Following dental extraction, which includes the removal of wisdom teeth, a lot of people who are smokers may ask themselves when can they start smoking again.
After tooth extraction, a blood clot slowly forms in the hole left in the bone by the removed tooth. This blood cloth is the initial phase of the healing process. The blood cloth’s formation can be slowed down when a person smokes, either from the suction done during the smoking action, or from the chemical toxins that come from a cigarette. This can lead to complications such as a dry socket, which is a temporary and very painful condition that occurs when the blood cloth forms slowly.
It is therefore recommended to wait at least 48 to 72 hours before smoking after a dental extraction. Smoking is very bad for someone’s health and stopping completely is mostly recommended.
Complete article: When Can Someone Smoke after a Tooth Extraction?
In French: Fumer après une extraction dentaire?
Hi, I got my wisdom tooth taken out on tuesday after noon. Im planning on drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes on friday. Is it safe to do so? Would it result in infection and creating dry socket?
Hi Brian,
About smoking, Friday would be 72 hours later, so you are ok.
About drinking alcohol, it depends if you are taking antibiotics or pain killers, then it might not be ok to drink alcohol with them.
Hi, thanks for your reply.
i did drink alcohol on friday night however, i took antibotics and pain killer medicine at noon and around 9pm i consumed alcohol. is it that bad to the point where i have to go see my doctor?
hi im nicole i jus got a tooth extraction done yesterday afternoon, i am also worried that it wont heal properly..how long should i wait to brush my teeth.? and how long does it take to heal apprx. and for the salt water how many times a day i can do it?..im just worried i might not do something right for the healing process and need information so i can know what to do how to do it. how long to wait and everything?.
Hi Nicole,
You can brush your teeth right away, just go softly near the site where the extractions were made.
The gums heal within a week or two. The bone takes about 3 months to heal fully, but you won’t be in pain during all that time, you will just feel a groove in your gums that will fill up slowly.
You should rinse your mouth with salted water about 3 times a day, but only start doing so 24 hours after the extractions.
I got my wisdom teeth taken out last Tuesday so it’s been 6 days, I’m still worried about developing dry socket. I ate fish yesterday and today but I mashed it up into small pieces but they still get stuck in the sockets. Will I get dry socket because they’re not coming out that easily. Do you think I’m out of the woods in terms of developing dry socket?
Hi Farrah,
You are pretty much safe after 6 days. If food gets stuck in the “holes” or sockets, you can rinse with salted water to remove them.
Hi
I just Had a root Canal. Now I have a crown been placed on both of my teeth. Now can I smoke after I had a crown been placed on my teeth.
Hi AJ,
Smoking does not have immediate bad effects after treatments like root canal, dental crowns, or even fillings. Long term smoking can stain your crowns and damage the gums that support all your teeth. Smoking also puts people at risk to get oral cancers.
Hello.
After having your wisdom teeth removed, how many days have to go by before you can confidently say that you WON’T get a dry socket?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Luke,
Well the more you wait, the least your are likely to get dry socket. 72 hours is a number that is pretty safe although there has been rare cases reported that smoking after 72 hours brought dry socket. If you want to be really safe and avoid dry socket totally, I would wait one week before smoking.
Hey I got 3 wisdom teeth pulled tuesday early afternoon, it’s now friday, sois it okay to smoke tonight? also, is it normal that it is stitched to my cheek?
Hi Jessica, after 3 days it is ok.
About the stitches, wisdom teeth are very close to cheeks and there can be stiches at the edge of the cheeks.
Hey, my clot looks really strange; I haven’t been smoking and I don’t have any pain as long as I take a couple of Panadol every 6 hours. The clot started off being a very dark red, but now the dark red is getting smaller, and more central to the extraction site, and on the edges of the extraction site there is bits of pink – which looks like the normal gum colour, but also little bits of brown and white. I was wondering if I might need to consult my doctor, because even though I am in very little pain it’s just slightly disconcerting when it looks like you have a zombie-gum. Also I’ve got that horrible stench, and I can’t stop from salivating. Plus my jaws tight and my lips are dry. It’s almost been 72 hours, and tonight I’m going out and will probably have a couple of smokes.
Ochre, after 72 hours, it is safe.
The colours you saw around your socket are normal as the gum didn’t fully heal yet. This takes about 1-2 weeks before it looks normal. The bone takes 3 months to heal, and during that time food can accumulate inside your hole, where you might need to rince with salted water to remove.
I went to the dentist and he didn’t remove the whole tooth but kind of broke a piece off that was causing the most pain and now it feels better. He didn’t say how long before I could smoke and there’s only a little hole. I’ve been smoking since then and I was wondering if I should stop for the next couple of days because the whole isn’t very big and it was only a partial tooth removal
Ashley, your question is a bit challenging
Here’s what i can answer. It depends which part of the tooth your dentist removed. If it was a part of a molar tooth that includes a whole root, then there is a socket left behind and dry socket can occur if you smoke. If it was only the top part of your tooth and the roots are left behind, then it is very unlickely for dry socket to occur.
But why did your dentist only remove a part of your tooth and not all of it?
he only removed part of because it was so painfull he couldn’t remove the whole thing and it was not necessary to remove the whole thing. Only the part that looked like it was trying to go back into my gums is what was causing the pain. I have an appointment to have it looked at again to have the rest of it removed after my antibiotics are gone
hey i had six teeth extracted today bout thirteen hours ago. well ten forty five this morning. i need a cig really bad going nuts and being a b**** you think im good to smoke one as long as i cover them with gauz really good then rinse my mouth with warm salt water?
Hi Chyna, no you are not recommended to smoke for 48 to 72 hours. Also you shouldn’t rinse with salted water for the first 24 hours.
i had a tooth extraction yesterday… after two hours i cant help to smoke… because im a chain smoker…. but read the article above alarmed me and i decided not to smoke… do i still need to worry about i did freshly after extraction?
If you smoke you don’t automatically get dry socket. The least you smoke, the least likely you will get dry socket.
I have a few questions. When can I brush my whole mouth (where the wisdom teeth use to be) and use mouth wash? Also it’s been 5 days I don’t smoke, nor have I used a straw but am still worried about dry socket… I don’t got any pain but I get the odd sharp pain that comes and goes is this normal? Also my jaw and cheek are still a little tender.
Hi Joe,
You can brush teeth next to where your wisdom teeth were two days after their removal, you just need to do it softly. You can use mouthwash the next day (not before 24 hours). It is normal that your jaw and cheek are tender 5 days after. It takes one to two weeks not to feel anything, except maybe the hole where you wisdom teeth were, that takes up to three months.
How worried should I be for dry socket going on to day 6, I don’t smoke, and I haven’t used a straw but I’m still a little worried, I’m afraid to eat cuz I may cause dry socket, so I’m eating soups and soft foods still..
Also is it normal to see some white stuff were the wisdom teeth use to be? I read it’s part of the healing process.
Thanks I you’ve been such a help
Hi there, I am now on day 9 after having all four of my wisdom teeth extracted. My swelling was not severe and went down very quickly, and I have not been in need of any pain meds for the past two or three days. But today i noticed that my mouth is a little difficult to open, and that it’s sore all of a sudden. Could this be the beginning of dry socket? Is it possible after 8 or 9 days? I’m just really nervous because I have heard that it’s so painful…
Also, how long until I can drink alcohol again? Thank you!
Kait, it depends, if you are taking antibiotics, most of them do not mix well with alcohol. If you are not taking antibiotics or pain killers then you are ok for a good glass of wine
Kait, those are signs of dry socket beginning. But it happens very rarely after 9 days. So it could be something else. If the pain becomes stronger, taken anti-inflammatory pain killers (advil, ibuprofen, montin) and contact your dentist.
Thank you! How fast do dry socket symptoms progress and worsen? I mean, the pain hasn’t gotten any worse at all since yesterday.
The answer depends from person to person. But after 9 days I have a feeling that you are not gonna have dry socket.
i had a tooth pulled 24 hours ago.. i couldn’t wait any longer to smoke, so i took small light puffs, nothing to vigrious, so my question is how long does it take to KNOW that you have a dry socket? is it instantly or days?
No it’s not instant. Dry socket usually happens 3 to 5 days after extraction.
You give good, solid and clear advice I like that. Every person seems to ask the same few questions, same ones i wanted to ask….. I just got my wisdom teeth pulled: bottom right #1 and top right 32. I am craving a cig, sooo bad, But I am gonna wait the 48 hours. I am eating tons of ice cream and rinsing mouth with warm water but no salt. it has been only 6 hours.
Will brush before bed.
Thanks for posting on this blog. It helped me to read all of these posts.
Thank you for your kind words Jolene, and I am glad you take the recommendations seriously.
I would recommend not to rinse with salted water for the 24 first hours after the extractions.
hi, i had four teeth extracted i was wondering how long it would take just to have one cig.
48 to 72 hours.
Is it normal for a dentist to pack the hole with gauze before I even get dry socket?? I was looking all over the internet for this and have not seen anyone else mention it, but today when i went for me check up appointment ( its been one week since the procedure) the surgeon pulled gauze out of the hole (which I was not told was even in there until today when he took it out). Does this mean I should wait 3 more days to smoke or should I be ok because the initial removal occurred a week ago?
Grace, I would love to answer you, but I am not sure what the dentist put in your socket.
But I can share my experience. When someone does get dry socket, I see that person and put a medication inside the socket that is kind of looks like a very tiny piece of gauze. But I never put it automatically after extraction because it doesn’t reduce the possibility of getting dry socket.
Some dentist put a little piece of dressing on the extraction site to reduce bleeding. Maybe that is what your dentist put.
Hey, I got one of my bottom left molars extracted Monday Aug. 15th around 2 pm. and it is now 11:08 am wednesday aug 17th. i was wondering is it alright for me to smoke a cig now or should i wait til 2 today to smoke? and should i pull gauze over my tooth when i do smoke?
Alyson, my advice is to wait 72 hours.
I have a question. I got my wisdom teeth pulled out Last Wednesday and now it is tuesday the following week. I havn’t craved a cig. since the inflammation and swelling has been bad but for two days it has stopped and it feels better. I smoked about 3 ciggerates today. Every time I have one I rinse my mouth with salt water and I use the mouth wash that they prescribed to me. I am deathly afraid I will get a dry socket. Will I get a dry socket after this long? What are my chances and how will I know I am starting to get one? Thanks.
Kate, dry socket starts when you feel a huge amount of pain and start being unable to open your mouth well.
It’s been almost a week since your teeth have been extracted, therefore you are very safe.
Hi,
I got pulled out my both 4′s, becouse I will have braces in two weeks, but can I only smoke 1 cigarette, from removing those teeth its been 5 hours.
Michael, if you want to make sure you have no complications, it is best to wait more. Dry socket occurs 10% of the time for teeth other than wisdom teeth.
Its been now, 22 hours since I got my tooth’s removed, is there a chance that I will get dry socket only from 1 cigarette.?
Yes.
had a tooth removed on the 11th at about 1020 am. it took a whole 2 mins for them to get out. ive had no complications no pain at all….is this normal? i guess im just waiting for the pain. when are you in the clear for a dry socket? i am a smoker a pack a day. ive smoked probably 10 cigarettes since 920 am on the 11th. thats good for me! ive been putting gauze in over the hole and taking it out after and rinsing with warm salt water. when i take it out there is still blood not a lot when should bleeding be done with?
Terra, after a day there should be no more bleeding. But 10 cigarettes! You know my opinion about that
Yes yes i know but its half of what i normally smoke that has to count for something lol. its been 5 days and ive been terrified to eat! do you think it would be pretty safe to say im in the clear for a dry socket?
