After having a tooth extracted, it’s incredibly important to take the right precautions and ensure the area can heal properly.

Before you leave their office, your dentist will talk to you about the different things you can do to make for a faster recovery process. Still, if you’re about to have your tooth extracted, you might be curious to learn more about the healing timeline before it happens and prepare.

Here is a quick overview of the healing timeline of an extracted tooth:

The First 24 Hours

A blood clot will form in the extracted area to protect the exposed bone and nerves until your gum will close. This blood clot has an important job, and to avoid dislodging it, you must avoid touching it with your tongue or anything else, as this can lead to dry socket.

At this time, you may feel a bit of pain, and see minor bleeding and swelling. These are perfectly normal and no cause for alarm.

Post 24 Hours

The healing process has already begun, and your main focus is to avoid dislodging the blood clot. The dentist will tell you to refrain from smoking and drinking through a straw, and will provide you with other tips to allow the blood clot to stay in place.

3 Days After the Extraction

Already, you can start to see the gums begin to close around the removal site. While you still need to be careful not to chew on the side of the extracted area, at the 3-day mark things will slowly begin to go back to normal.

7-10 Days After the Extraction

At this point, the extracted area should be partially if not fully closed, and the swelling will likely be gone. Bleeding is also highly unlikely at this point. 

When to Call Your Dentist

This is the average timeline of a tooth extraction healing process, but know that your experience may be different. For instance, the site might need more than a week to fully close, but for the most part, this is no reason to be concerned.

However, you should contact your dentist right away if you notice these signs:

• Severe pain in the gums or jaw
• High fever
• Persistent swelling or excessive bleeding
• Signs of pus in the mouth
• A bad taste in the mouth that doesn’t go away even if you clean the mouth

These signs can signal a complication, and it’s best to see your dentist right away so they can check the extracted site.

Get Stellar Dental Care with McCue Dental Health

At McCue Dental Health, we give our patients all the tools and resources to take proper care of their oral health. 

If you notice any changes or experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, remember to contact your dentist right away.

If you want to book your appointment, then you should get in touch with us now.