your gums a little after a week to two weeks after the extraction. This will be because the body is working as quickly as possible to heal the gums and repair the gum tissue. The timeliness of the healing is heavily dependent on how large of a socket is left from the extraction site, so healing time can vary.

If you have any other questions or concerns regarding a tooth extraction, please contact Wells Family Dental Group for more information!