It’s ok after 5 days Tara.
ok so I just got my upper right wisdom tooth extracted yesterday at 3:30 PM and I want to smoke so bad I can’t stand it. It’s 11 AM right now the next day… can I smoke or is there any trick that I can do to prevent dry socket?
It is not recommended to smoke for 48 to 72 hours, so you are not there yet.
my dentist sad 4 hours.
We were taught that at Uni, but sadly 4 hours isn’t enough.
I got all four (impacted) wisdom teeth out last friday, june 29th. I havent had a cigarette yet, but was wondering if there is still a risk of dry sockets forming after 6 days. Would it be safer to smoke with gauze in?
Alama,
The risk of dry socket six days after wisdom teeth removal is very very low, I wouldn’t worry about it.
mate you managed 6 days just quit
Hi. Quick question. I had a bottom right molar tooth extracted on Monday. Today I freaked out when I rinsed out my mouth and with what I thought was the blood clot came out. I ran straight to the dentist and the dental assistant said that it is the packing or something that they put in there that is coming out. Now, everytime I rinse its coming out more and more. I am so deathly afraid of getting dry socket. Is this normal for this to come out? Should I not be worried as much about dry socket anymore? It’s gotten to the point of where I’m afraid to eat or drink because I don’t want to keep rinsing my mouth out and have the stuff come out more. How will I know when its dry socket?
Katie,
The packing that the dentist applies if fibrous and can come out in many pieces. I don’t think you have dry socket at all, or else you would have felt sharp pain and difficulty of opening your mouth.
you will know if you have dry socket. it hurts really bad! I thought after getting my wisdom teeth removed I could smoke with the gauze in and it definately didn’t work!!!!
Nicole, thank you for sharing your experience, it will be helpful to others.
How many did u smoke, I would die for just one, I might have an anxiety attack, seriously
Hey, I just had a tooth pulled today and had a flipper put in. I can’t wait the 24, I need to smoke. Doc said not to take the flipper out for two days. If I can’t remove it then I can’t put gause in, how can I protect the socket or is the flipper protecting it?
The flipper gives some kind of protection Melvin. But try not to.
Serious question….
I got my wisdom teeth removed last tuesday. I’m a frequent marijuana user and was wondering when I will be able to use my bong again. Not trying to be funny or anything like that, it’s a serious question and I would greatly appreciate your help.
Smoking anything after 72 hours.
This blog discourages the use of Marjuana or any other drug.
ok… so, even after 72 hours… do i need to pack the area (#5 tooth) with gauze before i smoke? do i still need to puff carefully (instead of solid vacuum drags)? I’ll wait the week like my dentist recommended but, damn, that’s longer than any suggestion on the net!
i’ve been salt rinsing at least 5x daily and brushing after everything i eat. i’ve been taking impeccable care of it. no pain. i just really don’t want to risk getting dry socket.
I’ve been wondering the same thing too. I just made it past 72 hours but I don’t know how I’m supposed to smoke it.
Will and KC, usually after 72 hours it is safe.
Hi I just got my #30 tooth out on,thursdays and I have stitiches too…i waited until today to smoke but,i put tissue on it but I want to know when can I smoke without it witout getting dry socket? Thank you
@ Lakeisha,
It’s been 72 hours so smoking now will very unlikely cause dry socket.
Thanks doc! Quick question,how long do it takes for the clot to develop and stay? And I really hope I dont get dry socket? Thank you
i got all 4 wisdom teeth out on thursday, my mouth still hurts like hell and i REALLY need a smoke, can i have on eyt?
@ Noelle,
It’s been 48 hours so you’re almost ok. But if you are experiencing that much pain until Monday, I recommend you advise your dentist about it.
so I had 4 wisdom teeth removed about 54 hours ago. Is it safe to smoke? Also the doctor said there is a small hole behind one that was removed should i wait longer then normal?
Alex, you passed the 48 hours so you should be safe. The hole that your dentist found must be sutured now I imagine?
Its been about 32 hours from my surgery of getting 4 teeth pulled, am i ok to smoke yet? or should i wait another 12 hours
Johnny, you should be ok, but if you can wait until the three days have passed it’s even better.
Its been 64 hours since my single molar extraction, I have very minimal pain today, can I resume smoking now?
Hi Trevor, yes you are close to the 72 hours, it should be fine.
i just had a calculus treatment. can i smoke?
Hi Cecko, a calculus treatment? You mean they removed the calculus (tartar)? If so, yes there is no problem.
Hi, Ive had all my back molars taken out, it was done on monday, and its wednesday evening now, i dont know know how much longer i can stand it, can i smoke a cig now?????
Yes it’s almost 72 hours
hello cyberanto, my name is sebastian, i just had a bottom right wisdom tooth removal 5 days ago, iv read most of the forum, but seems like i have a special case… once the surgery was finished the dentist closed up the wound with stitches, the non-disolving ones, i had a couple of smokes yesterday and today as well, but now am sort of freaking out a bit that i could develop a dry socket, at the moment i have no pain or anything just my mouth feels dryer than usual, i looked with a torch at the area of the extraction and it looks normal to me but i was wondering, do you think i could still get dry socket? also iv been taking antibiotics since the first day of extraction and followed every step adviced by my dentist until the 4th day.
Hi Sebasrian, and thank you for your question.
it is safe after 5 days and very unlikely to have dry socket. There has been cases that occurred after one week. Therefore, if it’s not too hard and you want to be on the safe side, you can wait 2 more days before smoking.
I just had a tooth pulled out today, my dentist told me to wait 24 hours before smoking. Also, I had 4 wisdom teeth and another tooth pulled last year and I smoked in the car on the way home from the dentist, no dry sockets…
Kelley, thank you for sharing your experience.
Smoking after tooth extraction increases the risks of having dry socket, it doesn’t directly lead to one.
Hi! I had a tooth pulled this afternoon. I told the dentist that I smoked and he said wait. But I think he must be a smoker because he said if you CAN’T wait then do the wet gauze trick. But my question is, when do you have to stop using the gauze during a smoke before its totally safe. I have stitches. I don’t want dry socket but I don’t have the will to just not smoke.
Hi Sue,
Usually after 72 hours it is safe.
Hey i had my #2 tooth pulled it took about 5 min. to have it done , it was a surgical removed due to half being broken , I was told by my dentist if i wanted to smoke put gauze over the hole , well it was pulled Tue. at about 4pm , it is now Friday ….What i want to know is can i stop putting stuff back there yet when i smoke?
Yes Sara, after 3 days it is safe usually.
I’ve just had my upper left wisdom tooth removed at 4pm today. There is no stitching. why would this be? (i was awake during the extraction) and when can I use a straw again? is it the same time as smoking??
Hi Brittany,
Yes, it is the same for using a straw, better wait 72 hours. The probable reason why your dentist didn’t use stitches was because your wisdom teeth removal didn’t do any damage or didn’t require to make an incision in your gums. I am sure the healing will go very well.
My Dentist said nothing about smoking or not smoking.
He gave a post-extraction advice and to-do list.
If you’d like to see this. I’ll be putting it up on my blog.
Becky
Hi Becky, maybe he forgot.
hello
i had 4 wisdom teeth out Wednesday , it is now the following Monday but i still haven’t got to eat and my pain and bruising is still really bad , can i smoke yet ?
@ Jb, yes it’s been 72 hours. But if the pain is really bad after 5 days, you might be experiencing dry socket. Maybe it is better to go see your dentist to have it checked.
I smoked after and I did it with gauze over the hole every time I smoked I put more gauze over the hole If you smoke put some gauze over the hole and you should be fine.
DO NOT SMOKE WITHOUT PUTTING GAUZE OR A PIECE OF PAPER TOWEL OR SOMETHING OVER THE HOLE!
Thank you Chris for the advice
Yea i had my lower one pulled last year and no stiches or anything and i was so freaked out b/c it felt like my face was being torn in half that i literally got in my car and lit a cigarette. i puffed very gently and not very often but nothing happened. Then I just had one out today and made it about 2 hours…i just keep the gauze met and my mouth mostly closed and take light puffs. i guess it depends on the person but it would be cool if there was some kind of stat on this like it increases your chance of dry socket X%, is there doc?
Jenny, I don’t know the exact stats, I’m not sure there are even any as I would think it would not be nice to put people at risk of dry socket in an experiment. But for sure smoking through the gauze doesn’t always work, as Nicole has expressed it below.
is it safe to smoke with something like a wet teabag or wet guaze covering the socket bitting down on it so as to cover the socket?
Hi Phil,
Some people recommend that, although I haven’t read any scientific articles on it. If you want to stay safe, try not to smoke for 72 hours.
This blog was very helpful! I just got an implant done.. I haven’t heard anyone who had one done on this blog so I’m wondering if I am more inclined to get dry socket? There is a metal pole in replacement of the tooth that was pulled out and everything else was stiched up. My dentist told me not to smoke for 2 weeks.. when will it be safe for me to smoke?
Thanks in advance.
Jennifer, I am not familiar with the surgery that you have gone through. But if your dentist recommends two weeks of not smoking, he or she must know why and I would recommend to follow the advice.
i got my wisdom teeth pulled if the bleeding has stopped can i smoke?….. plus its been seven days
Josh, seven days is safe.
ok im getting a gingivectomy which is the cutting of the skin over top of the tooth. Is it ok to smoke after that or should I wait?
WOO HOO! It has been almost a month, but I will tell you I did end up getting a dry socket or I guess the clot dislodged one week after surgery, i did well, it did not need to get packed or anything it just healed up on its own and the pain was annoying but tolerable, the dentist said that packing it only delays healing so I opted to deal with the pain and let it heal, and now it is almost completely healed so I made it whew! now just to get three more fillings on the other side….ugh BRUSH YOUR TEETH TO ALL LOL!
I wish id took care of my teeth!
Hi,
I had my lower back molar removed 6 days ago. I didn’t smoke until 36 hours after the procedure, and have been smoking very little during the healing process. There were no sutures placed over the extraction site, and the first two to three days there was a bad taste in my mouth, but is gone now. I have been taking plenty of fluids and rinsing with salt water frequently. The healing seems to be progressing well, every morning I wake up and the hole has closed up a bit more, but this evening I noticed that there was a bit of bleeding at the extraction site. I can still see the clot in there, and there is no intense pain but jaw feels tight and my gland seems a bit tender. Is his a sign of dry socket or infection?
Hey i had 9 teeth out on wednesday and i also got stitches i was just wondering when is it safe to smoke again?
ok im not smoking (or toking either) but my salavary glands overproduce and i drool a lot more than the average person is changing my gauze too often hurting me also whats with the teabag should i try that
Hi
I am now past day 3 and had one cigarette left in my pack from before my unexpected extractions………you know I lit the thing and was nearly sick. I think I am cured of smoking………
The only thing that annoys me is that I got no information at all- except try not to smoke that evening, avoid coke etc. I got no antibiotics and ok don’t need painkillers as no pain at all (compared to lack of sleep before the extractions)and no-one told me about rinsing with salty water……. But how can I tell if things are healing properly? I can’t see that far back into my mouth so no clue if clots are there or not- especially as I only bled for about 1 hour after the extractions and not that much either……..
hi my name’s Heather,
i had my 4 wisdom teeth taking out the 22nd and its the 29! i am a smoker and i’ve been smoking a pack a day even the day i had my teeth taking out! well my left bottom jaw is really sore an has a little throbin. not only that i have a cut on my check close to the jaw where they cut me and evertime i put my tunge there or or where they pulled it i get this NASTY HORRIBLE TASTE! and my breath has been smeellling bad for days. iv been brushing them and mouth wash everytime i eat and smoke. i told my dentist and he told me to lay of the diet pop! which i thought was realllly rude! Do you have any advice to get rid of this taste! Can that be an infection? b.c. the first 3 days i put gauze in the back of my mouth. could this mean its infected?
