What is a tooth extraction ?
tooth extraction is a surgical process where the tooth is removed from its cavity, it’s crucial when there are intensive cavities, impossible to deal with, damaged tooth, there’s not sufficient area for all of the teeth for correct alienation such as orthodontics, or when an infection occurs severe.
Although this procedure can be carried out on any of the teeth, the most common is that of the wisdom teeth.
The extraction of wisdom teeth is almost always performed by surgery. The recovery period after wisdom tooth surgery is often uncomfortable.
The growth of wisdom teeth is often accompanied by pain and discomfort, which makes some people want to have them removed.
Then, is there any post-dental treatment to overcome the discomfort? Come on, see the following post back dental surgery recovery tips.
Around Wisdom Teeth
Toothache due to growing teeth in adulthood is certainly uncomfortable. Generally wisdom teeth appear at the age of 17 to 21 years. The reason for this is what makes these teeth called wisdom teeth, because they grow most recently during adulthood.
Wisdom teeth are located at the very back of each side, both in the upper and lower jaw.
Not many people have fully developed wisdom teeth. Most of the growth is sloping or even buried. So, the teeth don’t appear on the surface of the gums at all. This is due to the lack of space for wisdom teeth to grow.
In fact, wisdom teeth that have an oblique growth position can cause various problems with the teeth, such as:
- Cavities in wisdom teeth or adjacent teeth. Because, it is usually difficult to clean food debris, especially between these teeth.
- Toothache .
- Kista .
- Infection.
Well, for several reasons, wisdom teeth surgery should be performed. The reason is, if it is only handled by administering drugs without eliminating the cause, the pain will come back at another time.
The American Dental Association recommends that everyone get their teeth checked before the age of 20 for wisdom teeth. That way, wisdom teeth surgery can be planned before causing a complaint.
What is the healing period after tooth extraction surgery ?
The healing period once the wisdom teeth have been removed could be as few as 1 to 2 days of pain and bruising with some throbbing, aching pains. The pain and bruises should dissipate to some soreness 3-7 days later. Pain must be controlled by ibuprofen and your prescription pain pills.
Wisdom tooth extraction procedure healing timeline
1 to 2 days:
Some throbbing and aching pains controlled by prescription drugs. Slight bleeding from the extraction sites after rinsing, eating, and drinking. Minor bruising and swelling are both inside and outside of the mouth. Notify your oral surgeon if there is significant and persistent or moderate bleeding to separate the swelling. Notify your doctor if you have severe nausea or any severe swelling of the tongue, throat or rash and hives.
3 to 4 days:
The throbbing and aching pain will give you inflammation. There may be a general swelling of the jaw and profound discomfort. The jaw opening can be reduced to 60% of the normal opening. Make sure you rinse with warm salt water and maintain food particles out of extraction sites. Gently scrub and brush at the extraction sites with a toothbrush (no toothpaste) between saltwater rinses. You may see a white or yellow tissue that forms at the extraction site that has a spongy appearance. It can be food particles, plaque or NORMAL collagen formation. Collagen is what the body makes ahead of the gum tissue. Light brushing and rinsing should remove plaque and food particles. Do not force the collagen as you are protecting the site. If after rinsing and cleaning, you smell a persistent unpleasant odor, notify your oral surgeon.
5 to 7 days:
Most symptoms should subside except for the limited jaw opening and a minor, occasional pain. It may take 2-4 weeks to reach the normal jaw opening. If stitches remain, you should return to your dentist to have them removed. During this period you should be able to stop taking the prescribed medications. Some easily bruised patients who had pain before extractions (especially the patient who received the emergency wisdom tooth removal) may have more pain for up to 10 days. It is very important to finish all antibiotic medications, even if there is no pain.
Recovery time from wisdom tooth removal depends on many things:
- general health
- Age
- Was Platelet Rich Fibrin or PRF used?
- gum health around the surgical site
- the type of surgery needed – the full horizontal bone impaction of the tooth versus the partial bony impact of the wisdom tooth
- case difficulty
- technique-tooth traction vs root sectioning and elevation
- health and care after oral surgery
Some questions regarding tooth extraction
How to speed up healing after an extraction ?
As said a little above, the extraction creates a sore on the gum. It is for this reason that after the operation, a gauze will be put on by the dentist to stop the bleeding and cauterize the wound. It is important to bite down on the latter in order to apply pressure to the gum tissue.
Avoid speaking so as not to move the gauze, and don’t hesitate to ask your dentist to have the gauze replaced when you feel it is too wet. This can be removed after half an hour, with delicacy so as not to reopen the wound.
It is important not to exert pressure such as spitting, sneezing or blowing your nose. This could reopen the wound and start the bleeding again. In the event that this should happen, simply put the gauze back in your mouth or put a cold and damp tea bag.
In fact, tea has tannic acid which heals the wound by constricting the blood vessels. It is also advisable to keep your head high above your heart, even at night. For this, the use of pillow is essential. This helps lower blood pressure.
What should a tooth extraction look like when healing ?
- In the first few days after surgery, your breath may not smell the same as it used to; this is normal and everything will be fine as the healing progresses.
- During the first 2 to 3 days after surgery, a whitish substance may appear in the surgical sites. This substance should not be removed because it is in fact tissue that the body produces to heal wounds; it is therefore part of the normal healing process.
- After tooth extraction, increased saliva production is common; this inconvenience should return to order after a few days.
- During the surgical procedure, the lips may be stretched, which could cause them to dry out . It is then important to keep them hydrated with a lip balm.
- If you feel a harder substance in the extraction sites, it could be the bony structures that supported the teeth that were extracted. There is no need to be alarmed if this substance tries to escape from surgical sites during the first week after surgery. If you have any concerns about this, contact your surgeon.
