Smoking after surgery

Even though many smokers find it difficult, immediate smoking after a root tip resection is not advisable and should be avoided. The wound needs time to heal, which is unnecessarily delayed and complicated by the influence of a cigarette. It is recommended to refrain from smoking for at least the first two weeks.

By inhaling the substances in the cigarette, such as nicotine, tar, heavy metals, carbon monoxide, ammonia, dust, etc. unclean particles get into the mouth cavity and settle on the wound. These “impurities” can cause an inflammation at the wound.

This can be imagined as an injury to the hand or leg, into which “dirt” is then placed. In this case, the wound will also become inflamed and cause pain. The edges of the wound do not approach each other and the tissue is irritated.

In this case a dentist should be consulted to disinfect the wound and remove the impurities. Another factor caused by smoking is reduced blood circulation. The gums are not sufficiently supplied, so that the healing of the wound is delayed.

To achieve good healing, sufficient blood circulation is important. In general, it is recommended not to smoke after an operation, as the organism is weakened and circulation problems, nausea or even vomiting can occur. Not only after an operation can smoking have a harmful effect on oral health.

Nicotine consumption is one of the positively influencing factors of periodontitis, which can eventually lead to tooth loss. The risk of an inflammation of the jaw or gums is five times higher. The reduced blood circulation also plays a role here.

Nicotine causes the blood vessels to contract and the gums to have poorer blood supply. This makes it harder for important cells of the immune system to reach the gums and reduces the body’s resistance. A particularly insidious aspect of this is that the gums of a smoker do not bleed as quickly and thus an inflammation is only visible at a late stage.

This inflammation is usually already in an advanced stage. In this case, the healing of such an inflammation also proceeds more slowly. Furthermore, the susceptibility to caries is also increased.

Caries continues to attack the tooth until it has reached the pulp.A root canal treatment or even an apicoectomy may be necessary. In the worst case, however, the extraction of the natural tooth. If you smoke, it is important to spend a lot of time and attention on good oral hygiene.

Professional tooth cleaning several times at the dentist is also recommended. This is the only way to safely remove the plaque that has developed. This not only promotes dental health, but also the appearance of the teeth. The teeth discolour more quickly due to tobacco consumption. A yellowish film develops especially between the teeth.