What does normal healing look like after tooth extraction

No matter the reason for your tooth extraction, you must be wondering how the procedure will go and how long the healing will take or look like. Here are a few things to keep in mind after a tooth removal surgery.

The First 24 Hours

During the first day of your extraction, you’ll face several things. Blood clots will develop on the extractions site, and the sutures will aid the recovery of tissues.

During the initial 24-hours post-surgery, you’ll feel slight pain and bleeding. Your dentist will possibly prescribe pain relievers to help get along the procedure.

You may continue normal day-to-day activities and your office job a day after tooth removal. However, it would help to avoid strenuous activities and physically demanding jobs for a few more days.

During this time, swelling is at its peak. You can minimize the inflammation by applying ice to the outside of the surgery site, and it should get better. If pain or bleeding persists or worsens for 2-3 days, visit your dentist as soon as possible. This will help rule out the risk of complications such as infections.

1-2 Days Post Extraction

The first 2 days after surgery is the time that needs the most care because the site recovers the maximum during this healing period. It may look like your tooth extraction site is bleeding slightly with a little bit of pain, but don’t worry. It’s healing. During this important time, it’s best to:

• Get plenty of rest: Take complete rest for at least 24 hours after the procedure.
• Change gauze: Leave the first gauze as it is for a few hours and wait for clotting to complete. Later you can change the gauze as many times as you please.
• Take pain medication: For simple tooth extractions, over-the-counter pain medications can help relieve the discomfort. But for complicated extraction such as wisdom tooth removal, your dentist may give powerful pain relievers.
• Avoid smoking or drinking through straws: Avoid sucking on straws or smoking as they increase the risk of dry socket during the initial recovery days. Also, stay away from alcohol and other beverages.
• Elevate the head: Use extra pillows to elevate your head, preventing blood pooling in the mouth that can delay the healing.

3 Days Post Extraction

After 3 days of healing, your tooth extraction site will look much better. You won’t see any more bleeding, and the inflammation will be very low. Although some soreness or bruising may still be there, you won’t feel any such pain. During this time, it’s very important to keep the blood clot in place. For this, you’ll have to follow additional care tips such as:

• Saline rinses: Rinse your mouth with warm salt water to prevent the growth of bacteria and infections.
• Brush and floss: Continue brushing and flossing your teeth like normal but avoid the tooth removal site. Rinsing with saline solution is enough to clean the surgery site.
• Eating soft foods: During the first few days, only eat soft and easy to chew foods. Some choices you have include yogurt, soups, boiled veggies, applesauce. Along with that, avoid spicy or sharp food items, which can hurt the extraction site.

What Should A Tooth Extraction Look Like Or Feel When Healing

1 Week Post Extraction

After about a week or a few days more, the blood clot should be fully developed and intact. If your surgeon has placed non-dissolving stitches, they will be removed by this time. Self-dissolving stitches will disappear themselves. Even at this healing time, if you are experiencing pain or bleeding, contact your doctor.

2 Weeks Post Extraction

14 days after extraction, the site will heal completely. But avoid vigorously brushing or chewing too much from the extraction site. While the healing is at its final stage, chances are you may catch an infection or rupture the new gum tissue layer.

3+ Weeks Post Extraction

After 3-4 weeks have passed, the healing process will come to an end. A little tenderness may still be present, but there shouldn’t be too much pain or bleeding.
Now you should be careful not to allow food or debris to accumulate on your empty surgery site. For this, brush and floss properly.
The time and complexity of your recovery will depend on your oral health. When you come to Pearl Shine Dental for tooth extraction, make sure to follow the after-care tips for a fast and healthy recovery.

What Should Tooth Extraction Look Like When Healing?

05 Feb 2021  | 

Sometimes your dentist may recommend a tooth extraction to remove your wisdom teeth or a seriously damaged tooth. Following a tooth extraction, you should monitor the healing wound site and know when to call a dentist if there is a problem.

How do you know if your tooth extraction is healing properly? Here are the stages you should keep in mind:

Stage # 1 – The first 24 hours

Within the first 24 hours after a tooth extraction, you should expect a clot to form where the tooth is extracted. During this stage, you should expect some minor pain and bleeding. This is normal as the structures in your mouth help the teeth tissues to heal. Your dentist will recommend over-the-counter painkillers to relieve the minor pain as you heal.

Stage #2 – A day after the extraction

The next couple of days after your tooth extraction is the most important time for safe healing. At this stage, you will still experience some soreness and minor pain at the extraction site.

During this time, you should avoid smoking and drinking through straws. This will protect the clot from dislodging and ensure the socket remains clean. Opt for softer foods at a milder temperature.

Stage #3 – Three days after the extraction

After three days, your tooth socket should have healed, and all bleeding should have subsided. However, you may still experience some minor swelling, soreness, and tenderness. You have to maintain high standards of hygiene at this stage to protect the extraction site. Therefore, you should:

• Ensure no food is trapped in the socket by eating soft drinks, soups, yogurt, and other meals that don’t require a lot of chewing.
• Brush and floss as you always do but avoid the extraction site.
• Rinse your mouth with salt water to help keep the extraction site clean.

You should not experience any sharp pain at this stage of healing, and you can begin resuming most regular activities.

Stage #4 – A week after extraction

One week after the tooth extraction, the extraction site or opening should be fully closed. Any swelling should have subsided. If you had any non-dissolving stitches, you should have them removed at this stage. Call your dentist if you still experience a lot of pain after 7-10 days.

Stage #5 – 3 weeks post-extraction

Three weeks after the tooth extraction, the healing process should be over. Although you may still experience some minor pain at the point of extraction, such as when chewing, this should not worry you.

You should still be careful not to allow food debris to build up in the socket. Maintain proper dental hygiene to ensure your teeth heal.

Book an Appointment at Marsfield Dental Today

During the various stages of recovery, you should monitor your tooth socket closely. Note that your healing time will depend on the specific tooth extraction treatment. Book an appointment today with Marsfield Dental for a tooth extraction or any other dental work. Call us on (02) 9887 1961 or book via our website.

Disclaimer – This blog article does not constitute health advice from a dental professional. For more specific information, please seek an appointment with a dentist.

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