How long does hole take to close after tooth extraction

  • How Long Does it Take For Wisdom Teeth to Heal?
  • How long does the pain last after tooth extraction? What is wisdom teeth extraction recovery like?
  • How to speed up the wisdom teeth recovery process?
  • Do some teeth heal differently after a tooth extraction?
    • Why pull out your wisdom teeth?
    • Conclusion

Want to know how long for wisdom teeth holes heal? Permanent teeth are meant to last a lifetime — it’s right there in the name, after all. However, in some cases, your permanent teeth must be removed to protect your overall dental health. This is especially true with the wisdom teeth that erupt in your late teens and early 20s. The wisdom teeth are the third molars, i.e., the last teeth on the furthermost corners. Since they’re the last teeth to erupt, they often lack sufficient space in the jaw for proper eruption, leading to misaligned teeth, impacted wisdom teeth, crooked teeth, etc. In these cases, wisdom tooth removal might be necessary to ensure the overall health of the surrounding teeth.

How long does hole take to close after tooth extraction

Wisdom teeth extraction can be performed using two methods. Simple wisdom tooth extraction is a procedure wherein the affected tooth is simply pulled out using special dental instruments. However, since the wisdom teeth are often lodged within the surrounding gum and bone tissues, they must be surgically removed by cutting into the jawbone. In either case, once the wisdom tooth is extracted, it leaves a hole where your tooth used to be. When patients are told they need a wisdom tooth extraction, one of their primary concerns is the recovery period — how long does it take the hole to close after tooth extraction.

The healing duration of a tooth removal depends on the tooth’s size and the number of roots within the tooth. Some of the front teeth are relatively small and contain only one root, so the hole may heal by the end of the first week. The holes from the extraction of larger teeth with multiple roots take several weeks or even months to heal completely. Finally, healing the hole from an impacted wisdom tooth takes even longer because the procedure involves removing the bone tissues around the wisdom tooth. As such, the surrounding jawbone and the hole from the wisdom tooth removal must heal completely, which may take around 6 weeks or more. 

How long does the pain last after tooth extraction? What is wisdom teeth extraction recovery like?

Wisdom tooth removal is a painless procedure because it’s conducted under local anesthesia. Your gums will feel numb for a few hours after the procedure because of the ongoing anesthesia effects. However, you may experience some pain and discomfort as the anesthesia starts wearing off. The dentist will prescribe painkillers and medications to manage the pain and discomfort to ensure you have a smooth and painless recovery process. The complete wisdom tooth recovery may take several weeks, but most of it will happen in the background without your active awareness.

The complete wisdom tooth removal recovery process can be divided into these stages:

  • Blood clots will form in the first 24 hours. At this stage, you must avoid spitting, rinsing, drinking hot beverages, or doing anything that may dislodge the blood clot.
  • The swelling in your cheeks and mouth will gradually dissipate over 2 to 3 days.
  • Your stitches will be removed at the end of the week.
  • Any remaining jaw soreness and stiffness will gradually fade away within 7 to 10 days.
  • If there’s any bruising, it will fade away in 2 weeks.

How to speed up the wisdom teeth recovery process?

Your primary concern during the wisdom teeth recovery process should be to preserve the blood clot. You need the blood clot to ensure a smooth and painless recovery because it prevents excessive bleeding, protects the wound from infection, ensures smooth tissue growth, and protects the exposed bone tissues from infection and damage. If the blood clot is accidentally dislodged, you may suffer from a painful condition known as a dry socket, i.e., the dislodged blood clot exposes your sensitive bone tissues and nerves.

How long does hole take to close after tooth extraction

During the first 24 hours, you must take the following steps to ensure blood clot preservation:

  • Don’t brush around the extraction site.
  • Don’t rinse your mouth.
  • Don’t drink hot beverages.
  • Don’t eat crunchy, sticky, or grainy foods.
  • Don’t suck on straws.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Don’t drink alcohol.

Besides the aforementioned tips, you must be careful about what you eat and drink for the first few days after the wisdom tooth extraction. You must avoid foods that may damage your wounds and instead maintain a diet of soft and liquid foods, such as soups, mashed bananas, jello, yogurt, eggs, etc. You must avoid sticky candies, hard foods, steaks, and anything that necessitates sucking or considerable chewing. You should also avoid crunchy or spicy foods, like crunchy vegetables, chips, nuts, etc.

Do some teeth heal differently after a tooth extraction?

In most cases, the wisdom teeth on the upper jaw heal faster than those on the lower jaw. The difference in healing time is mainly due to the higher density of the lower jawbone, which means it takes longer to achieve sufficient jawbone growth to replace the empty region.

Why pull out your wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth extraction is an extremely common treatment that most people undergo at some point in their lives. Unlike the other teeth, removing the wisdom teeth doesn’t lead to any noticeable differences in functionality or aesthetics, so there are no problems associated with wisdom teeth removal. However, the following are some signs you need to have your wisdom teeth removed:

  • They may damage the surrounding teeth.
  • Cyst formation around the wisdom teeth may cause jawbone and gum tissue damage.
  • The wisdom teeth are causing sinus problems.
  • The gum tissues around the wisdom teeth are inflamed.
  • The wisdom teeth are overcrowding your jaws, leading to crooked and misaligned teeth.
  • The impacted wisdom teeth are causing severe pain and discomfort.

Conclusion

Wisdom teeth extraction is an extremely common procedure that most people need at some point. Removing the wisdom tooth is followed by a brief recovery period when the surrounding gum tissues and jawbone must heal, closing the gap left by the removed wisdom tooth. How long it takes for the hole to close after tooth extraction depends on several factors, but it’s usually more than 6 weeks. However, the recovery process is largely painless and comfortable. For more information, please schedule your wisdom teeth removal consultationat URBN Dental today.

Why hasn't my tooth extraction hole closed?

Although the bony anatomy in that area won't necessarily re-form or completely fill the socket in, you can expect the gum tissue (gingiva) over the opening to close it off entirely. If for any reason you continue to see a hole in your mouth after a tooth extraction, please see our dentist or an oral surgeon right away.

Is it normal to have a hole after tooth extraction?

After removal, there will be holes in the back of your mouth where your teeth were. Over the next few weeks, these holes will heal as new tissue fills them in.

How do I know if my tooth extraction is healing properly?

After about 3 days, the empty tooth socket will have mostly healed. There should be no more bleeding present, and swelling should be minimal at this point. You may still experience some tenderness or soreness, but you should no longer feel pain or discomfort.

When can I stop worrying about dry socket?

When Can I Stop Worrying About Dry Socket? Until the full recovery of your extraction site, a dry socket can form if you fail to follow the care tips. Usually, a week (7-8 days) after wisdom tooth extraction, you can stop worrying about a dry socket as gums take this much time to close fully.