@ Healther,
Yes, slow down on smoking (if you can, stop smoking for two days), and rinse with water and salt. Also, yes there could be an infection if there is a bad taste. Did your dentist look at your extraction site?
thats why i went to yahoo to do some research because he didn’t say anything about an infection but i knew there was!!! and a week after it filled up with puss and he didnt even make me an appment he just gave me pain meds which i didnt even need….. and then that popped like 2 days after and a big chunck up my tooth came out with it… thank you for reply by the way
Although this is gonna sound disgusting to some people….smoke through your nose. Had 2 molars and a wisdom out yesterday and thats the trick thats working for me. Just (obviously) dont inhale too hard.
i have had my mollar taken out yesterday around 12 i still got pain from the gums i guess from the shots which is normal when can i eat drink and smoke normal
@ Chris,
You can eat soft foods the same day of your extraction. Wait 48 to 72 hours before smoking.
I had my molar removed literally an hour ago. I am proud that i even made it this long with out smoking. Anyway, in March of this past year I had all four wisdom teeth removed. They advised me not to smoke for at least one week because I may develop a dry socket. Sounded painful but I still smoked. I had my first one about 6 hours after the surgery. I was lucky not to have serious complications because of it. I too tried some of the “tricks” above.
This time my Dentist told me the risk is higher because the “whole” where the tooth used to be is open, the last time they were stitched shut, and the only thing seperating it from my sinus is a thin bone. Smoking can weaken this bone and then I will have SERIOUS issues. needless to say I am SCARED to smoke this time around! I really think the meds will keep my mind off it for a while though. Maybe this time I will quit for good!!!!!!!
Hang in there Tim!
i was told 24 hours for one wisdom tooth.
but im still afraid to smoke even with
wet gauze or a tea bag.
@ Tiffany, try not to smoke for two more days
I just went in today and had a root extracted… the tooth had previously broken off.. so all that was left was the root, had an infection because of it and horrible pain. As far as smoking they told me not to do it for 24 hours. I noticed a lot of people here were told 48 hours and above. So is 24 hours enough to wait? after all that is what he told me. By the way i’m doing great, no pain at all
@ Lucy, yes please try 48 more hours.
so i got 2 top and 2 bottom wisdom teeth taken out on tuseday, and i was wondering if i could start smoking again…my swelling is not to bad my left cheek is more swollen the my right but i thing that is from the type of extraction. the doctor never came and talked to me afterwords while i was in recovery and that seemed odd, so i never learned how long it was estimated to take to get back to normal. please help.
I just had my tooth extracted on a Sunday morning. I totally didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to smoke and had one cigarette Monday morning until my friend told me I shouldn’t smoke. I can start smoking when the weekend comes right?
Anyways, is it normal to feel a pain that seems like I’ve been bruised on my chin? It’s around the area where the tooth was extracted. And what can I do to reduce the pain?
@ Nadia, anti inflammatory painkillers (Advil or Motrin, etc) should work best.
THANK YOU for all your advice! I had a sneeky cigarette yesterday following my dental traumas, but after looking at your website I’m determined to be strong for a couple of days now! XXX
@ SSejy, glad I could be helpful
Hi,
I got all four wisdom teeth removed a month ago. A couple of weeks after the surgery, I suffered from infection. I went to see the surgeon yesterday and he made an incision and cleaned out the infection and am also on more antibiotics. They advised me not to smoke for a week. Is this true? Is it the same healing process as the extraction?
Emilie, the same thing happened to me when I removed my wisdom teeth. I had to go back 2 weeks later, they reopened and drained.
And yes, you should not smoke after any types of surgery in your mouth.
My oral surgeon told me I could have coffee or tea as soon as the numbness wore off and told me there was no need to worry. Thank God, without coffee and cigarettes after being traumatized yet again, I’d have been homocidal!
Operster,
Sorry I was away from the blog for a few weeks and wasn’t here to follow your story. I hope all is ok now.
Hi Cyberanto,
Thank you for the good wishes-I am keeping my fingers crossed and keeping the socket clean! Any suggestions on what would be a good gift for an oral surgeon?
Well, I went back to the oral surgeon today after having the socket packed twice and he told me the packing had come out over the weekend. He said it was nearly healed and preferred not to pack it as the packing does impede the healing a bit and I can tolerate the discomfort now after getting through the weekend. It still hurts when I talk (which I have to do in my job) but only sometimes-apparently if I say the words too hard or in such a way as to allow air in the socket-but it is nearly healed now. In retrospect, I think I got the dry socket on the seventh day after having sneezed the night before, but I think perhaps it was partially healed at that point and that’s why it only hurt intermittently. The oral surgeon was wonderful-he actually encouraged me to go ahead and smoke because I was so stressed and he said after the dry socket developed I might just as well as the worst had already happened and it wouldn’t make all that much difference. Apparently everything is now healing along and there is only a little bone still exposed and he felt that some of the continued pain is probably from the tooth next to it where the lower part is exposed because of the socket, so it may be like that for a bit until the socket fills in more. This guy was great, though, and treated me as a smoker without making stupid statements like you might as well quit since you shouldn’t smoke for a few weeks (like his partner who was covering when I went in for the first packing). I wish all oral surgeons and dentists could be more understanding like he was. I’m going to buy this guy a Christmas present!
Thank you to Emmaniel for trying to be such a dentist-one with a heart who sees smokers as people rather than difficult or stubborn-it’s reassuring to know there are some can evaluate a patient as an individual and not just a tooth!
Okay, I keep reading about not rinsing the first day after a tooth extraction, i rinsed the 1st day because I bled so much that I needed that taste out of my mouth, and I seem to be fine so far, I had it done Friday afternoon at 4:30 (which ruined my halloween) and its not Monday, is it okay to smoke? because I have had 2 all day so far and i just keep rinsing with salt water?
Julia, after 3 days yes you can smoke.
Hi, i had a wisdom tooth out at 11 o clock this morning and got told i couldnt smoke for 3 days :\ but i give into tempation and have had 2 since, its now 6 o clock! After reading about dry socket i will try harder what are the chances in getting dry socket?!
I’m resolving this issue for my fellow smokers.
How do I smoke without getting dry socket?
Dry socket is a gamble, it happens to non-smokers even if they follow every care instruction possible.
With that being said, you can’t stop dry socket, you can only improve your chances of not getting it.
Dry socket is also now, very treatable, with the strong-medicated dressings now available.
Pre Extraction:
1. Bloat on both food and water, you won’t be eating for a day.
The food consumed during an unhealed extraction has a tendency to bond with the blood beginning to clot.
This will both make you bleed much longer, increase the rare chance of infection and yes– you guessed it, dry socket.
2. Clean your mouth thoroughly I.E, brush your teeth more than once, scrape your tongue, clean gums, FLOSS and finish with an anti-bacterial mouthwash.
Post Extraction:
3. Smokers have poorer abilities to generate clots to begin with so they’re disadvantaged from the start.
In basic particle science, heat causes matter to change state to a less viscous one.
That means the heat from the cigarette smoke won’t ‘dry’ the liquid blood and turn it into a solid scab (like freezing water) but just distrupt the static process of forming a blood clot by increasing particle speed.
Therefore, apply a cold pack to your face over non-frustrating intervals.
The cold will help counteract the evaporative effect of the smoke and condense the liquid blood to a solid state (scab).
Because the extraction site will only bleed for a certain amount of time.
If it clots in a way that doesn’t cover it, dry socket.
4. The chemical effects of the smoke acting in the same way as the food.
While we can’t affect what the cigarette is actually doing on the inside, we can ensure the smoke doesn’t corrupt the outside site.
We will therefore be wearing gauze in a way that ensures it is used in half an hour intervals and replaced at the end of our smoke.
The gauze will protect the site from the smokes heat effects and corrosive effects.
Even thou gauze is usually only worn for 20 minutes to an hour, we’re smokers and it might take us all day to form clots.
Combine our poor ability with the cigarette’s distruptive scab weapon and you can see why other dentists assign the 4 day rule.
Gauze works best dry, which is why I recommend the half hour interval change.
It will ensure you can smoke every half hour and optimise the guaze’s purpose.
5. Smoking technique.
Some of you already picked up on this.
Smoke it like you’re breathing air, it reduces suction and won’t distrupt the scab as much.
Consider also switching to an ‘easy-draw’ cigarette over the time.
Follow this guide and you’ll significantly stop your chances of getting a dry socket.
To stop it entirely, not even a non-smoker can do it.
This guide is more aimed at over-the-chair extractions and isn’t a great idea to do after a surgery but would still improve your chances if you were to just smoke normally.
How do I know this?
I’m a dentist who recently had 6 teeth out himself, the first 3 all amounted to dry sockets, even with my dental knowledge.
My next 3, benefited from both my new found personal-professional knowledge and of course, bending the rules.
A smoker will smoke regardless.
Why are my comments showing up out of sequence and why can’t I get any response? It keeps saying awaiting moderation?
On the 7th day following the second extraction in the same socket (to remove the root tip which was actually finally found in the soft tissue by my lip anyway) I started having shooting pains in the area. They are treating me now for a dry socket although saying it doesn’t usually happen that far out after extraction. There is no sign of infection and my sinuses were okay (the extracted tooth was very near the sinus cavity) and can’t give me any real sense of how long this will take to heal and have advised me again not to smoke. What’s the point now if I already have a dry socket? Is it just to insure that I am as miserable as I can possibly be?
Alrighty… had 2 right molars (one upper, one lower) gingerly removed by my able dentist. That was Monday, it is Wednesday, 48 hours later, but who’s counting… I was advised no spitting (now what am I to do with my free time…) no sucking through a straw, no carbonated drinks, no booze, no cigarettes. To top the festivities, I had 4 fillings and a root canal done last week too, so I’ve been on a steady diet of mushed anything since. To recap, I’m now petrified of dry socket, starving, withdrawing lightly (didn’t smoke much to start with), drooling on command, and last but not least very concerned for my husband’s safety, the guy is a saint. Who wants to dance???? Anyhoo, now that I am good and paranoid, I have a dull pain on my cheekbone area under my right eye and by my jaw “joint” only. Kind of like when you laugh for so long your jaws hurt. No pain at upper extraction site. I do have some discomfort at tooth in front of lower extraction site, but again, not AT lower extraction site. I have two lil’ questions… One, I’d like to know when and if I’m out of the woods from getting dry socket (I’ve read 2 days to 2 weeks) so that I can have a quick smoke (and my saintly husband can live happily ever after), and two, when I look at extraction site, what am I looking for? I have two holes at the lower extraction site (the two roots I suppose?), one has a dark clot, the other one had a dark clot Monday and is covered in white stuff now (Wednesday). What am I supposed to see in days 1-2-3-4-5 in the extraction area? Trying to find some pictures online, no luck. Also pondering how long from extraction time until a bridge can be placed? Thank you for your time in advance.
Sincerely Happily Miserable,
Kena
Hello Cyberanto,
I got a absessed tooth removed @ 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct 20, 2009. It’s now 1:50 AM on Thursday, Oct 22, 2009. When will it be okay for me to start smoking my mental cigarettes? I don’t want dry socket.
My mouth has healed for the most part… It looks a little white inside the socket, is that normal? I’ve not smoked, caused suction or anything. All I’ve done is accident cough and drink hot soup.
I need to know if I’ll be okay, and when it’s okay for me to smoke a cigarette. Even if it’s just one. I’ve been taken my anti-biotics as told, along with Lortabs for the pain. No more bleeding.
Any advice? Thanks
-Toney.
