Hot liquids after tooth extraction?

Blackjack

Hello all. Normally this is something I would call my dentist for, but since it's the weekend I thought I'd see if anyone here has knowledge on the subject.

On Wednesday, I had a tooth removed due to some severe damage/decay to it. They told me to avoid hot liquids (soups, coffee, tea, etc) for "a few days" as it could dislodge the clot and cause pain/bleeding. The paper of post-extraction care specifically states 24 hours as well. My question is when is it safe to go back to the wonders of hot liquids? Was 24 hours accurate? Is "a few days" (so through today) literal?

In terms of the tooth itself, it stopped bleeding after a few hours, and there don't seem to be any major problems? Pain is mostly gone, etc.

dispatch.o

I was told 3 days, no straws or hot liquids when I had my wisdom teeth out. I'd probably go with that, as I really can't see the point in risking it.

Blackjack

Yeah, definitely not wanting to risk it. Never had my wisdom teeth removed so didn't have a point of comparison there.

ceres

I'd wait at least until you can call for confirmation. You'll survive on iced coffee till you can find out from your dentist for sure, and risking dry socket is not worth it.

Windburn

IANADentist, but my understanding of the hot liquids restriction isn't because of the heat. It's because people tend to sip hot liquids (coffee, soup, etc) which creates a vacuum effect in the mouth, which can dislodge the clot. This is the same reason why straws are restricted.

Doesn't change the advice listed above. Follow the instructions to the letter and err on the side of caution.

zepherin

dispatch.o wrote: »

I was told 3 days, no straws or hot liquids when I had my wisdom teeth out. I'd probably go with that, as I really can't see the point in risking it.

That's about what my dentist told me. I was very doped up after the procedure so my memory is suspect, but I think he said 3 days as well. Honestly though the pain was so bad I didn't want to do anything for 3 days, all I drank was cool water.

Madican

Make your hot liquid then let it cool down to room temperature. I subsisted on lukewarm chicken soup for several days after my wisdom teeth were removed and it's the same deal.

EclecticGroove

Windburn wrote: »

IANADentist, but my understanding of the hot liquids restriction isn't because of the heat. It's because people tend to sip hot liquids (coffee, soup, etc) which creates a vacuum effect in the mouth, which can dislodge the clot. This is the same reason why straws are restricted.

Doesn't change the advice listed above. Follow the instructions to the letter and err on the side of caution.

Hot liquids (and spicy food too) can also increase your blood pressure and potentially dislodge something as well.
So might be a bit of both.

And yeah, better to be mildly inconvenienced for a few days than to risk something far more annoying (and potentially costly).

Gonmun

Yeah, the reason for no hot liquids has been spoken about by other posters but to reiterate it's kind of two-fold. I've had 4 teeth pulled in the past 3 years (2 wisdom and 2 back molars that were damaged by said wisdom teeth).

One reason to avoid hot liquids is because heat tends to promote blood flow which in this instance can be a bad thing with regards to having things clot properly. It was suggested to have lukewarm liquids which is a definitely good idea by allowing them to cool.

The other stated reason being that hot liquids have a tendency to cause the mouth to create a vacuum which can adversely affect clotting as well as potentially cause issues with stitches depending on how your dentist did them. Wait at least a FULL 24 hours but like others have said, it is not out of the realm to wait 3 days before having any "hot" liquids and try and go the lukewarm route carefully for that timeframe.

Blackjack

Called the dentist yesterday and the official declaration is since it has been a week, there should be absolutely no problem with having hot liquids again (with the caveat of course of "stop if it hurts")

Thanks all for the advice!

Grislo

Yeah, you can absolutely safely drink/eat whatever you want at this point.

The recommendation you get from the dentist is of course worth following, but they do tend to, for obvious reasons, err on the side of caution, so once you get to their recommended point, go crazy and suck down some boiling hot coffee through a straw (okay, maybe don't).

Blackjack

I celebrated with a pot of coffee and big bowl of pretzel sticks.