How Long Does Simple Extraction Take to Heal?
The dentist has informed you that your damaged tooth needs to be removed but you are more concerned about the pain and how long it will take to feel like yourself after the procedure. The dentist can work with you on your specific treatment plan taking your full medical history into consideration with the exact tooth and its role in your mouth. The dentist will be able to give you aftercare instructions to manage your individual circumstances and get you on the road to recovery as easily and quickly as possible.
The Initial Healing Phase
Your body will start to work on healing the extraction site immediately after the dentist removes the tooth. To stop the bleeding and to help the body form a clot, the dentist will place clean gauze on the extraction site. The clot will form in the socket where the tooth was just like a scab will form on the part of your knee that was scraped. The clot is essential to healing, minimizing pain and discomfort, and protecting the sensitive tissue in the gums.
In the first 24 hours, you may find that you are still lightly bleeding or your extraction site is oozing. This is a normal part of the healing process and it should continue to decrease until it stops. This is the period of time you need to be taking time to rest physically, encouraging the clot to form and set in place, and addressing any swelling. Ice packs will help manage pain by reducing the swelling and over the counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers will keep your pain or discomfort at a minimum.
The First Week of Healing
If the first 24 hours were the kick off to healing, then the first week is when you can count on making major progress to feeling like your old self. After 48 hours, the swelling at the extraction site should be decreasing and as should the discomfort. Your empty socket where your tooth used to be will be sensitive. Be sure to brush carefully the surrounding area, to avoid eating and chewing near that area of your mouth, and to prevent applying pressure to the area.
You will need to be careful when you are choosing which foods to enjoy during that week. Soft foods low in acid and sugar and close to room temperature will be the best choices. A few items to keep on the list of good options are yogurt, soups, and mashed potatoes. The longer your extraction site has healed, the closer you are to starting to incorporate solid foods again.
You will need to keep your mouth clean so brushing at least twice a day and flossing are not negotiable. As long as you are taking extra care around the specific site, then you do not need to change your toothbrush or toothpaste. You may think about adding in a saline solution to help keep your mouth clean without being too hard to the area that is trying to heal.
At the end of the first week your extraction site will start to close and you will have noticed that your mouth almost feels like it did before your procedure. Depending on the reason for your extraction, now that the healing has really progressed, your mouth may feel even better than it did before you had the tooth removed. You should be able to return to your usual activities like going to the gym or running errands without compromising your healing progress.