Tooth extractions may not be a dental procedure you favour. Unfortunately, sometimes extractions are necessary for the benefit of your oral health. When tooth removal happens, the method leaves an edentulous gap in your mouth.
Several factors determine the length of time required to recuperate from tooth extractions, including the size of the tooth and the type of extraction you underwent. Your recovery may take a few weeks to several months.
If you are worried about the recovery time after tooth extraction, please continue reading to learn how long it will take to recover from the tooth removal procedure. We also provide tips to ensure you have a manageable recovery.
Why Is Tooth Extraction Needed?
Tooth extractions may become necessary for several reasons. Wisdom tooth extractions are standard among adults and teenagers because they are often impacted and create problems in your mouth like tooth decay and gum disease. Tooth removal also becomes necessary to prevent infections from spreading, severe tooth decay, overcrowding, or injuries that severely impact your tooth. If you are affected by any of the conditions described, the dentist near me recommends tooth removal to benefit your dental health.
Recovering from the Tooth Removal Process
Two types of extractions are performed by the dentist in SE Calgary, and your recovery time is significantly determined by which kind of tooth extraction you had to undergo. The dentist performs simple extractions on visible teeth that have already erupted from your gums. Infections, crowding, and severe tooth decay are the most familiar reasons for simple tooth extractions.
If the tooth recommended removal is large or has several roots, you require more time to heal from the procedure. You may see the gap close by the third week, but the entire healing may require several months. Visible teeth removal also requires orthodontic work to ensure sufficient room is available for your remaining teeth to align correctly. Simple extractions are performed under local anesthesia to numb the area, and you remain awake and alert during the removal. If the tooth scheduled for extraction is small with only one root, you can expect to recover in approximately seven days.
If you have to undergo a surgical extraction, the process is more extensive than a simple extraction. In surgical extractions require at least six weeks after the surgery to recover, and the gap requires several months before the indentation fills in.
Surgical extractions are often required for impacted teeth like wisdom teeth that remain below your gum line. You may also have impacted canines or remnants of a visible tooth cracked or broken off.
Recovery Tips for Tooth Extractions
Recuperating from tooth extraction requires time but starts soon after the dentist completes your procedure. During the first 24 to 48 hours after a surgical extraction formation of a blood clot happens over the gap. The blood clot helps keep the gap-free from food particles and bacteria. Therefore, blood clot formation is necessary as the first step towards recovery. While you may continue to have swelling and tenderness on the side of the mouth but bleeding from the gap eventually stops.
Between 7 to 21 days after surgery, the tooth gap will visibly start to close as gum tissues regenerate. Large tooth extractions, impacted teeth, and molars require the longest recovery time.
One to four months after tooth extraction surgery, the tooth gap should entirely heal with no indentation. Your tooth socket also fills entirely with new bone.
After-Care Tips You Must Follow After Tooth Removal
Tooth Extractions in Calgary, AB, provide sufficient instructions to ensure you have a manageable recovery. Please use the following tips the specialists provide after tooth removal.
- Keep the gauze pad over the extraction site for at least 30 minutes after your surgery to help the formation of the blood clot.
- Give your body plenty of time to recuperate by getting sufficient rest.
- Drink plenty of water at room temperature.
- Keep the extraction site clean by rinsing with salt water.
- Have soft foods for a few days without incorporating your regular diet.
- Do not rinse the extraction site for the first 24 hours.
- Do not drink scorching or freezing liquids for the first few days.
- Do not engage in strenuous activities for fear of dislodging the blood clot.
- Do not smoke, use straws to drink or consume alcohol, and spit vigorously after the procedure.
- Avoid foods that might become lodged in the extraction site to prevent infections.
If you follow the recommendations of the Calgary dentist, you can expect to recover in the given times and make your recovery manageable without any concerns.
If you must have a tooth extracted for any reason, we recommend you contact Sedona Dental to experience comfortable recovery after tooth removal.