Cigarettes and oral surgery

Fandyien

Alright, so here's this situation. I'm a light smoker - I averge 2-3 cigarettes a day, sometimes 4 - and I'm going in for an oral surgery procedure in a few days. My pre-surgery preparatory guide said that tobacco use is detrimental to the healing process and you should abstain aftew surgery. While this makes sense and I'd like to abide by it, I was wondering if anyone here has any first hand experience with tobacco usage and dental operations of any kind.

Among the symptoms that could be prolonged or caused by smoking, the pamphlet lists "dry socket". What exactly does that indicate? Are there any other side effects you guys know of, especially in regards to anesthesia?

Uncle Long

Not directly related but this is an excellent time to try nasal snuff! I do it when I'm indoors and need a quick nicotine fix. It's also good for reducing nicotine dosage if you think you may want to quit.

Seriously, give it a try, it's cheap and will work while you heal.

I don't know about the rest of it... other than I think tobacco has a tendency to repress the auto-immune system, I believe. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Lewisham

Dry socket is when the area around the extracted tooth becomes dry, which you really don't want, because that means there is no blood there healing the wound.

Just get some nicotine patches and tough it out man, having just had my wisdom teeth out, I can tell you it's not something to fuck with once it's done.

General anesthesia made my throat hurt (because of the intubation). Again, another not ideal smoking situation

Mumblyfish

Dry socket is a common complication. A blood clot is on the surgical site is dislodged, exposing bone and nerve endings to air, food and, if you're going to put on your stupid hat immediately after oral surgery, soft drinks. It is rather painful, and the pain can take upwards of a week to subside. As your dentist has already told you, smoking increases the risks of dislodging a blood clot. The effects of smoking on the immune system will play some part in this, but it is mainly due to the pressure caused by sucking on a cigarette. Sucking puts a lot of pressure on healing wounds, which dislodges them, which causes pain. More pain than a few puffs on a cigarette is worth. For this reason you should also refrain from drinking through a straw.