Went to an oral surgeon today who finally got this thing out! It had been pushed out of the socket apparently and into the soft tissue and was in there which is why my cheek swelled up and was so tender. I’m relieved it is finally out and this guy was pretty cool and told me to wait 48 hours before smoking which is at least a bit more reasonable, but I had a lot of bleeding this time. Hopefully this is the end of the saga for me and I hope any other smokers needing a tooth extraction will take the precaution of seeing an oral surgeon so you can get it all done the first time! Best of luck to everyone and I hope that you will publish my comments to share with others.
Hey i had my upper left wisdom tooth removed about 4pm yesterday evening and now its half 5 the next day…is it ok to somoke yet? Im craving so much for a cig its unbelievable x
Hi, I really need some ressurance here. I just had an upper molar extracted on tuesday afternoon and it is now friday evening. It wasn’t a good extraction apparently as there is still a small root that remained because it was very close to the sinus membrane. The dentist put in 2 stitches and left the small root where it was and sent me home-apparently I was bleeding adequately. I didn’t smoke for the first 20 hours and then only barely a couple of puffs (barely inhaling with only about a half cigarette) and rinsing with salt water. I can barely function without smoking or having coffee (avoiding hot liquids) and I’ve been coping by sleeping whenever I can just to get through the days. I’m eating only soft foods and nothing hot-just luke warm soup- and smoking maybe 3-4 cigarettes today by very gently inhaling as I had to go back to work. I’m an emotional basket case and on the verge of tears all the time because I can’t smoke (I’m usually 3 packs per day) and I’m trying to keep the smoking very gentle and minimal until tomorrow when it will be 4 days. I’m terrified that when I see the dentist next week on tuesday to take out the stitches that he’s going to rip it all open again to get that last piece of root and I’ll have to go through this all over again. Please tell me I’m wrong! My cheek is still tender (it hurts to wash my face) and the glands in my throat on that side are a bit swollen, but there’s no real pain at the extraction site. Please tell me I don’t have to get that last bit of tooth out as I cannot go through this again.
I went back to the dentist today and the root tip is still there and they wanted to remove it, but it would have meant literally going through a whole extraction all over again with no guarantee that he’d be able to get it this time (he couldn’t get hold of it last time). I said no and asked for a referral to an oral surgeon because if I’ve gotta go through this all over again I want someone who can definitely finish the job and get it over with! I also need to be able to schedule it at a time when I can take a few days off from work as I was pretty worthless for 3 days after this first round without being able to smoke. I really don’t think this guy appreciates what an impairment that is for those of us who are heavy smokers- I felt like a raw nerve for 3 days and couldn’t concentrate on anything- at least this Blog has helped to give me a time frame of how long not to smoke (4 days appears to be the consensus of when it is safe to minimize the risk of dry socket) when I couldn’t get a straight answer from the dentist. My cheek is still swollen and tender because of this root tip, but I can tolerate that better than not smoking-I really wish dentists would try and appreciate how difficult this is for a smoker and not just dismiss concerns with “when it has healed” and actually have a conversation about the degree of risk if you smoke after 1 day, 2 dys, 3 days, etc. instead of being vague or black and white on the issue. As patients we really deserve better information in order to make informed decisions rather than treat us like we are just uncooperative because we ask questions. It’s hardly informed consent when you aren’t given any options or parameters. I hope that any dentists reading this Blog will develop a bit more understanding and empathy for what’s involved when they deal with a smoker and appreciate that we ask questions about relative risks because we need to weigh consequences, not because we are argumentative.
Hi,
I had a tooth extracted on monday, it is now friday.
I tried to smoke earlier today, only to feel a stinging pain the moment I took my first drag. However, reading this forum it seems that the general idea is that 48 hrs after the extraction it’s “ok” to smoke? I am way past that, should I be worried?
The extraction site seems pretty normal, it’s all pink with the white stuff in the middle, which I assume is the blood clot and a slight darker red border around that.
Also, how long does the pain last in most “normal” circumstances? It’s day 4 now but there’s still a considerable amount of pain, just enough to make it uncomfortable to eat solid food or open my mouth to yawn or anything like that.
Not sure if maybe I am just overreacting and this is normal or if I should pay my dentist another visit.
Thx for any feedback you might have!
Thanks for this question. Me I am not a smoker but I love my cigars. It has been about 5 days. Boy do I really want a cigar tonight. Will have to be careful!
its been 96 hours since oral surgery should i smoke a cigarette its not my wisdom teeth i was born without them it tooth number 31 i believe maybe just one would be fine for me ive taken really good care of my tooth i have oral rinsed everyday twice a day please need some kind of advice and i know smoking is bad and shouldnt do but do you think it would be find if i smoked a cigg
how do you get dry socket three and four days after surgery that does not make any sense i have read alot about it and seen no scientific facts to make it true.its the way you take care of your surgery wounds if you smoke the day of and cont. prolly get dry socket wait a couple days take care of yourselfs u should be fine.if you get all four wisdom teeth out its your own fault if you get dry socket from smoking i mean come on you have holes in your mouth let the wounds heal.the doc tells u not to smoke cause its very bad for you duh, all you smokers grow up and chill you will smoke again depending on the number of teeth taken out its goes from 3 to a week before u can smoke.make your own judgement on things you are all adults,im a smoker too but not wineing the first two days suckkkkked but after that its fine just go for a walk breathe clean air anyways peace out
All this info has been very helpful. Thank you to everyone who’s commented or answered. I am a smoker, But after reading everyone’s comments I think I will hold off for a few more days. However my question is… WHEN CAN I HAVE COFFEE?!
ok two years ago i got my tooth pulled the next day i was chewing tobacco nothing happen,just got another tooth pulled like 48 hours ago and am craving a cigg.many ppl tell they smoked the day of tooth being pulled.based on my experience the only ppl that get dry socket our ppl who sneeze,cough to much or to hard or smoke way to much in the first place my question is how do you ppl get dry socket in the first place it doesnt make any sense to me.i know ppl r different but come on we are all humans.question number 2 like i said its been like 46-48 hours since my last cigg i cant take it anymore but willing to wait maybe till 2marrow i guess i dont understand how ppl get dry socket,i understand maybe with three or four teeth taken out but i got only one and it was a molar(i was born with no wisdom teeth) anyways nobody really explains how they got dry socket they just say that they have it.sorry i dont know what my real question is but thats my experience and i need a cigg. thanks
Had my four wisdom teeth extracted 4 days ago. Ended up getting dry socket even though i didn’t smoke while I was recovering. Just got my bad socket re-filled with the medicated gauze. Can i have a cigarette now, assuming not, but want to know.
Had a tooth extracted today The other one has to much infection, Taking 875 anpicillian 2 times a day. Doc said in three days we can pull out the other.Then the following week I get all new grill put in. 12 hours I smoked after the first extraction,,Now thanks to what Ive read Iam rinsing with water and salt/peroxide, Good feedback all-Goodluck
Jim, thank you for sharing your experience.
Two days now and I’m craving more than ever. I’m going to stick it out and just quit though I think as this seems like the perfect time to just drop this stupid habit of mine and stick to the herbage.
Jordan,
If, like you said, you just quit the habit, it would be the best thing you can do!
Hello, I’ve read this entire forum from top to bottom and it was very helpful. I have severe dental phobia and refrained from going to the dentist for months despite *hold your breath, double-over, mind-numbing pain*. Just recently i finally gave in and went, and had an upper wisdom tooth removed as well as a bottom back molar (it was cracked in half by the impacted wisdom tooth below). I knew nothing about the 72 hour rule, my dentist gave me a piece of paper saying it was merely advisable to wait 24 hours. I had it done Friday morning, its not late wednesday evening and i’ve had nothing more than occasional twinges of pain (usually if i find myself yelling at my three year old). I have what i believe is the blood clot (started out black and eventually turned to a white color) visible over the molar and it gets smaller and smaller each day. As tomorrow will be day 6, would you say its safe to assume that i am free and clear of dry socket? I’ve been so scared I still haven’t eaten anything more than mashed potatoes..and rip the filter off cigs so i barely have to inhale. Another question i have is this: i know it takes months before the bone to heal and everything, but how long does it usually take for the blood clot to go away and the hole to be covered by the gums, or tissue..whatever? Any feedback would be so appreciated..as im so very tired of mashed potatoes and smoking filterless, not to mention simple tired from waking up all night in terror =)
Michelle,
Usually dry socket occurs around the fourth day after extraction. Therefore, after 6 days it is usually safe that it won’t happen.
By the way you have a nice writing style
Thank you for responding =) Its been a week now and things are slowly getting better.
Haha thanks, I write novels for a living
Hello, I have been smoking since i was 13 years old, i am now 22. I had my upper left wisdom tooth out yesterday at 11, i am a big smoker, i smoke about a pack a day. i had a few drags off of a cigarette today, i put wet gauze in and rinsed with salt and water after, but im still scared of dry socket. I was just wondering, and i know you probably wouldnt recommend it at all, but when would you say it would be safe for me to smoke again? Also, drinking alcohol, what are the rules on that?
@Nicole,
It is ok to smoke three days after your wisdom tooth extraction. About drinking alcohol, it is not advised to do so if you have an antibiotic or pain killer prescription, and the drugs cannot be mixed with alcohol.
I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed and I am a smoker. I had them removed on Wednesday and it is now Saturday. When do you think I can start smoking again? Keeping in mind I still have stitches in my mouth so there is still 4 holes.
Bradie,
After four days it is ok to smoke, even if you still have stiches.
I just had all 4 wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and I can’t wait to have a cig again. It sucks not being able to smoke a cig, it’s a complete torture!
I had my back bottom molar pulled yesterday (24 hours ago); I smoked about an hour after the extraction and didn’t realize that it was bad to do that. I won’t have anymore cigs or use straws, but the jaw and area around extraction is throbbing; is this normal?
Carolyn,
The throbbing is normal.
All this talk about blood clots and dry sockets has me worried… I had my top back tooth taken out on Tuesday afternoon… I am a smoker, but have taken only a few puffs since the removal of my tooth… since I realize how we can tell if we have a dry socket, how about how can we tell if the blood clot is in there and forming correctly?
I noticed that you said dry socket happens usually day 3-5 and tomorrow will be day three and on day 4 and 5 my dentist is closed. I don’t wanna be in pain with no where to go to help… should I go in tomorrow and have him look at it or is there a way I can tell if the clot is forming correctly?
Hello-
I had two back bottom molars removed today. I always do well with extractions, never have problems. I noticed when I took out the gauze after returning home, that there was a blood clot STUCK TO THE GAUZE! I continued to bleed lightly, sans gauze, for a few hours. Do you think a new clot has formed to replace the one that was stuck to the gauze? I’m freaking out!
Don’t freak out, it’s something that can happen.
okay, so like…my friend is a smoker, he just got two of his molars pulled to make rooms for his braces. he just got them pulled today. he really, REALLY wants to smoke! ive read most of this forum, and i told him that its risky, but he should wait at LEAST 48 hours. he was gonna put his wax for his braces in his holes! i told him no…will that prevent the clot from forming? or will that remove the clot that was there?
Stephanie,
Please tell your friend not to put wax in the sockets as it can compromise the formation of the clot, cause dry socket and even infection.
Hi I had a wisdom tooth and a second molar extracted on saturday it is now tuesday and I have this pain that feels like my teeth are being shoved up is this normal???
Jeff,
It might be dry socket, please have it checked by your dentist. He or she can put a medication in the socket to make it better.
Ok, even after reading all of this, I am still going to ask my question. I had all four of my wisdom teeth and the #19 molar removed on July 15th. Today is July 27th. My oral surgeon said he had real difficulty with my bottom teeth, mainly the molar. He even cut along the inside, in turn making it very very sore for me to use my tongue to talk and to swallow for the first 4-5 days. While everything has been healing as normal, the #19 socket hole is white. Is that the gums healing over?
