How Long Does a Surgical Extraction Take to Heal?
Tooth extractions are common procedures used when all other options to save a tooth are not available. Dentists will always do everything they can to save your tooth, but some circumstances will ultimately require extraction. These can include tooth decay, gum disease, overcrowded teeth, impacted wisdom teeth, or tooth breakage. Your dentist will ultimately determine if you need a simple extraction or a surgical extraction. If you’ve been told you need to have an extraction, one question you may be wondering is, what will the recovery process look like?
What is a typical extraction healing time?
There are several factors that will influence the length and severity of the recovery process after an extraction. These factors include the complexity of the procedure itself and your overall health. For a typical simple extraction, the recovery is generally going to last 7-10 days. For a surgical extraction, the recovery time is typically much longer lasting 3-4 weeks. These times are for full recovery though. In general, the symptoms of your recovery will begin getting better a few days after the procedure.
What should you expect following the procedure during your recovery?
After a surgical extraction it is very important that you follow your dentist’s guidance for recovery. If you follow this advice, your recovery will typically progress in the following ways. Immediately following the procedure, your dentist will apply a gauze pad to the site of the extraction. This pad should be left in place for 3-4 hours following the procedure because it is essential for aiding in the blood clotting process. Over the course of the first 24 hours, it is normal to experience some pain and swelling. During this time, you can apply a cold compress to the area and follow your dentist’s recommendation for pain management. It is also important that you stick to soft foods and lukewarm liquids. If food or drinks are too hard, too cold, or too hot, it can cause discomfort or damage the extraction site.
Over days 2 and 3 following the procedure, you can expect the swelling and pain to peak and start to subside. It is during this time that you should begin doing saltwater rinses, especially after you eat to help clean out food particles. You should also continue to follow a soft diet during this time. After 3 days, for the rest of the first week, you can expect to gradually return to your normal diet. It is during this time that your soft tissues will be healing and the wound closing up. If you have stitches, they are usually taken out during this time. After the first week, your bones will begin to heal and fill in the area where the tooth that was extracted used to be. After 4 weeks, your healing should be fully finished.
These are just general expectations and timelines, however. Each person’s recovery is unique to themselves based on their health and the procedure itself. Follow your dentist’s recommendations to ensure you have a complete and speedy recovery.