I had several molars extracted and am taking antibiotics the dentist said no smoking for 2 weeks. Why ?

Question

I could have asked the dentist but didnt want to hear a potential quit smoking lecture. I know its bad for me. Just want to know the risks after oral surgery. thankyou.

wow! the immediate great answers were sooo appreciated! I'm convinced! gonna miss the cigs....gotta warn the family to stear clear of me for awhile... thanks you guys!!!

Answer 1

The standard time frame we recommend is "2 days." You may want to check with the office on this as I'm unaware of any complications that may have occurred with your procedure. But my guess is that he meant 2 days, not 2 weeks.

I have done this after cases with surgical extraction of all 4 impacted wisdom teeth. So if your extractions were more serious than that, then I would definitely consult your dentist.

It also usual for an antibiotic to be given after extractions just to help the body fight off any bacteria left behind from the tooth.

With most patients that smoke we "like" for them NOT to smoke the first 24 hours, but know that you’re going to smoke, it's an addiction and you can't help it. So we usually tell the patients to cover the extraction site with "water moisten gauze" and keep some "light pressure" on it when you "just have to smoke" but try to refrain from doing so for the first day for the clots to form good. The last thing you want is a dry socket to develop which happens quite frequently when patients smoke, drink carbonated drinks or hot drinks, and use a straw. These are all things to avoid the first 24 hours.

By the second day you should be rinsing with a warm salt water solution and exercising your jaws by opening and closing several times a day a little wider each time, to aid in regaining the full function of them. This exercise helps to loosen those tight muscles that you have after holding open for so long during the extractions. So, all of this should sound familiar, or perhaps you have your post op instructions in written form.

If you feel that your procedure was very difficult or extreme then, consult your dentist. Like I said earlier, I think he meant 2 days but it's better to be safe than sorry. Good luck and I hope I've been of some help.

Answer 2

What I was told was a number of reasons - first smoking helps to slow the natural healing process of the body - so after most surgeries the doctors tell you not to smoke (trust me on this one... I have been luck enough to have 3 surgeries in the last 6 years)

About the mouth though, when you suck on the cigarette you create a pressure vaccum in your mouth... and this can cause a dry socket and also can interfere with the healing process. Also, it can cause infection.

Now honestly, I have had my wisdom teeth and another molar extracted, and both times I continued to smoke. Both times it took me almost 6 weeks to heal and I had pain for longer.

If you can mange to NOT smoke I would recommend it - from past experience... and if you do smoke try to be careful.

Answer 3

DONT SMOKE, and if you must, then make sure you keep gauze over the holes, you can get a VERY PAINFUL infection known as Dry Socket, and YOU DONT WANT IT!!! To be honest, I had 5 molars pulled in one surgery a few years ago, and I did smoke after, but I was very careful...I had gauze over all five holes and smoked very gently so as not to pull out the blood clots with the sucking motion~and once done rinsed with non-alcoholic mouthwash (just put it in your mouth and rolled my head around, NO SWISHING) and my holes healed up fine and no infection, but you have to be very careful!!!! Good luck, you will be all healed up in no time....

Answer 4

Dry socket is very painful. The sucking action can pull out the blood clot assisting in the healing process and expose your jaw bone. He probably told you not to drink through a straw too. Same reason.

Answer 5

POST-OP INSTRUCTIONS


Bite on the gauze for about 30 minutes after your surgery. Do not bite too firmly, just enough to keep the gauze in place. After the blood clot forms it is important to protect it especially for the next 48 hours to avoid dry socket. Drainage for a few days is normal. To minimize swelling and bleeding, keep head elevated (use extra pillows when sleeping). You can brush your teeth the day of surgery. Avoid brushing the surgery site. Any stitches will come out on their own in a week

Rinse your mouth with warm salt water after meals and before bed. Begin a very gentle warm salt water rinses (1tsp. salt for every 8oz. of water). The first day or so, do not swish the water around in your mouth; Instead, move your head side to side to rinse. Do not spit; Let the water flow out of your mouth. If you are watching salt intake in your diet, you may substitute the salt water rinse with a peroxide and warm water rinse. Use a 50/50 peroxide and water solution