I have not had a cigarette yet, and was wondering if I am in the clear to not get dry socket.
Meesha,
The white stuff in the socket of your tooth #19 can be either the blood clot, plaque, or food that you ate. I would recommend to rinse your mouth with water and salt in case it’s food or plaque that is hard to wash out.
Had my wisdom tooth out on tuesday so has been 48 hours now. It is still slightly bleeding, very stiff and when I wake up quite painful, enough to take ibruprofen. My question is this the normal amount of pain I should be getting or might there be an infection? I haven’t done anything I shouldnt have, I haven’t smoked at all, only eaten soft foods, started rinsing after 24 hours, no straws nothing.
Rochelle,
After two days it is normal to have enough pain to take ibuprofen. If the pain becomes more intense, then it is is advisable to see your dentist for possible dry socket.
Hey cyberanto my name’s Andrew and I had a Wisdom Tooth Extraction Monday afternoon the 27th and have only smoked one cigarette 4 days after I was wondering how long til I can smoke normally without the risk of dry socket and when can I go back to normal lifestyle? thanks
Andrew,
After four days, it is ok to go back to normal lifestyle. You might feel a bit of swelling though, but that will go away.
Thank you Sir I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my question God Bless you and Goodbye
I had my bottom two wisdom teeth out and was told not to smoke for 48 hours but waited 5 days. I used nicorette (uk name) patches. i dunno wat they are called in the usa, or if it is the same name. I used the strongest of 25mg for 5 days and carried a straw with me and played with it in my lips as sort of a replacement for my hands and mouth. It really worked though i do have to admit I was still excited about the cirgerette on the 5th day! But it really helped. I know its hard its still difficult but much more barable. So I think its the best option, no dry tooth and nicotine all in one.
Thanks Louise for sharing your thoughts and recommendations.
why does the dentist only give 20 hydrocodone after i got 4 wisdoms pulled and the bottle says take 1 every 4 hours? i took 7 the first day 8 the second day and 5 the last day…no refills allowed and i’m still in pain. i’d say its b.s.
Ryan, you might have dry socket. Maybe you can contact your dentist to have it checked and he or she can prescribe you more pain killers if needed.
I had one of my lower first molars extracted on Friday (today is Monday) and my dentist put a dressing coated in antibiotic ointment into the socket to prevent infection. I went back for a check-up today and although everything seemed to be healing nicely, she put another piece of dressing with antibiotics in after removing the old one. I am getting this one removed in a couple of days. What I’m wondering is whether the dressing can have prevented the socket from healing to such a degree that I should consider it open once I’ve had the dressing removed? If I get the dressing taken on Wednesday it will have been six days since the extraction, but since I am absolutely terrified of getting a dry socket, should I avoid smoking, drinking through straws etc. just as I would if I had extraced the tooth the same day?
Also, since I was in for a check-up today, would the dentist have noticed if there was any sign of potential dry socket in the next few days?
Fuchsia,
After 6 days, the risks of having dry socket are very little and almost none, even if you have an antibiotic coating in your socket. Therefore I wouldn’t really worry about it.
Thank you very much for your reply, sir.
Im all healed up! Thanks cyberanto
hi,on 29th june i had the remainder of my top teeth extracted and dental implants inserted on the same day.Day 1 and 2 were what i’d expected,swlling and pain but day 3 onwards i can’t begin to describe the agony i’ve been in.I’m still off work and havn’t slept thru the night since,my life has been consumed by this pain(by the way i’ve 3 kids and normal pain threshold)Afte visits back to dentist who assures me implants are fine i can only think its the extraction sites.I’ve been on 2 lots of antibiotics and am finally on very strong painkillers which help(oxycontin)After endless nights unable to sleep and trawling the internet for help,i think it’s dry socket,though my dentist hasn’t said this.As the implants cover the gum,i can’t have sites packed and have been left to get on with it.The moral of this story is,i’m a smoker which MUST have aided this awful condition.Hopefully time will heal as i’m at my wits end.If you can stop,though i know how hard it is. Cheers JEnnie x
For those who don’t know about dry socket, watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44GOArVAjg&feature=channel… i hope this will help…
Yes, the video explains dry socket very well, thank you Rotund Jere.
Hey, i have gotten one of my lower left molars extratced on july 7th. It is now july 10th. Its been three days.. i haven’t even touched a cigarette since the morning of the extraction. Is it safe to smoke? Im diein!
Thanks for your response.
Matt,
After three days, it is considered safe to smoke. Therefore to avoid dry socket, it is ok for you to smoke. But forgive me, I must add the comment that I recommend to consider to stop smoking eventually, not for your molar extraction, but for your health in general.
Hi,
I’ve had a number of tooth extractions and one surgery, but this one was the worst. The wisdom tooth extraction went off fine – no pain. I reached home in an hour, and then everything went wrong. I ate some hot food like an idiot as i had to take antibiotics. then i smoked. the pain in my gums — a kind of intense throbbing — began and went on for a whole day. My dentist told me he had to re-initiate bleeeding so that the clotting takes place properly this time . So now i have stitches in the empty cavity and i’ve been told to avoid smoking, aerated drinks and hot beverages for 48 hours. what happened to me? i was in too much pain to ask my dentist then.
Angelikeme,
It sounds like you have had dry socket. Thank you for sharing your experience and I hope you will feel better soon.
this post is the best!
just had my left wisdom tooth removed this morning. the pain is still there. probably due to the stitches since they had to carve up my gums to remove the dang thing.
dentist never mentioned anything about dry sockets. just told me the basic stuff like no hot beverages, don’t gargle. good thing i looked it up online to find out about this dry socket thing. heck, it’s the only thing keeping me from finishing a pack to get through the day. however, have to swallowing quite a bit of a saliva. does that count as sucking par say? i can’t really just leave it there to dribble out on its own can I?
sigh…i can hardly wait to taste that minty nicotine…
Fiend,
Swallowing your saliva is ok. But if you have too much saliva in your mouth (or even blood) and need to spit it out, it’s better to let it drop off your mouth instead of spitting it out of your mouth.
And Fiend, thank you for liking this post and glad it was helpful
I WANT A SMOKE!
ok here’s my situation:
I had all 4 wisdom teeth taken out very early friday morning, 6/19. They weren’t infected or anything, only causing me discomfort. The dentist said it was an easy extraction. I do not smoke-never have- and have not drank alcohol since. Ive taken the full perscription of anti-biotics, before and after extraction. I made sure to keep the gauze in and apply pressure for a few hours after the extraction. I only ate soft foods the first 2 days. I stopped icing it when they told me-6 hours after. I used a straw once on the 3rd day, thats it. The stitches came out today- day 6 since the extraction, and they said they’re healing well.
I just really want to know a few things.
1) Am i at any risk for a dry socket or infection at this point and forward?
2)What is the healing process once the sutures are out and how long does it take?
3) How cautious should I be of the area? What precautions should I be taking here on out?
I realize I should just call my dentist and ask these things- but he’s an ass quite frankly, and told me I am just being a hypochondriac. I just want answers, not to be ridiculed.
@ Meg,
Dry socket usually occurs 3-5 days after tooth extraction, so you are not at risk anymore. You do have very small chances of getting infection, but I wouldn’t consider it.
About the healing process, the gums heal 1-2 weeks after the extraction. That’s the time you should rinse with water and salt. The bone takes 3 months to heal complete, but you should feel discomfort during that time.
Hope this helps!
Hi just had a top left molar removed and a plastic plate fitted with the tooth, onmce the anaesthetic wore off I went and smoked 4 ciggies in three hours until I read this site..now I am stopping until friday..is there anything I need to look out for? Aimz said about septacemia earlier is this really a possibility? the dentist did not advise advise about blood poisoning. gad!
@ Rhiana,
If you smoked 5 cigarettes without knowing, that is ok. Smoking increases your chances of getting dry socket, but you don’t get it automatically from smoking. About septacemia, it is something that is very rare, and when the dentist suspects infection, he or she usually prescribes antibiotics.
i had 3 wisdom teeth removed around 12 30, on Thursday June 18th. It is now 10 30 on Monday June 22nd and i have yet to smoke a cigarette. I have smoked nothing since and have been able to eat a lot of solid foods, so i think my mouth is healing up nicely. Would ONE cigarette today put me at risk of a dry socket?
by the way, it was two top teeth and one bottom, not sure if it matters
@ Dylan,
It’s best not to smoke at all. Yes one cigarette can make harm.
i had my top right wisdom tooth extracted two days ago, it had 4 roots. i used a straw with the first hour, but very carefully and on the left side. i removed the gauze, but it was still bleeding. after that, i read about the whole dry socket thing and have been pretty good about it. i do smoke, but recently have stopped smoking all together just because of the inconvenience. because i’ve stopped smoking, my respiratory system has started to clean itself out (mucus coughs in the morning and throughout the day). i really don’t want a dry socket, but i would like to smoke. I’m not going to smoke for another two days. with my circumstances, do you think i would be able to smoke after the next two days?
Loki, yes you can smoke after two days. But if you stopped, why start again?
anto,
firstly thanks so much for your blog and the patience you display in replying
got my wisdom removed today, the dentist told me he had a lot of trouble getting the roots out as they were very long and nearly touching my sinus. Anyways, its all out now
. Am a heavy smoker (30 a day) and have been for nearly 24 years. i have managed to stop for a day max when i have been sick, but never otherwise. This time I really do plan to stop fully.
Really have had enuf of screwing around with my health and want to see what is life like for a non smoker. And dry socket is a great excuse to make a beginning.
@ Raghuram Iyer,
I am very glad that you took this decision to stop smoking. It will help prevent dry socket, but most of all it will let you have clean lungs too.
And also, thank you for your nice words
hi had my 2nd in from the back tooth extracted i think its a molar dont know on monday morning at 9.20 im a heavy smoker for my age 17. i managed to go yesterday without one but ended up in tears as i was so stressed. my family who live at home are all smokers aswell and at college all my friends are smokers so i cant really get away with it. i again feel like im going to burst into tears over the slightest thing as i want a fag so much would it be ok to have one now as i dont know how much longer i can wait. i know its only a few hours till itll be 72 hours but i want to check before i do anything. also bits of the flesh are breaking away when i rinse my mouth out is this normal? i am doing it very gently as this is what my dentist said but he said nothing about smoking.
@ Chrissywiss,
I understand your problem. Some dentist recommend to wait 48 hours before smoking, others say 72 hours. If I understand correctly, you have passed 48 hours and you are almost reaching 72 hours. You are therefore at a point where it is considered safe to smoke.
About the bits of flesh that are breaking apart, they might be sutures, or they might be food particles that were stuck in the hole where the tooth was, so I wouldn’t worry about it, just continue to rinse with water and salt.
I just got three wisdom teeth removed at about 8am yesterday morning. The dentist was so nice, but then again he told me that there was NOTHING I could do to make the healing slow, or hurt myself more.
I am not a cigarette smoker, but I do smoke cannabis. Would it be advised to pack my bowl loosely so I do not cause suck suction problems? What if I pack my extraction sites with wet gauze while I smoke, remove them when I’m done, and keep my mouth moist with liquids (to avoid cottonmouth)? I have heard this works, but I would like a second opinion.
If suction is a problem, why did the doctor tell me to chew gum almost immediately after my tooth extraction? I do realize it will help my jaw to remain in constant motion, but if he even knew slightly that I could chew the gum on the extraction site and ultimately cause a dry socket, why would he tell me to do it? I’m not saying neither you guys or the doctor is an idiot. I’m just stating that he knows what he’s doing, right?
@ Missy,
I truly advise you not to smoke anything for three days. Your dentist seems very competent to me.
