Smoking with an injury in the mouth?

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AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
5,495
28,134
Florida - Space Coast
My dentist said no smoke for at least a week after an extraction. I lit the first one as soon as I was out the door. But that's me. I don't suggest it to anyone else.
Was getting word done in my dentist's office when i live in SD (best dentist EVER) I smoked cigs at the time and he worked on my mouth for like an hour and said let's take a break then asked me if i wanted to go out and have a smoke for a few and someone would come get me when it was time.
 

bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
10,182
41,398
RTP, NC. USA
Was getting word done in my dentist's office when i live in SD (best dentist EVER) I smoked cigs at the time and he worked on my mouth for like an hour and said let's take a break then asked me if i wanted to go out and have a smoke for a few and someone would come get me when it was time.
Hope it was a she.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,642
31,193
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
My dentist said no smoke for at least a week after an extraction. I lit the first one as soon as I was out the door. But that's me. I don't suggest it to anyone else.
I got pain pills last two times and both times the ouch of the surgery didn't bother me but the not having enough nicotine did. Yeah the pain pills made the no nicotine tolerable, that said I would heavily highly (and any other adjectives you can think of that mean the same thing) recommend against using them to quit smoking.
 

Dr Drago

Lurker
Jan 30, 2023
45
100
Albuquerque, NM
For recent or upcoming oral surgery, as well as any existing oral infections, it is certainly recommended to abstain from smoking or any type until healed.
The blood flow, healing, pH balance, and protective factors are all disrupted by smoke and the vasoconstrictive effects of nicotine.

I’ve seen plenty of outright failed cases and unnecessarily prolonged healing from patients who smoked throughout. Dry sockets, post op infection, oroantral fistulas, rejected tissue grafts, failed bone grafts, failed implants, all sky rocket statistically.

Yes, almost all of them heavy cigarette and cigar smokers who smoke in higher volume. It’s not that pipe smoke is any healthier, I’ve just never had pipe smokers in any significant percentage of my practice. We are more rare, but the message is the same.
Smoke combustion and the effects of nicotine do nothing to accelerate healing in the oral cavity. Quite the opposite.
 

krizzose

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,355
20,796
Michigan
I have no clue what the actual effect might be. Generally speaking, I let my body tell me. If it’s bad enough, I won’t want to smoke any way.
 

AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
5,495
28,134
Florida - Space Coast
Dentists tell you not to smoke because smoking causes suction in your mouth (giggidy) and the suction messes with the healing process, usually things like extractions that you need the hole in your jaw to start to heal and if you smoke you can get "dry socket" and it's suppose to be very painful and slow down the healing process. That being said I've had a couple extractions and smoked within an few hours and never had any issues, i was smoking cigarettes at the time and just have to take softer drags.
 
Dec 3, 2021
5,443
46,753
Pennsylvania & New York
Dentists tell you not to smoke because smoking causes suction in your mouth (giggidy) and the suction messes with the healing process, usually things like extractions that you need the hole in your jaw to start to heal and if you smoke you can get "dry socket" and it's suppose to be very painful and slow down the healing process. That being said I've had a couple extractions and smoked within an few hours and never had any issues, i was smoking cigarettes at the time and just have to take softer drags.

Dry socket is incredibly painful. If the protective clot falls out, the hole from the extraction exposes your jaw to air. I got dry socket when one of my wisdom teeth was extracted, and the throbbing headache that followed was brutal. The pulsing sound in my head when it was on the pillow was very loud. It sucks big time.
 

Dr Drago

Lurker
Jan 30, 2023
45
100
Albuquerque, NM
Dry socket is incredibly painful. If the protective clot falls out, the hole from the extraction exposes your jaw to air. I got dry socket when one of my wisdom teeth was extracted, and the throbbing headache that followed was brutal. The pulsing sound in my head when it was on the pillow was very loud. It sucks big time.
100% true.
To add, all these things I mentioned earlier are merely the short term consequences and pricey/painful inconveniences.

Far, far more damaging are allowing delayed healing and inflammation/infection to persist and become chronic, resulting in changes at a cellular level.

Brothers, please. Enjoy our hobby.
Hell, I recently bought 3 lbs and some nice new briar.
But put your body and health first.
It’s more important.
🙏🏽
 

Sgetz

Lifer
May 21, 2020
1,558
2,252
74
UK
I bit the inside of my cheek pretty good over the weekend and want to know if there are any issues with smoking with an injury like that in my mouth. Can’t seem to find any useful information online about it. I have heard that it’ll slow down the healing process but other than that, are there any health concerns I should be aware of?
Retired dentist here. All skin surfaces, including the mouth, shed their outer layer continually as a protective measure. If you have an injury the deeper layers are exposed. These are more vulnerable to damage. Hence it's a good idea to stop smoking until you are healed. Smoking also slows healing. In long term cigarette smokers this can be quite extended sometimes leading to infection at wound sites etc.
 

Sgetz

Lifer
May 21, 2020
1,558
2,252
74
UK
Dry socket is incredibly painful. If the protective clot falls out, the hole from the extraction exposes your jaw to air. I got dry socket when one of my wisdom teeth was extracted, and the throbbing headache that followed was brutal. The pulsing sound in my head when it was on the pillow was very loud. It sucks big time.
Dry socket is terrible. It's not always smokers but mostly. The pain is reported almost universally as severe. It's also not really responsive to most analgesics. Lastly , it takes a long time to finally heal. So don't smoke after an extraction!
 

gamzultovah

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
3,206
21,340
My dentist always warns me after any surgery (especially an extraction) that smoking is not advisable. He warns that it is the #1 cause of dry socket after an extraction.
 
Dec 3, 2021
5,443
46,753
Pennsylvania & New York
Dry socket is terrible. It's not always smokers but mostly. The pain is reported almost universally as severe. It's also not really responsive to most analgesics. Lastly , it takes a long time to finally heal. So don't smoke after an extraction!
My dentist always warns me after any surgery (especially an extraction) that smoking is not advisable. He warns that it is the #1 cause of dry socket after an extraction.
When I experienced dry socket, I wasn’t smoking at the time. The clot just didn’t stick. The hole was sutured shut.
 
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Sgetz

Lifer
May 21, 2020
1,558
2,252
74
UK
When I experienced dry socket, I wasn’t smoking at the time. The clot just didn’t stick. The hole was sutured shut.
I have seen that. But the vast majority do smoke. And, of course, ignore advice not to do so for a few days.
 

Silvrbdgr

Might Stick Around
Jan 1, 2023
65
296
55
Navarre, FL
'Tis but a scratch. Swish with some warm salt water, Listerine or whisky. That'll fix any damage the pipe smoke has caused. This is of course, for self inflicted wounds. Surgical procedures require the time to properly heal. I'm not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once.