Exact Answer: 5 Days
Oral surgeries take their own time to heal, depending upon the type of surgery undergone. Generally, oral surgeries mean the surgeries done for the parts in or around the mouth or jaw. There are different types of oral surgeries for different problems. Some of them include tooth extraction, dental implants, Apicoectomy, and Cleft Palate.
Some may undergo oral surgeries because of heavy intake of tobacco or smoking. So, it is advised for the patients who underwent oral surgery to avoid smoking completely, if not for a couple of days. If a person can not wait for the time to heal the surgery, it may also lead to a dry socket.
How Long After Oral Surgery Can You Smoke
Generally, oral surgery for many of the patients includes teeth extraction. So many people who are addicted to smoking or taking in tobacco may get infected from these kinds of issues. If a person takes too much tobacco, it will certainly damage the oral health of that person. It may lead to tooth removal. Not only teeth but there are also other serious complications of taking harmful substances.
In some cases, a person may undergo oral treatment due to an accident. The skin around the teeth is very sensitive so that they can easily get damaged even if exposed to a smaller amount of harmful chemicals. Apart from teeth and skin, gum protection is mandatory for overall oral health. After undergoing oral surgery, surgeons advised not to smoke for a couple of days. The time varies depending upon the number of surgeries you underwent. If you had oral surgery, then it would be the best opportunity to quit smoking.
Normally smokers experience periodontal diseases due to heavy intake of smoke and harmful chemicals. Nicotine is one of the main and harmful contents present in cigarettes, for which we need to avoid smoking. The minimum time we should wait after treatment is 72 hours. However, for best results, we can also wait for more than three days. It depends on the interest of a person undergoing surgery to heal the process.
| Type of Surgery | Avoid Smoking for |
| Tooth Extraction | 5 Days |
| Dental Implant | 2 Weeks |
Why Does It Take That Long After Oral Surgery To Smoke
Many medical practitioners suggest avoiding smoking after undergoing oral surgery for at least a couple of days. There are many reasons behind such suggestions. When a person undergoes oral treatment, the parts of that area may be in a weak state trying to recover after surgery. Hence it may require only essential elements for its healing.
The surgery site may find it difficult to heal if the person smokes. It is because the blood clot will dislodge at that site. Hence it will lead to the condition of the dry socket. In addition, it will expose the site to the external environment. It can also lead to more pain than usual.
Dry socket is caused mainly after tooth extraction. Due to this condition, the germs in the mouth may increase. In addition, the nerves also may get exposed to the exterior, thereby paving a way to infect the body. Therefore, it can pose a significant threat than expected.
The oxygen levels also consequently reduce due to the carbon monoxide which enters the blood. Therefore, it will make the healing time longer than expected. Moreover, it may also cause unnecessary compilations. As a result, it is more prone to several infections. The healing time will increase depending upon the amount of smoke we inhale.
When a person smokes post wisdom teeth removal, the blood vessels shrink and less oxygen is supplied to the wound area in the mouth. Smoking also inserts carbon monoxide into the blood cells. It is also followed by low oxygen levels. Less oxygen and fewer nutrients would result in a longer healing time and can increase the risk of developing an infection where the person underwent surgery.
Conclusion
After removing the wisdom teeth by surgery, the blood vessels shrink, thereby reducing the oxygen levels in the infected area. The nutrients will also decrease around the wounded area. When smoking, it releases carbon monoxide, which will directly enter the blood. It might be more harmful.
There are many harmful chemicals present in cigarettes and tobacco. These are the many reasons for the delay in the healing process. The risks might relate to the healing process, but they can also cause infections in the surgery area. We can avoid serious compilations; it is better to quit smoking.