I really wouldnt smoke until he says. The whole reason I still havent smoked was from pure fear. A friend got dry socket and let me tell you lol.. You really wanna hold it off until its safe.
I havent smoked since I had the tooth extraction, so kind of a blessing really but I’m curious. Last Saturday I used a straw to drink and it felt very weird where I had the tooth removed it didn’t hurt but it felt really odd. Is this normal? If so, is it advised not to smoke/use straws at all until its completly healed?
Thank you for your time Cyberanto.
Doomvoid,
You can use a straw after 72 hours, the same as smoking. Complete healing of tooth extraction takes 3 months, but usually you can go back to your normal habits after three days.
Check this link.
I just had my top left and bottom left wisdom teeth pulled out on Thursday(6-11-09) at noon. Had no complications, swelling, pain, etc,…It is now Saturday 5:15pm. I am a smoker and tried my best to hold off but now I need one. Crazy drysocket articles on the internet sound worse than getting shot in the face with a gun. Can I smoke? Some sites say after 12hrs, others, 48-72, and even 2 weeks. I just want one. It will hold me off for a few days. Any high risk of “drysocket”, seriously??
@ Mike,
72 hours is usually a safe period.
i broke my jaw and i needed surgery to have it put back into place, also i had several of my wisdom teeth removed. my mouth is wired shut to hold everything in place but the situation here is the fact that i smoke weed and cigarettes. since the surgery which was four days ago i havent smoked any cigarettes knowing that they contain chemicals which can be harmful, but i did smoke some weed here or there my question to you is will i be affected or infected by smoking weed during the healing process?
Smoking weed is as harmful as smoking cigarettes.
Not being a smar@ss but marijuana is non toxic according to drugscience.org and tons of other informational sites so it is not bad for you other than you spending your money on it. Plus I just saw a show last night on National Geographic about pot with that Lisa Ling lady and it was stated that there was no recorded document in medicinal history of anyone dying or have died or any medical problems directly related to weed. I dont smoke it but have family members that have for over 50 some years and they are healthy as anyone else. Keep smoking man, enjoy life. I’m willing to bet that if you got some vicodin or percocet from your doc, it has about 10 different side effects ranging from nausea to brain hemorrhage. Doesn’t sound any better
Chris, weed will not kill you and you have certainly stated the good sides of it, omitting the bad sides. But if we concetrate only on smoking marijuana or smoking cigarettes after tooth extraction, you will increase the risk of having dry socket. And yes, nobody dies from dry socket, it is just an extremly painful experience that lasts a few days. I have seen people cry from the pain, although nobody died from it… make your own opinion.
i have the same question as taylor, ur alright for a cig after 2-3 days but what about smokeless tobacco? i had my upper 2nd premolar removed 5 days ago but not sure when its safe to have a dip. im not so much concerned with the dry socket since im pretty much past that but im worried about possible infection from the juice from the tobacco.
@ tc2, I’m not sure what is the composition of smokeless tobacco, but I have a feeling that 5 days after is safe (for direct socket infections only). But not sure what it might do to your overall health.
Hi, I’ve had my lower molar extracted from my mouth on the 27th of May. I’m trying to not smoke at all to not get any complications but I keep hearing people saying wait 48 hours, 72, 96, a week, etc. I just need a straight answer please, I’m addicted to smoking, drinking and generally eating a lot of sugary foods and giving this all up at once just not to not get Dry Socket is all good but I really can’t take not being able to do anything when everywhere I go I can smell tobacco smoke and see people smoking. Its really screwing with my mind and its only been 2 days. When is it safe at all to smoke after a tooth extraction and do I need to take any special precautions like a gauze in my mouth etc?
Thank you.
@ Doomvoid,
Wait 72 hours just to be safe.
I’m a bad patient…the second I was out of the office I had a smoke…after having 3 wisdom teeth pulled…what I do is cover area with gauze, have a smoke, take out gauze, rinse with salt water….I’m not saying you can be puff the magic dragon here…but when you really want one…it’s a quick fix…I have yet to have any complications
Im under 18 so i was scared to ask my doctor about tobacco because my mom was in the room, but i got my wisdom teeth removed 72 hours ago and was wondering when it was safe to use smokeless tobacco again. Its killing me.
Taylor,
After three days (72 hours like you said) it is considered safe to smoke.
So I tried smoking out of my nose, alternating nostrils.. It’s weird becuase it did the trick. Though maybe not appealing to some, if you can handle the way it tastes in your sinuses then youre in good shape.. It’s kind of hard becuase you need to plug one nostril and part of your other nostril while youre trying to inhale through the semi-covered nostril, then exhale out of whichever nostril(s) you like… I don’t know how many times I could do that a day, I only smoked half.. But if its the first few hours after the operation like me, then id rather be safe by getting none of the smoke in my mouth rather than having a dry socket… anyways im thinking about smoking a cigg normal tomorrow when I can rinse it well. Ill keep you posted
Mike, thank you for sharing your experience.
Sup everyone, been reading this thread all afternoon since my surgery.. I had 4 wisdom teeth and my #15 molar removed. I smoke a pack a day, and have felt like a fiend ever since i woke up from the surgery… I’ve been doing research and I found the gauze/rinse technique, but i cant rinse untill after 24 hours… after extensive research, at least I found I could smoke cannabis from a bong by sucking it through a straw in my nose… it worked!! That only temped me even more to try smoking a cigg out of my nose… well its only been 5 hours since the surgery but i cant take it.. im gonna try smoking out of my nose. Wish me luck
I had one molar and one wisdom tooth (both on the lower right side) extracted two tuesdays ago. I’m tempted to smoke today but the holes haven’t entirely closed up and I’m troubled by the prospect of infection. Do you think it would be safe to smoke 10 days after the extraction?
@TC
10 days after surgery it is considered safe to smoke. Your holes will take more time before you stop feeling them, up to three months.
i got an infection
am grumbly and in pain and have learnt a valuable lesson
i had a tooth extracted about 12 hours ago. i wasn’t advised about not drinking through a straw and guess what, the first thing i did was drink through a straw as i thought that it would be more gentle (i was obviously wrong) my mouth bled a very small amount about an hour after. also, i am a smoker. i have just had my first cigarette since the procedure then i came across this strain and now am petrified i will get dry socket. i have very gently rinsed with salt water but i am very scared i have given myself an infection. the only pain i am in now is my jaw (due to the yanking out of tooth) but is there anything else i can do to avoid infection. i was not given any antibiotics from my dentist and he advised simply to hold off as long as i could, i though 12 hrs would be ok. any advice?
I had a top molar extracted Friday morning, it is monday night, when would it be ok to drink soda again? i know not from a straw though.
I had a tooth removed last year but had quit at the time and as far as I remember never had a dry socket, although I am rather worried about it this time around as I am a smoker again.
I had a seriously extreme pain all weekend and Today (Monday) had the tooth removed by my dentist. I didn’t read the instructions as I’ve ‘been there, done that’ so to speak but went about 9 hours before having half a rollie, I got half way through it and realised and put it out but also before even having that cig I spat out lots of blood initially when I got home and took the gauze out.
I also naturaly I fidget about in my mouth with my tounge and prod things or suck about so I reckon theres a 80% chance the clot has gone and im gonna be in uber pain once again. Doesn’t help that I’m visiting my parents for a week so I will be 200 miles away from my dentists when the dry socket may or may strike. Then again, it didn’t happen before. :s
I just don’t want any more pain after that weekend, it was like hell! I’ve still not slept properly and still got some aches in my face from when I was in pain. Funtimes.
P.S……..I have read in past comments that it has been said that it is safe to smoke after 3 days. Again, its been 8 for me, still somewhat of an opening, but I am still scared & worried about the smoking. Thanks again! Kym
Hello…I my wisdom tooth pulled last Thursday..(today is 4/3) I had a pretty bad infection that led me to get it removed. Turned out that I needed an additional tooth removed w/ it because the infection spread to the other tooth. It has now been 8 days (almost 9). My husband says there is still it does look like it is closing, but at the same time there is still an opening. I am continuing to rinse my mouth with salt water like 2 or 3 times a day.
My question is….when can I begin smoking again? Should I wait a full 2 weeks? Until the holes are gone? How long does it take for the holes to go away? My surgury went well….the whole thing took about 1/2 an hr. The bleeding wasnt bad at all…and I had normal swelling. I have had basically no pain. I have done everything that my post op. instructions advised me to do. Any advice on this would be helpful. I just dont want a dry socket. Thank you!
hi
thanks for you reply and the info. yes touch wood it seems to have settled down, although the tooth behind it she is keeping an eye on as it has a deep filling and also have a dormant infection the other side, which i am waiting to have removed.
am still getting a bad taste on my lips and mouth and some nerve pain, is this normal after an extraction? the dentist said to have some antibiotics ready just in case i get signs of infection. she also thought i may need to be referred as the nerve pain i felt wasnt right.
thanks again for your reply
jay
erm, i got a molar tooken out this summer; i smoked right after i got home & nothing happened. not even a dry socket. i got a tooth pulled out today in the front. this time, will i get a dry socket? LMAo. im scared
Hi again,
I wrote some time ago, but now something really scary has happened.
My wisdom teeth were extracted on March 4, just over 3 weeks ago. Everything was fine, I didn’t experience any pain or anything. But today, one of my sockets is bleeding. I can see it and I can taste it, but when I rinse with salt water there’s no blood when I spit.
Would you perhaps know what’s going on? I smoked quite a bit yesterday and the day before, but reduced my smoking a lot since my extraction. I was also sort of creating some suction with my tongue to get some food out the socket (gross, I know); I thought it was safe to do that!
Please don’t tell me it’s a dry socket. Isn’t it too late for a dry socket?
Hi,
Thank you for your reply, it seems to be healing up quite well, unfortunatley i have been smoking, but i made sure that i rinsed with salt water after and i’ve only had about 1 a day!! (I’m still a scaredy cat) I think i’m having another extraction in 3 months time, which i won’t be smoking after! Not after all the panic i gave myself with this one!!!!
The aftercare leaflet i have to agree with Jay, it isn’t very helpful, neither was my dentist! As this was my first extraction, i knew nothing of what i could and couldn’t do!! It was pure coincidence that i thought to myself, i’d better check online, see if there’s anything to do with smoking after having an extraction!
So i could quite happily have been smoking away and causing dry socket, and i wouldn’t know why!! I think we should be more informed instead of just being handed a leaflet telling us not to drink and to “avoid” smoking.
Thanks for your help in this matter. I’ll be coming back for sure =)
xx
Hi
thanks for your reply.
i had the extraction on Tuesday, and as i said have been in pain since then, went to the dentist today again and saw a different dentist, who was a bit vague and said he didnt think it was infection, i asked if an xray would be a good idea and show up if it is, but he said it wouldnt it would just show a hole, is that correct?
also he started saying about it not knitting together properly, and i said i had looked it up and was it dry socket, which he said ‘for want of a better word.’ very embarrassing really as i burst into tears whilst there as i have just had enough. i asked about antibiotics incase of infection but he didnt seem keen on that. i just feel he was quite vague, he said the sides looked like they were knitting together ok but not the middle.
he packed it with dressing, which fell out while i was eating my lunch, about half hour after seeing him, he said to come back as and when i need it redressed, and wouldnt estimate how long i would be in pain.
i (touch wood) dont have the classic symptoms of dry socket, as the pain is much the same as it was when i had the infection before the tooth was taken out and i can open my mouth ok.
it is now nearly 48 hours since i had it taken out.
i really want a cig but have resisted so far through pure fear. i know you said that you would recommend not smoking for three days after, but would that still be ok?
by the way the extraction wasnt complicated, just took them more stuff to numb me up than they thought, but it came out very easily, and just not sure if smoking immediately after has caused this problem?
sorry to drone on, just that it has been such a horrible traumatic week and i just wish i felt confident in what the dentist has said.
so i mainly want to know was the dentist correct when he said if i had an xray it wouldnt show up an infection even if there was one?
when would it be ok for me to smoke?
also would the smoking straight after have caused this, and lastly have you any idea why the numbness wore off after 10mins when the dentist said it would be more like 5 hours?
thanks again
Jay
I hope you are doing better today. The dentist is right; if they took an x-ray they wouldn’t see anything really. About the smoking, 3 days following surgery is considered safe.