NO smoking for 2 days
NO drinking through a straw for 2 days
NO mouthwash for a week
NO excessive spitting
NO vigorous rinsing for at least 48 hours after your surgery
AVOID alcoholic beverages
AVOID greasy foods
AVOID high acidic foods and drinks such as tomatos, orange juice, etc....
DO NOT over exert yourself. It is ok to ride in a car or on a plane

For Pain:

Advil (Ibuprofen) or Aleve (Naproxin Sodium) or Extra-Strength Tylenol (Acetaminophen). Take with food. NO aspirin or aspirin products

For Swelling:

Place an ice bag on side of face where your surgery was, for 30 minutes on, then 30 minutes off. Repeat for 6 hours. After 48 hours, use warm compresses as needed for swelling

Eat soft foods. No chips, pretzels, peanuts, etc.... Stay away from crunchy, chewy or small hard foods, to avoid food particles becoming lodged in the socket. Suggested foods are clear broth, pasta, potatoes, yogurt, baby food, smoothies, pudding, cream of wheat, 7up, Ginger Ale, apple juice

Answer 6

When you inhale cigarette smoke, you are inhaling chemicals. Those chemicals would be especially bad for your mouth after having oral surgery. If you can't go without the nicotine, use the patch for a while. Whatever you do, don't smoke or chew tobacco until your mouth heals.

Answer 7

You cannot heal when you smoke. Any DR. will tell you that. You risk getting a bad infecttion and the pain that you will suffer from it. My daughter ended up in a serious MESS from smoking after surgery. DONT DO IT.

Answer 8

You could get a dry socket. The space where your tooth was needs to heal properly. Inhaling a cigarette can infect it or cause it dry out quicker than it is supposed to.

Answer 9

The tar and stuff in a cigarette can accumulate in the open wound of where the tooth used to be, causing MAJOR problems! I know this becuase my fiance's daddy has some disease that was caused by that and it hurts him BAD! Sometimes to where he can't talk or chew, and he doesn't want to eat! :D

~*~StardustFaerie24~*~

Answer 10

Smoking has so many side effects and health risks that there are too many to name in the space provided.

In general there are certain things that can decrease wound healing after a surgery (any surgery). These things are also associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates (complications or death). For whatever reason (there are probably 500 biochemical reasons for this), smoking is associated with decreased wound healing after surgery. I'm not sure if it is associated with increased infections after surgery specifically, but decreased wound healing can also lead to increased infections. Also, I would imagine that with an open wound in your mouth, you would be more likely to get cancer from smoking since the toxins in the smoke are directly infiltrating the wound and causing irritation and biochemical changes to the cells that are trying to heal the wound.

Also, if you were intubated for the sugery (had a breathing tube in place) you are at increased risk for atelectasis/"lung collapse" and lung infection. To prevent this, post-surgery patient's are encouraged to cough, take deep breaths, etc to prevent these little "lung collapes" that can lead to pneumonia and death. The toxins in smoke directly inhibit the cells in your lungs that get rid of the gunk and mucous down there. With increase gunk and mucous in your lungs you would be more susceptable to atelectasis and therefore pneumonia and therefore death.

One other specific reason would be blood clotts after surgery. One complication of surgery is blood clotts. Blood clotts happen when blood slows down or stops in your arteries. This can happen from having your artery pinched off like if you rested your arm off the edge of a table for 12 hours. During surgery, these pinch points can happen between you and the operating table. We do as much as we can to prevent this from happening, but sometimes they still happen. If you get a blood clott in your arteries or veins, they can break up and travel to your lungs--causing a "pulmonary embolism" which means you can die because your body isn't getting the oxygen you need because the blood clott is blocking it. Or it can travel to your various organs and kill them off--i.e. your brain, kidneys, fingers, toes, colon, small intestines, etc. Smoking puts you at increased risk of blood clotts. Being female puts you at increased risk for blood clotts too (we think it is a combination of Estrogen and the toxins from smoking but we're not sure). So you are placing yourself at a greater risk for blood clotts after surgery by being female and smoking.

That is just the tip of the iceburg and what I can spew off the top of my head. I hope you understand the answer. Email me if you have questions. Thank you.