- Bruises ( bruises ) may appear on your face and neck. They are caused by bleeding that spreads to internal tissues. These bruises will turn green and then yellow before disappearing after a few days as the body sheds the spilled blood.
How long does it take the hole to close after tooth extraction ?
The amount of time required for a tooth extraction hole to heal depends on several factors: the location in the mouth, the position of the tooth, and the difficulty of extraction.
In general, you can expect a tooth extraction to heal 85% in 2 weeks, 90% heal in one mouth, and final healing takes place over the next 3-6 months. The hole for a tooth extraction will usually start to close around week 3 after the operation and will close completely in week 4-6.
A few weeks after tooth extraction, many people do not feel pain, but worry that they still have a hole in the tooth. They wonder if the hole will remain forever, and I’m happy to tell them that the site will heal. I know it seems like forever, but the hole will slowly close, and the site will fill up. Give it time, about 4-6 weeks to be exact, and if it’s not closed yet at that point, you should follow up with the dentist to discuss.
What to expect after wisdom teeth extraction ?
After wisdom teeth removal u can experience bleeding, swelling(edema), pain and discomfort, nausea and vomiting , dizziness and fainting etc.
What to eat after tooth extraction ?
The truth is that some of the most frequent questions about this type of surgery is whether you can eat after removing your wisdom teeth or how long after tooth extraction can I eat ?, what can I eat after tooth extraction ? and if so, what type of food. In that sense, it should be said that it is not only advisable to maintain a proper diet, but it will help to mitigate discomfort and promote faster healing.
Thus, the general recommendations are as follows.
- Yes you can eat after a wisdom tooth extraction . However, you must wait until the mouth is no longer numb from the anesthesia to avoid biting the inside of the cheek, lip or tongue.
- Better to eat only soft foods in the first 24 hours after the intervention. For example, yogurt, applesauce, vegetable creams, or purees.
- Little by little, semi- soft foods such as fresh cheese, banana, avocado, egg or fish can be introduced. That is, those that can be easily split with a fork.
- It is important to stay hydrated, so drink water frequently. Also, if food intake is limited in the first few days, liquid foods will help compensate for this situation.
- As pain and inflammation subside, new foods can be added.
- Full recovery after a wisdom tooth extraction can take up to two weeks. Nevertheless, it’s after seven days that most individuals can return to their regular diet.
How long does pain last after tooth extraction ?
Most of the people ask “how long does pain after wisdom tooth extraction last ?”
The normal extraction of a tooth, that is, the one that does not require surgery, does not usually hurt but only causes discomfort that lasts 2-3 days . A percentage of cases, around 1 in 100 extractions, suffer a very painful complication called alveolitis. The causes are not clear, but the risk increases if the patient is a smoker.
Dry socket is painful , but has no consequences beyond having a bad week. Healing will be good and bone regeneration as well. The pain caused by a socket is normal that is very intense during the first 7-10 days . From that moment on, it will decrease and disappear after 2-3 weeks.
How much does a tooth extraction cost
People have a common question when they think of wisdom teeth removal like how much is a tooth extraction actually cost ?
The regular full exam ranges from $ 79 to $ 129, depending on the practice and the health of your teeth. The fees for cleaning and descaling are added to this amount. Intraoral x-rays are included, but not panoramic x-rays, which can cost over $ 70.
Extraction of a wisdom tooth can cost up to $ 400. Otherwise, a simple extraction usually costs less than $ 120.
What is dry socket ?
Dry socket is a condition that occurs after tooth extraction. The technical term we call dry plug is called alveolar osteitus . If you see that term about tooth extractions, it means the same thing.
So here is the deal with how dry plugs work. After a tooth is extracted, a blood clot forms over the top of the extraction site to guard it throughout healing. Sometimes, before the cavity heals, the blood clot is dislodged. An extraction site, without a blood clot, temporarily interrupts healing. It exposes sensitive gums and bone tissues to air, food, and foreign objects, which might trigger ache or tenderness. It also makes the site prone to infection. People who use tobacco, drink carbonated beverages, chew using the treated area too soon, brush the treatment area, and those who take certain medications are at increased risk of dryness after tooth extraction.
How will I know if I have a dry socket or not ?
When a tooth is extracted, a space remains where the tooth was. The remaining hole is only temporary. A dry cavity has to do with the temporary hole that remains, specifically how it is healing.
A dry socket is a common complication that can occur after tooth extraction. When the blood clot is lost too soon before the hole can be closed, that is a dry socket. When it happens, healing slows down and the site feels painful, tender, and sometimes swollen. Let’s talk about the common symptoms that occur with a dry cavity:
- Shooting pain around the extraction site.
- Pain that radiates to the ear or jaw.
- Bad breath and bad taste in the mouth.
- The site looks swollen and has a visible hole
- Gray discoloration and swelling are visible around the outside of the extraction site.
How is dry socket treated?
A dry plug is relatively common. About 3% of tooth extractions. develop a dry cavity, and up to 30% of wisdom tooth extractions develop a dry cavity. If it happens to you, it is unfortunate, but don’t be alarmed. Treatments for dry watersheds are routine and effective.
Many dry socket patients choose to manage their symptoms at home. In most cases, a dry cavity will heal itself. The site only recovers more slowly for a few days while it recovers. If the discomfort caused by a dry cavity is moderate or severe, you should contact your dentist or oral surgeon for follow-up.
The dentist will usually numb the area, clean the dry socket, and allow the blood clot to reform, essentially restarting healing for you. The dentist may also prescribe anti-inflammatory, pain reliever, and / or antibiotic medications to help you during your healing.