After wisdom teeth are extracted, the healing of the wound is a gradual process. Accurately determining whether wisdom teeth have healed not only concerns oral health but also enables timely detection of potential problems. Many people are confused about how to determine whether the wound has completely healed after having their wisdom teeth extracted. Next, I will explain in detail to you how to determine whether wisdom teeth have healed from aspects such as performance at different stages, key judgment indicators, and special circumstances.
Different stages and manifestations of healing
The early postoperative period (1-3 days)
On the first day after the extraction of wisdom teeth, there will be obvious pain and swelling at the extraction site. At this point, bleeding will occur at the wound site. Doctors usually ask the patient to bite a cotton ball or gauze to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. After some time, a blood clot will form at the wound site, which is the beginning of healing. The blood clot covers the wound, playing a role in protecting the wound and preventing infection. During this period, there will be a bloody smell in the mouth, which is a normal phenomenon. However, never spit frequently, as the negative pressure generated by spitting may cause blood clots to fall off, leading to rebleeding.
On the second day after the operation, the swelling may further worsen and the pain still exists. Some patients may also experience low fever, with the body temperature generally not exceeding 38℃. This is a normal response of the body to trauma. The blood clot at the wound site is gradually stabilizing, but it is still in a fragile stage and requires careful care.
On the third day after the operation, the swelling began to subside gradually, but the pain might still persist. At this point, the blood clot begins to organize, that is, gradually turns into granulation tissue, which is an important step in wound healing. If at this stage, there are abnormal conditions such as heavy bleeding at the wound site, intensified pain that cannot be relieved by painkillers, and a foul smell in the mouth, it may indicate complications such as infection or dry socket syndrome, and medical attention should be sought promptly.
Mid-term healing (4-7 days)
On the fourth day after the operation, the pain and swelling further alleviated. At this time, most patients were able to eat and live normally, but they still needed to avoid eating overly hard foods. The granulation tissue at the wound site continues to grow and gradually fills the tooth extraction wound. Meanwhile, epithelial tissue begins to grow from the edge of the wound towards the center, covering the surface of the wound.
Around the fifth day after the operation, if there are sutures at the wound site, the absorbable sutures will gradually dissolve and be absorbed by themselves. Non-absorbable sutures will be removed by the doctor 5 to 7 days after the operation. After the stitches are removed, there may still be a slight discomfort at the wound site, but this is normal and will gradually disappear over time. At this stage, it is important to maintain good oral hygiene habits. After eating, gently rinse your mouth with clean water or the mouthwash recommended by your doctor to remove food residues. However, do not forcefully rinse your mouth to avoid affecting the healing of the wound.
By the seventh day after the operation, the surface of the tooth extraction wound had initially healed, the pain and swelling had basically disappeared, and there was an initial epithelial coverage on the surface of the wound. However, at this point, the wound is still undergoing repair and has not yet fully healed.
Late healing (2 weeks – several months)
Two weeks after the operation, the epithelial tissue at the tooth extraction site was basically completely covered. Visually, the wound had healed, but the bone repair inside the wound was still ongoing. At this point, you can gradually resume your normal diet, but still avoid chewing hard food excessively to prevent affecting the healing of the wound. The discomfort in the mouth will gradually ease, and patients can basically resume their normal life and work.
As time went by, by one month after the operation, the bone repair at the tooth extraction site had made significant progress. The newly formed bone tissue gradually replaced the original blood clot and granulation tissue. However, it takes a relatively long time for the tooth socket to be completely filled with new bone, usually 3 to 6 months. During this period, although the wound has basically healed, it is still necessary to pay attention to oral hygiene and have regular oral examinations to detect and handle any possible problems in a timely manner.
