Nobody enjoys having their wisdom teeth out. It hurts, it leaves you out of action for several days and it also means you can’t eat normally for up to two weeks.
But what about vaping? Is it ok to vape after the procedure? In this post, we have all the answers you need as we look at the question, when can I vape after wisdom teeth removal?
When Can I Vape After Wisdom Teeth Removal? (The short answer)
Since people are more likely to follow advice if they understand why they’re being told to do something, we’ll delve into the topic of vaping after wisdom tooth removal in more detail in just a moment – but first, let’s start with the short answer.
After having your wisdom teeth removed, the absolute minimum amount of time you should wait before vaping is 48 hours – or two full days.
However, if you can hold off for three days, it will help your mouth heal more quickly, and if you can wait for at least four days or more, that’s even better.
But now we’ve got that out of the way, you’re likely to want to know why you need to wait this long – and also what will happen if you start vaping too soon – so let’s jump in and have a look at some of these questions in more depth.
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What happens when wisdom teeth are removed?
Let’s start at the beginning – what are wisdom teeth, why do you need to have them removed and what’s the procedure?
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt in the back of your mouth, and for most people, they emerge in their late teens or early 20s. However, for some people, they may come in later – and for some, not at all.
Usually, people have four wisdom teeth, one on each side at the top and bottom of the mouth – but again, some people might not get them all.
Unfortunately, probably due to evolutionary reasons, wisdom teeth are highly likely to become impacted or to grow out at odd angles. When this happens, they can affect other teeth, they can cause pain and they can also become infected easily.
As a result, for many people, they need to be removed – and this is an experience that around five million Americans have to endure each year.
Having wisdom teeth removed is a major surgical procedure. During removal, the patient is given painkillers, and then the dentist makes an incision into the gums to remove the teeth. Sometimes the teeth also need to be broken before they can be extracted.
After wisdom teeth removal, you won’t be able to eat solid food for at least a few days, after which you can wean yourself back onto foods that you need to chew.
Smoking and vaping after wisdom tooth removal are also highly discouraged since they can slow the healing process and put you at risk of suffering from complications. So let’s look at this now.
What complications can arise if you don’t follow the timeline?
Having your wisdom teeth removed is unpleasant enough as it is without making it worse by not following the guidelines for eating, smoking and vaping in the days and weeks after the procedure. Here are some of the things that might happen if you ignore your dentist’s advice.
1. Dry socket (alveolar osteitis)
One of the worst things that can happen after wisdom tooth removal is what’s commonly known as “dry socket” – or more technically, alveolar osteitis.
After a tooth is removed, a blood clot forms over the hole to protect the socket.
However, if this blood clot is dislodged or dissolved, it can leave the jawbone below exposed, a condition that is as unpleasant and painful as it sounds.
Smoking cigarettes greatly increases the risk of dry socket occurring. For example, one study showed that around 12 percent of people who smoked after a tooth extraction experienced dry socket. This is far higher than the number for those who don’t smoke.
The reasons smoking can cause dry socket include the action of sucking and inhaling smoke.
The heat from the cigarette and the resulting dry mouth also play a role.
Since the action and effects are similar when vaping, the risk of developing dry socket from vaping can be considered similar too.
So in short, smoking or vaping right after wisdom tooth extraction is a very bad idea.
2. Slow healing
Tobacco and many vapes contain nicotine, and nicotine may slow the healing process. This increases the risk of developing other complications such as dry socket and infections, and it also means it will take longer before you can fully return to your normal life and habits.
This is because nicotine causes vasoconstriction, narrowing the blood vessels and cutting off blood flow. It also reduces the amount of oxygen carried in the blood, and the lack of oxygenated blood reaching the site of the wound slows the healing process.
Furthermore, the heat from a vape and the potential for dry mouth that comes with it can also hinder healing.
As a result, if you want to heal as quickly as possible and put the whole experience behind you, smoking and vaping nicotine products are both highly inadvisable.
3. Infection
Putting a vape in your mouth after tooth extraction risks introducing harmful bacteria to your mouth, which can lead to an infection.
Furthermore, if you vape or smoke, the slower healing process puts the removal site at a higher risk of becoming infected, so again, vaping after wisdom tooth extraction is not recommended.
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How long should I wait to vape after wisdom teeth removal?
So now let’s look at our suggested timeline for when you can start to vape again after wisdom tooth extractions in a bit more detail.
Day 1
The first day after having your wisdom teeth pulled, you are recommended to stick to consuming only liquids such as water and smooth soup. This is because this is when the risk of dislodging the blood clot and developing dry socket is at its highest.
Similarly, smoking or vaping this early puts you at the highest risk of developing dry socket or other complications so should be avoided.
Day 2
After the first 24 hours, you can progress to eating foods like mashed potato that don’t require any chewing. However, your mouth is still in a very delicate state, and vaping at this point would still put you at an unacceptably high risk of developing complications.
Day 3
From this point on, you can start to consume foods that require a little chewing like scrambled egg. The period of the most critical risk of developing complications has passed, but you still need to be very careful.
This is the earliest point you can consider vaping – although if you can hold off for a day or two more, it will help you heal better.
Day 4-5
If you’re really dying for a vape and you’ve managed to hold off this long, now you can consider letting yourself have a few puffs.
However, start slowly and use a low wattage setting if you can since this will be the least damaging to your wound.
If not, opt for something like the Jack’s Flask 9000 Puffs from Spiritbar, a disposable vape that provides users with up to 9,000 puffs before it needs to be replaced. This is a better option than using a large and powerful mod vape that may put you at a higher risk of complications.
From this point on, the longer you can hold off without vaping, the better it is for your healing – and beyond that, it’s up to you.
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Tips to Vape After Wisdom Teeth Removal
Finally, here are a couple of tips to help you get through the procedure with a minimum of pain and discomfort.
1. Plan ahead if you know you’re likely to crave nicotine
If you know you are addicted to nicotine and are likely to cave in to your cravings, plan ahead before your wisdom tooth removal.
Consider using nicotine patches to reduce your need to vape – although you should avoid nicotine chewing gum as the chewing action can easily dislodge your blood clot.
2. Cut down on vaping and tobacco in the weeks leading up to the procedure
If you can, reduce your smoking or vaping in the weeks leading up to the procedure. This will leave your mouth and gums in a healthier condition, helping with the healing process, and it will also mean you are less likely to suffer from uncontrollable cravings.
3. Use a gauze
When you vape, place a gauze over the removal site to protect the wound. However, this will only provide minimum protection, so it doesn’t mean you can ignore the advice about waiting as long as possible before starting to vape again.
4. Ask the dentist to stitch the extraction site
If you know you won’t be able to wait two days before vaping again, consider asking the dentist to stitch the wound closed to reduce the chances of experiencing dry socket.
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Wait as long as possible – and two days is the minimum
As we’ve seen, if you can’t go without vaping, two days is considered the minimum amount of time before you start again after wisdom teeth removal.
However, to give yourself the best chance of healing properly while reducing the risk of complications, waiting three to four days or even more will help your mouth repair itself as quickly as possible.
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