Tooth extraction can be a necessary procedure if your tooth is too decayed to be repaired, if you are getting ready to get a dental implant or if there is a serious infection in the tooth.
Tooth extractions are routine procedures, but they are still dental surgery and you must follow a strict protocol afterward to avoid complications.
Why Can’t I Exercise After a Tooth Extraction?
To prevent getting a dry socket, you have to avoid mechanical straining around that area, as well as chemicals that might affect your blood circulation or coagulation.
Amongst the things you need to avoid is also exercise, especially intense exercise. Physical effort raises your blood pressure and can cause the blood clot to dislodge, making your extraction site bleed and possibly get infected.
This is why you need to take it easy a few days after a tooth extraction, get plenty of rest, and skip exercising or physical work. During the first 3-4 days, you have to let the site heal and be gentle while brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth.
The amount of time you wait before exercising depends on how complicated the procedure was. If you had a complex intervention that included tissue manipulation, you might have to pause exercising for up to a month. For simple extractions, one week is usually enough.
The aftercare of a tooth extraction site will also depend on what medication you’re on, your medical condition, whether you are a smoker or not, etc. So it’s best to ask your oral surgeon when you can exercise again.
Can Blood Clots and Dry Sockets Really Happen?
While exercise is a very important part of staying fit and healthy, rest is imperative in certain situations, including the aftercare of oral surgery.
After tooth extraction, your dental socket will not be sutured. There is blood flowing from your gum tissue, so the dentist will instruct you to bite hard on folded sterile gauzes immediately after the procedure, and in the following days. By applying pressure on the extraction site, you encourage the formation of blood clots.
Soon after the extraction, your body forms a blood clot that covers the socket and stops blood from overflowing. During the first 3-4 days after the extraction, the area must be protected to prevent getting a dry socket. This is a complication of tooth extractions in which the blood clot is dislodged and the socket is exposed to bacteria, and more prone to bleeding.
Do You Need a Tooth Extraction? Contact Rainier Smiles Dentistry
If you suspect having a tooth that needs to be extracted, visit an experienced Tacoma, WA dentist and they will investigate. Dr. Steve Hong at Rainier Smiles Dentistry will give you the best treatment options, and explain in detail how a tooth extraction needs to be taken care of.
Contact us now to book your appointment.