For the numbness, I tell my patients that the effect lasts about three to four hours. Of course that is an average. Some people’s numbness remains until the next day. Other people start feeling pain during the treatment just 30 minutes after I have injected them, and I would have to numb them again. It all depends of many things: the anatomy of the tooth and the jaw, the degree of nervousness that the patient feels, etc.
hi,
have had a tooth infection which caused me agony for a few days, they tried to take the tooth out but because the injection didnt numb the pain i had to have antibiotics first, these finally started making a difference a day or so before going back to the dentist. anyway finally managed to have my tooth extracted yesterday. almost as soon as i got out i had a cigarette, not realising that i wasnt supposed to. and the numbness of the injection literally wore off in about 15 mins and all the pain came back.
went back to dentist today and they have cleaned out my socket and also put in a dressing soaked in iodine. and said smoking had caused this. (although i really wish they had made that clear at the time) did have an aftercare advice but didnt read it till later and didnt go into much detail only to not drink alcohol for 24 hours and avoid smoking.
i still am in some pain now and am back to taking painkillers again, what i want to know is did the fact that i smoked for the rest of the day after having my tooth extracted delay healing? and should it still be hurting now even though they said the infection is cleared and i am not smoking?
i am quite a heavy smoker but am trying hard to hold out for as long as i can before having one. what would you recommend in my situation?
thanks
Hi Jay,
It depends when you have had your extraction done. Smoking increases a lot the chances of having dry socket, but it is not the only reason. Dry sockets usually occur 3-4 days after your tooth has been extracted, and you usually feel extreme pain, probably more than you are feeling right now.
Put in mind that if you are feeling pain, it is only normal, especially if the extraction was complicated. That kind of pain should be well controlled with the pain killers that you are taking.
What I would recommend is not to smoke for three days after extraction.
Hi,
Ok i’ve been reading this all day! Because i had a tooth taken out this morning and i didn’t think anything of it…i had a cig! Then i decided to look online and see if that was a good idea or not and came across this. I haven’t had a cig since and the clot has been present and visable…
until now!!! I don’t know what’s happened?! It was there and now it’s not?! I’m really worried!! I don’t want to get dry socket!!!! I’m so so worried!!!! Why has it gone?? What’s going to happen now?! What should i do?!
Kay,
It is normal that the blood clot reduces in size a few hours after extraction. So not to worry, unless you start having extreme pain and difficulty of opening your mouth. Smoking increases the risks of having dry socket, therefore if you had just one cigarette, it doesn’t automatically mean you will have dry socket.
Does covering the extraction site with wet gauze help prevent dry socket when smoking after surgery?
Kimpunkrock,
Dry socket can occur from the toxins that are in the cigarette smoke, and also from the succion your mouth does when you inhale on a cigarette. Therefore, even if you cover your extraction site with a gauze, the succion your mouth does when you inhale might still affect your blood clot and cause dry socket.
But put in mind, that after three days, it is much safer to smoke. Of course safer for dry sockets only, and let’s not forget what smoking does to your heart and your lungs.
My dentist told me if I have to smoke, to put a piece of wet gauze over the extraction site. I have done this before and it worked good when the molar was on the bottom, but since the tooth I got pulled 3 days ago was on the top, it is a lot harder to smoke with the gauze in my mouth.
My dentist said 3 days after the extraction you can smoke, but i am still having pain in the site and I am afraid to smoke without putting a piece of wet gauze in my mouth.
Anto!
I listened to your advice and smoked, has been completely okay. I have been rinsing my mouth with mouthwash more often but right now it’s still completely fine.
Also, there are no holes where the teeth came out! It’s strange because it was less than a week ago that they came out. I’ve got one more antibiotic but otherwise I haven’t been taking ibuprofen anymore and can eat everything.
Im not sure, but mine weren’t impacted or weren’t difficult to take out, they came out like normal teeth. But I am supposed the healing has gone so so fast.
Thanks again for the advice.
Sarah
You are very welcome Sarah
Hey thanks for the advice! Yea my problem isn’t really the smoking, it’s the alcohol and the beer. And of course this is germany so the culture is beer and cigarettes, especially for any special event =). And I’ve been worried because after tuesday I will be traveling for over a week or two so I cannot pop into a dentist if I do actually get a dry socket =(. And the antibotics won’t go well with beer I think so I’ve just been avoiding the scene all together and it sucks because it’s my last weekend.
Thank you again for the advice and information.
Hi.
I’ve been smoking very much in the last weeks (more than one pack per day) due to emotional/mental stress. Well I got all 4 wisdom teeth out last monday. I have had no problems whatsoever with the teeth, and my stitches came out yesterday and I felt even better after that. I can eat almost anything and am still taking the antibiotics, and ibuprofen sparingly (the first two days I took more).
I haven’t smoked since the surgery, and now it’s friday evening. I asked the doctor yesterday when I can smoke and he didn’t say anything and then I said, “next week?” and he said yes. I’ve been using the patch everyday so I haven’t been experiencing withdrawl, but I haven’t been able to go out with friends or drink alcohol or anything. And now it’s the weekend. I can’t even have a going away party, and I’m moving on tuesday.
When is it really safe for me to smoke? I only have two more patches, so tomorrow and sunday. Then on monday it will have been one week since the operation. I’m under stress on monday/tuesday so I don’t know what to do, because if I get a dry socket I’ll be unable to visit a doctor for almost two weeks.
And by the end of next week I’ll be drinking lots of beer and will obviously smoke. Just how long this threat of the dry socket gone???
Hi Sarah,
I understand your concerns. So here is what science tells us about dry sockets. On average, dry sockets occur four days after tooth extraction. Therefore, the first few days are more critical and smoking increases the risks. But now it’s been five days since you have had your wisdom teeth removed. After five days, in my opinion, it is pretty safe to smoke and the risks of getting dry socket are very reduced, almost none.
Your doctor was probably concerned for you and that is why he or she asked you to wait until next week to smoke again.
So have fun on your fun on your going away party this weekend.
But I must add that smoking more than one pack a day will have a long term negative effect on your lungs, heart and health in general. I hope your emotional and mental stress will be taken care of soon, and that you will consider to quit smoking.
Anto.
thankyou for your reply..im a worrier and ask far too many questions!!
i had a tooth out 3 days ago and hav got a few stitches..i am desperate fro a cigarette now but someone told me you can get blood poisoning if you have a cigarette so soon?? is it safe for me to smoke??
Aimz,
After three days, the risk for complications is very much reduced.
Do what your physician tells you. For everyone the time frame can differ. That’s the best way to play it safe.
Thank you Dr Donald, very true.
its going on 48 hours of having my bottom wisdom teeth out. I am a big drinker and quite a big smoker. How much longer until i can start drinking and smoking again?????
Derrick,
After 48 hours it is pretty safe. If you can wait 24 more hours it would be even better.
Cyberanto, thank you very much for responding to my question, and so quickly too! This helped me a lot, I really appreciate it.
Hi!
I got two of my wisdom teeth taken out last week Wednesday (March 4), it’s now March 10. The extraction of both took about 10 minutes. I am a smoker, but not a heavy pack-a-day smoker.
I was in excruciating pain for two months before I got them taken out, so I really don’t wanna mess with the alleged pain of a dry socket.
After these 6 days, am I still at risk of getting a dry socket? Can I have a cigarette now? Can I drink diluted coke? When will I be able to rinse my mouth normally?
Is a yellow ‘bruise’ (as some call it) on the cheek normal?
Oh, and I wear an orthodontic retainer. When do you think I can start wearing it again? I wanna stop my teeth before they decide to spread to all the new space!
Hi Mo,
After 6 days it is safe to smoke. You can drink normally and you should rinse with water and salt to avoid any infections. Only the first day after extraction you cannot rinse.
A yellow bruise on your cheek is normal, it should go in a few days.
About your orthodontic retainer, you should wear it a few hours each day and not wait any longer because your teeth might shift and the retainer won’t hold anymore. You can wear it normally when your dentists says that the healing process is going well.
Hey , I just got my three teeth pulled out on March 3rd…..I was just wondering …can I have a smoke now?
I had a wisdom tooth pulled due to infection this last thursday, so i had a drain tube in till saturday and now just fighiting the wisdom tooth. I am wondering when i can go back to eating normally and suction normally, day wise. 1 week?
Early this week J Sondas, you should be eating normally. There has been exceptional cases where it took up to two weeks after extraction for patients to eat properly, but that rarely happens.
Hi…..I am getting a root canal and 2 molars pulled soon…….so I have to wait at least 48 hours before I can smoke? And up to 4 days……pfft.
I am sure all will be fine Jordan. Good luck!
Hey Mr. Cyberanto. Thanks for the advice and keep up the good work you do on here. It’s funny, I typed my name into Google and brought me back to here. Luckily, my teeth have been healthy, yes I still smoke so I guess I’ll mark this under my favorites button. (Not so favorite if you catch my drift!) Thank you Sir!
hi all – I have been a “pack-a-day” smoker for over a decade now. I had my upper left wisdom tooth extracted about 36 hours ago, and like the rest of you was advised not to smoke. Unfortunately, I am an addict and the Tylenol 3 I was given hardly made me sleepy. So when I absolutely had to smoke after the bleeding had stopped;
**Frowned upon and not advised by the doctors**
i would use CLEAN wet gauze to cover the extraction site and bite down hard enough to create pressure and smoke on the opposite side of my mouth through clenched teeth in short breaths, rather that hard drags. Follow this with a warm salt water rinse. It has worked before but there is no guarantee that it will work again. Every extraction in unique and vulnerable, and the reason antibiotics don’t help is because the dry socket is not considered to be an infection. I have heard of others smoking through the nose..seriously.
However, i still don’t know when I can resume using mouthwash (And spit!) During salt water rinses I’ve just been having to let in drool out of my mouth, I’m already at high risk for dry socket, so I don’t want to push my luck. Also, I guess you’re in real trouble if you happen to cough or sneeze as you could easily disrupt the clot forming (or formed) in the extraction area.
D
1- Tea has tannic acid that helps the bloods clotting.
2- Try not to rince so much if you have had the surgery today. It is recommended to wait 24 hours after you wisdom teeth removal before rincing with water and salt. If food gets stuck in your socket (hole) and you can’t remove it, you can purchase a plastic syringe at the pharmacy that you fill with water and that you inject around your socket to remove the food.
I have a couple of questions I would like to ask. I just had two lower wisdom teeth removed:
1. How does a tea bag helping to clot?
2. I ate some mashed potatoes and it was ok but after there was potato all stuck along my jaw and where i just got wisom teeth removed, so i gently rised with warm water and let the water just run out of my mouth w/o sucking or spitting, that seemed to help. Is this ok to continue?
