Dental procedures can be a little terrifying, especially when they involve extracting your tooth from its roots. But thanks to anesthesia and different numbing agents, you’re most likely not going to feel a thing.
Mainly, it’s what happens after the wisdom tooth extraction surgery that’s more important. For instance, when your wisdom tooth is removed, your gums are left in an awkward situation with a very visible yet healthy hole where the tooth once used to be. This empty space might initially feel unfamiliar, but it closes right up over time.
However, the main question is, how long does it take for the hole to close after wisdom tooth extraction? Do you need to wait for weeks or months? What should you expect after a tooth extraction surgery? — To get the answers to all your questions, keep on reading this blog.
What To Expect After Tooth Extraction?
Soon after your wisdom tooth is extracted, your dentist will give you a list of instructions to follow. These guidelines will help you heal faster and prevent the extraction site from getting infected.
Moreover, even if the surgery itself is not painful, there will be slight pain afterward. You might also experience facial swelling, bleeding, and tooth sensitivity. These post-surgery symptoms tend to last for about five to seven days. By the eighth day, all your symptoms should be gone.
Reason Why Wisdom Tooth Extraction Leaves Behind A Hole
You would think that after losing a tooth, your gum would naturally slide back into place and close the gap. However, the truth is that your pearly whites are deeply connected to your jawbone. Every tooth has roots and nerve endings that extend to your jaw. So when a healthy wisdom tooth is pulled out, the space it was nestled in is abruptly emptied.
Not to mention, due to the nature of wisdom teeth, there aren’t any chances of your tooth growing back once lost. Thus, the deep socket it leaves behind is, in a way, permanently left open since there’s no bone underneath. But thankfully, the top tissue layer of the gums, known as gingiva, is what slowly grows over the opening, sealing it shut.
How Long Does It Take For The The Hole To Close After Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
Like everything else in life, it takes time for the hole to close after wisdom tooth extraction. During the initial days, an ultra-thin layer of the tissue will begin to form atop the hole. Then, once the extraction site starts to heal and the bleeding stops, the gingiva will blanket and smoothen over the first layer. This will give it the illusion that the hole is completely covered.
You can even feel a smooth and flat layer of gum tissue on top. However, underneath it all, the hole will remain, albeit smaller in size.
Ultimately, though, you can expect it to take around two weeks for the empty socket to close after the surgery.
Final Word
To put it simply, it can take your body a total of two weeks to be able to close the healthy wisdom tooth hole after the surgery. However, even after the hole has been covered with tissue, make sure to visit a dentist for an X-ray. This will help you find out the progress of your oral health and can even detect cysts that might be lying underneath.
Nonetheless, for more information, reach out to Katy Cypress Oral Surgery at (281) 667-0607. You can also drop by our clinic at 6155 N Fry Rd, suite 600, Katy, TX 77449, next to Smoothie King.