So about that dry socket business..

[thefarmer]

Just got two teeth pulled. Molar and the wisdom tooth it was fused to.

I smoke about a pack and a half a day, and was NOT happy they told me not to smoke. Someone else posted about dry socket and it was mentioned that smoking'll cause it.

So my question is.. how MUCH smoking will cause it? I've already had one for my "post-op" care... and already want another.

[CrystalTears]

It's because smoking decreases healing time and the blood flow, which is what the socket needs to seal up faster, aside from the obvious toxic fumes. Sucking actions such as smoking and drinking through straws delays the healing process as well The longer you delay it, the more prone you are to getting dry sockets.

If you can go a day or two without smoking, I suggest you do it. It is not worth it to go through the agony of dry sockets.

[thefarmer]

Shit.

Going from what I regularly smoke to nothing just hurts..

[CrystalTears]

Getting dry sockets will hurt more. I've never gotten them, but from what I've heard from friends who have, they regretted smoking during recovery.

[Blud]

I had all four of my wisdom teeth pulled about 20 years ago, two of them were impacted.

I was told the same thing, but was told the reason is because the sucking action from smoking and drinking through straws actually pulls the backfilling material from the surgery site, due to the pressure change. This leaves a void, which never really heals right and is painful. You will have a funny (disgusting, odd?) taste in the back of your mouth if you start to pull that material away from the surgery site. I don't know if this material is something the surgeon backfills the surgery site with, or if it's a natural thing your body does at the trauma site. Either way, it tastes awful when it works its way out, or at least it tasted awful to me.

I did not get dry sockets, but eventually, you'll taste that taste, and the natural inclination is to kind of "suck" at the surgery site with your tongue to get rid of it...Don't do that either.

[Daniel]

It's the blood clot that forms.

[Anebriated]

Yeah it was my thread that you remember. Definately give it a day or two if you can manage. I think I smoked a bit at the end of the second day or on the third day, i dont remember at this point. I remember that even giving it that much time it was still painful at first. I didnt get dry sockets but i also didnt smoke much at all after the first one. Teabags help the recovery speed, I suggest trying it, dont forget to cup the balls.

[Asha]

Just have a couple of smokes, one whenever you feel you really need it or you'll flip. You'll do fine. I did and I had the same situ.
After about a week you might have cut down smoking as well as avoided dry sockets

[BigWorm]

This reminds me of when one of my good friends had his wisdom teeth pulled. He was a pretty heavy smoker of tobacco and other products. He managed to avoid smoking any cigs, but by the second day he decided he just had to get high, probably because some of our other friends didn't feel the need to be curteous enough to not do it around him. Having heard about the dangers of dry sockets, he decided the best thing to do would be to pack up a bowl and puff it through his nose. Seriously. He didn't get dry sockets, but I can't say that I recommend this strategy, especially for cigs.

[Sean of the Thread]

Go read my advice in the other thread pertaining. It's spot on.

[Hulkein]

Shit.

Going from what I regularly smoke to nothing just hurts..

Use this as motivation to quit.

[Stanley Burrell]

You're a farmer, you aren't supposed to be concerned about your dental care, let alone abstain from tobacco products.

Lotsa Jack to wash down the hydrocodone :thumbup:

[Methais]

You gotta be careful when you take those 50+ women home with you, they got that dry socket.

[Stanley Burrell]

You gotta be careful when you take those 50+ women home with you, they got that dry socket.

That's nowhere as bad as rusty cog. That'll give your willy the willies. And the Gnomish engineer AIDS.

[Stanley Burrell]

Don't even get me the fuck started on flanges and doodads. Ugh. Protect the tender bits, no matter how metallic they may be, folks.

[Celephais]

I saw the post title and thought it was talking about dry socks... I'm disappointed, I want my 114kb back.

[Tsa`ah]

Just got two teeth pulled. Molar and the wisdom tooth it was fused to.

I smoke about a pack and a half a day, and was NOT happy they told me not to smoke. Someone else posted about dry socket and it was mentioned that smoking'll cause it.

So my question is.. how MUCH smoking will cause it? I've already had one for my "post-op" care... and already want another.

The sucking is bad enough in regulars to the blood clot. Cigarette smoke decreases the flow of blood to your gums. This does some pretty nasty stuff in regards to tooth holes. The first being the smoke, in conjunction with plaque bacteria, begin to irritate the gums ... especially the area of trauma ... then it swells. Second is that it reduces the ability of oral tissue to resist said plaque.

So you're looking at the possibility of an infection or two, or dry socket using an antiseptic mouthwash more than you should.

Get a cheap "patch" refill and lightly chew on some gum until you're able to "safely" smoke again .... or quit.