YA…. I agree with Jim…. this sucks. I had 4 wisdom teeth out 10 years ago and worked out a shot gun plan with a pop bottle. Let it fill up and shoot the smoke into yur lungs…but ya… I would cover the hole with gauze for sure. I JUST had a tooth pulled today about 3 hours ago, and I agree that just saying no (even though we are adults and know it’s bad to smoke for MANY reason) is not a good answer for how to smoke and avoid dry socket. No doctor or dentist or non-smoker will ever tell you that it’s ok to smoke no matter how much you try to force them to. Just won’t happen. Sooooo…. I will tell you what worked for me last time. I had a cigarette waitin’ for the bus cuz I was just plainly pissed off that the tooth was such a pain to pull…took 2 hours… so, ya… no nonsmoker would ever understand why we NEED a cigarette after somethin’ like that. I am takin’ a puff off one an hour VERY VERY lightly and carefully, and then immediately after I change the gauze to prevent any kind of icky stuff from gittin’ in there, I use that chance to drink water or take a pain pill if I have to… I am workin’ on findin’ a pop bottle…looks like I might have to buy one and dump out the soda…hehe Hope this helped. I am not tryin’ to offend the ones that are totally against smoking after an extraction, I am just tryin’ to ease others cravings.
if an adolescent should ask how they can have sex without getting pregnant and your answer is to not have sex, would that be useful? the correct answer is no. a smoker asks how they can smoke without getting dry socket. i don’t know what the correct answer is, but i would like to know, because i am going to smoke despite the potential danger of getting dry socket. i’ve had 3 widom teeth taken out, have continued to smoke and have not gotten dry socket. i have no recollection what i did to avoid the dry socket. so, telling me not to is more likely to result in my doing so. the question is how can i smoke to avoid dry socket? “just say no” doesn’t work for me. (And for non-smokers, just to let you know, smoking is truly more difficult to come off of than heroin. I’ve tried both and succeeded at one.)
so, anyone know how to smoke and avoid dry socket? i got the wet gauze trick. any others?
I just had an emergency tooth extracted yesterday….2 days before the extraction, the pain was so horrible I was in tears, and ibprofen, tylenol nothing worked for the pain. I am a smoker and haven’t smoked since the extraction, and I will do my best to at least wait 5 days. Dry socket does not sound fun and if is going to be just as bad or worse then before I went to get the extraction….waiting sounds like the smart thing to do. Besides at this point I am still in some pain (soreness around the jaw and what not)and it reminds me every second that I have a big hole in there that can get infected and I have to be careful. Thanks for all the stories….just gave me more strength to hang in there.
ive just had two teeth out and i smoked two bout an hour after they were removed, is that ok? because i didnt think anything of it. also after i did smoke a friend told me i might get gum poisoning is this possible?
I just had both of my bottom wisdom teeth out and everything seems to be just fine, I’m a little swollen and sore but from what I’ve heard that’s normal. But I don’t think I can go any longer without a cigarette!! It’s driving me nuts!!! I’m taking anitbiotics isn’t that going to help me from getting dry socket too?
Dear Brittany,
Antibiotics will help prevent infections, they have nothing to do with dry sockets.
Does’nt this suck?
I have been on the couch watching TV for the last two days since I had all four of my wisdom teeth taken out.
I havn’t had a cigarette since the extractions.
I had to have this done over new years time so I really have missed the party…if ya know what I mean.
I can stay strong and this will be over soon.
Day 3 getting started…
Mark
Hang in there Markus, you will feel much better soon!
its a rare thing to smoke and not have a dry socket…. so risk it if u think it wont happen… its rare!
Thats not true i’ve had 12 teeth pulled always still smoked and never had dry socket i know i;m taking a risk every time but scaring people shouldn’t be the way to go either. yes there is a risk but there’s a risk of getting it even if you don’t smoke at all yes your chances are greater smoking but only 1-2 % of people get dry socket. please i’m not saying to smoke but if you’re like me and going to anyways just put gauze over the site this doesn’t stop your chances of getting dry socket but it’s seemed to help me. But if you can quit do i have tried several times and failed.
Hi,
I have had my top left canine out this morning, i had to leave work cos it was bleeding fairly heavly, but i used a ‘old wife’s tale’ teabags. within 45mins of having one instead of the gauze. it stoped the bleeding and has formed a colt over the site. I have had two cigs this evening, but trying to hold back, dry sockets does not sound very nice…..
but i was told i could smoke and put my new ‘plate’ in in 48 hours. Only thing i feel a the mo is a sore point on the roof of my mouth from the injection.
Alixzander,
If you only feel soreness on your palate where the injection was done, it is not really a sign of dry socket. 24 hours after the extraction, it is normal to feel some soreness. It was a great idea to put a tea bag when it was bleeding. If I were you, I would still try not to smoke right away.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I got wisdom and second molar removed today. I fell asleep and woke and by habit I grabbed a cigarette and began to smoke. What can I do to prevent the complications
Michele, it happened once, try not to do it again and follow exactly your dentist’s recommendations.
Hi Cyberanto,
Thank you for your useful info. Not totally smoking related as i have quit easily over the past 4 days. Can you please answer my following question?…
Im scared of dry socket, how long after an extraction is the dry socket danger gone?
Hi Paul,
Dry sockets usually happen four days (4) after tooth extraction. Therefore, after a week, or seven days, you should be safe!
No don’t smoke now, wait four days if you can.
If you don’t smoke cigarettes, what do you smoke?
cannabis, derrrrr
No cannabis here der.
four extractions this morning. thank goodness i smoked a bowl of herbage before for the drooling bloody monster ive become. i dont smoke cigarettes. but still about 4 days or so till i can smoke again? what about a vaporizer or herb tea?
Billy, if you haven’t smoked for two weeks, maybe you are not addicted anymore, wouldn’t that be great?
i had one of my molar extracted on November 14th on friday morning. i have not smoked for 2 weeks. is it okay to smoke now? today is the November 28th…
Steve, the symptoms of dry socket are pain, difficulty of opening your mouth, and bad smell and taste in your mouth. It doesn’t always happen after tooth extraction. But the chances of it happening increase a lot when someone smokes.
Hi Paul Di Mamba,
Dry socket happens in average four days after a tooth extraction. So if you want to reduce the chances of complications, try not to smoke for at least four days.
so the answer seems to be about 48 hours.. which is easy for me cos im not a big smoker anyway.. but can there still be complications after 48 hours? i want to make sure i avoid any more dental pain.
I had an extraction and then given a pece of paper entitled `after having a tooth out` it said nothing about not smoking and I smoked a good ten on that evening. Anyone know the first symptoms of dry socket?
I wish you courgage Karina!
it has been 3 days sense my extraction can i smoke yet?
OMG! This is torture! I had an extraction this morning and only right before the procedure I was told not to smoke up to 48hrs to avoid these damn dry sockets… and it’s the freaking weekend… I have to stay in now.. I can’t go out… if I go out, everyone is going out to drink.. which causes me to want to smoke..
Vicodines seem to be making me sensitive for some odd reason.. or maybe its just the fact that I can’t have a cigarette I’m this miserable!
Thank you Mandy, you are totally right!
I had a tooth removed 1 week ago today. I havnt smoked since then, even tho I would love one, a dry socket or infection isnt worth it!
Thank you for sharing your experience Jeff.
One can always tell who the non-smokers are, they seem to think it’s so simple to just not smoke. That being said, from what I hear, dry socket is well worth avoiding, and as such, I have gone my first two and a half days since my extraction without a cigarette. My dentist said to wait three days, and the patch has helped tremendously to get me through it. All the same, I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
Mark and Bundy,
I wouldn’t recommend you guys smoking right away, not after two hours, not even after 15 hours.
Hey Cyberanto, i had a quick question. I had all four of my wisdom teeth taken out on Friday at like 2pm. I had no swelling at all and no pain. none of my teeth were impacted. it took them 15 min to take them all out. and it is now sunday would i be ok to smoke? my only concern is i see white stuff in the holes of where the tooth was, my mom said its the healing process but would it be ok ?
The white stuff is normal. It is ok today. If you can wait until tomorrow even better
CAN I SMOKE NOW ITS BEEN 15HOURS SENCE MY TOOTH WAS TAKEN OUT
I am a smoker and just had a wisdom tooth out, I was told not too smoke until tomorrow. There was no mention of 24 hours let alone 48 or a week. Shurly if you gave up for a week you could stay off them, the worst would be over by then. I am going to put a wet gauze over the hole and have one only 2 hours after the extraction because I have a real addiction to them, 20 a day. If you can last 24 hours without one you are not addicted and might as well stop altogether anyway. If you need any other free medical advice do not hesitate to contact me, lol
I had 4 molars and 1 wisdom tooth extracted this last Thursday. It’s been HELL. The worst thing someone can tell a smoker after they’ve had traumatic things done to them is “Now don’t smoke for a week!”. It’s horrible torture. I haven’t given into temptation yet, but I’ve been standing next to everyone I see with a fag trying to sniff a fix off their cancer stick. It’s ridiculous. I didn’t even know how addicted I was until I had oral surgery. lol.
I’ve been told to put gauges over the socket if i really needed to smoke, did it once but was afriad i would still get a dry socket
I had two molar teeth pulled out from right and left upper that never healed for 8 years.
Still have the opening holes.
I have bad drainage from holes and nasal nose and down my throat every day. really foul smell and taste. it is dark green and some yellow in color. mostly problem on my left cheek.
I had been treat with antibodic many times. improve some and when stop then coming back more than before.
please help me.
Can’t afford to see doctor.
In response to those who recommended alternate ways to smoke, I advise against it, as I was told that it’s not just the sucking motion that causes a dry socket. It’s also the chemicals and heat found in cigarette smoke. It may be recommended to wait 48 hours but waiting a week or 2 to be safe would be better. Dry sockets are NOT worth the risk
Anthony Hille
Maybe your last dentist was a smoker as well, or maybe he simply totally forgot. But all dentists, dental surgeons, etc… know that smoking is not recommended following dental extractions.
Ashley
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. But I truly hope that you never have to go through any dental extraction again, and I hope more that one day you will be smoke free
My first dentist and a few of my friends dentists recommend not smoking for the first 24-48 hours after an extraction. My new dentist that has performed most of my work says atleast 5 days before you smoke again. I am a smoker and I know what it is like to have that kind of trama to your mouth and then be expected to not smoke at all for almost a week. I dont recommend smoking for atleast 5 days but if you cant hold off until then atleast smoke as little as possible. If you do need to smoke atleast get some gauze from either the dentist or your local CVS or similar store, wet the gauze and place it over the extraction site. This way it prevents the tar, nicotine and such from going into the site and keeps it moist and holds any clot that you might already have in there. However, this isnt advised! But if you must smoke atleast use WET gauze and dont fully suck on the cigarette just kind of let it flow into your mouth. That is just my opinion and what I do. Just like Cyberanto says, this trick works for me but may not work for you and may even cause serious problems. The best thing is not to smoke at all.
I have had the pleasure of having two teeth extracted in the past two months. The worst thing a doctor in the medical field can tell a smoke is not to smoke. Last extraction the assistant told me if she saw a cigarette in my mouth in the parking lot she would come out and slap me. So I waited until I got out of the parking lot and smoked little.
This past extraction, it was performed by my dentist and there was never any mentioning of smoking. He knows I had a recent extraction and knew I knew what I was “doing”. I think I do.
My question is, will the question about smoking after an extraction vary upon professions (oral surgeon, dentist) and if so/not, do they actually care or don’t care knowing if it becomes of a dry socket, they will make more money?
I would mostly recommend not to smoke at all instead of giving advice on tricks of how to smoke. These tricks can work for some people or can lead to serious complications for others.
I have never stopped smoking after an extractions. The trick is to smoke it like your inhaling a breath instead of sucking like on a straw. I did this after my wisdom teeth were surgically removed and two molar extractions. No problems.
Just got 4 taken out along with a cyst. I would to hold off until at least 4 to 5 days to prevent bleeding.
would one cigarette stop the clotting?
i had two wisdom teeth removed on thursday it is now the following wednesday. would it be alright to smoke cigs?
Yes Tom, it is ok now.
if you can go that long just quit