Key indicators for judging the healing of wisdom teeth
Pain and swelling conditions
Pain and swelling are important indicators for judging whether wisdom teeth have healed. During the healing process, the pain and swelling will gradually subside. If, one week after the operation, the pain and swelling not only fail to subside but instead worsen, or if the pain and swelling suddenly reappear after the wound has initially healed, these may all indicate that there is a problem with the wound, such as infection. Under normal circumstances, mild pain and swelling will basically disappear within 2 to 3 weeks after the operation. If there is still obvious pain or swelling after this time, medical attention should be sought promptly for examination.
Appearance of the wound
Observing the appearance of the wound is also an important method for judging healing. A well-healed wound will have a complete epithelial coverage on its surface, with a color similar to the surrounding normal oral mucosa, and no abnormalities such as redness, swelling or ulcers. In the early stage of healing, there will be a blood clot at the wound site, which is gradually replaced by granulation tissue and epithelial tissue. If there are obvious depressions, holes, or purulent secretions, bleeding and other conditions at the wound site, it indicates that there may be problems with the wound healing. In addition, the gingival tissue around the wound should be healthy, without symptoms such as congestion or edema.
Oral function
The recovery of oral function can also reflect whether wisdom teeth have healed. When the wound has not healed, oral functions such as chewing and speaking may be affected to some extent. As the wound gradually heals, these functions will gradually return to normal. If you still cannot chew food normally for a long time after tooth extraction, or feel pain or discomfort at the wound site when speaking, it may indicate that the wound has not healed completely. At the same time, the swallowing function should also return to normal, and there should be no more symptoms such as swallowing pain.
Oral hygiene status
Good oral hygiene is an important guarantee for wound healing. Meanwhile, the condition of oral hygiene can also reflect the healing situation of the wound. If the wound heals well, there will be no obvious unpleasant smell in the mouth. On the contrary, if there is a persistent foul smell in the mouth, it is very likely that the wound has become infected, causing food residues to ferment inside the wound and produce an unpleasant odor. In addition, there should be no food impaction at the wound site. If food residues frequently enter the wound, it will affect the healing of the wound and is also prone to cause infection.
Special circumstances and precautions
Dry trough syndrome
Dry socket syndrome is a relatively common complication after wisdom tooth extraction, mostly occurring 2 to 3 days after the operation. The main manifestations are severe pain at the tooth extraction site, which can radiate to the temporal region of the ear, the submandibular area or the top of the head. The effect of oral painkillers is not obvious. The wound from tooth extraction is empty or has a putrid and degenerated blood clot, with a strong putrid smell. If these symptoms occur, medical attention should be sought immediately. Dry socket syndrome can seriously affect wound healing and requires doctors to perform debridement, dressing changes and other treatments to promote wound healing.
Delayed wound healing
Due to individual differences, systemic diseases (such as diabetes, blood system diseases, etc.), improper postoperative care and other reasons, some patients may experience delayed wound healing. It is manifested as a significantly prolonged wound healing time, exceeding the normal healing time. The wound still has pain and swelling, and the surface is not completely covered by epithelium, etc. For patients with delayed wound healing, it is necessary to actively treat systemic diseases, strengthen postoperative care, and use healing promoting drugs under the guidance of a doctor when necessary.
Bone repair situation
Although it is difficult to directly observe the bone repair inside the tooth extraction wound from the outside of the oral cavity, it can be understood through regular oral X-ray examinations. One to two months after the operation, doctors usually recommend that patients take X-rays to check the growth of the bone in the tooth extraction socket. If the bone repair is good, the tooth extraction socket will gradually become shallower and new bone will form. If bone repair is slow or abnormal, further examination and treatment may be required.
Conclusion
Judging whether wisdom teeth have healed requires a comprehensive consideration of multiple aspects. By observing indicators such as pain and swelling, the appearance of the wound, oral function and oral hygiene status, and combining the characteristics of different healing stages, we can roughly determine whether the wisdom tooth wound has healed. If you have any doubts about the healing of the wound or notice any abnormalities, be sure to consult a doctor in a timely manner to receive a professional diagnosis and treatment. Maintaining good oral hygiene habits and following the postoperative instructions of the doctor are the keys to promoting the smooth healing of wisdom tooth wounds.
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