Tooth Extracted! How long for gum to heal??

[dealmaker]

Had a rear molar removed (upper - right at back).

Seems like I have a HUGE hole in the gum now??? Will it fill itself in?? How long for it to heal over and for it not to bother me???

Thanks!

[Seti]

Mine was inthe same place and took about a week to heal (although I was careful not to brush the area of eat anything too hard on that side of the mouth for a couple of weeks).

Make sure you don't smoke in the first three days and rinse regularly with salt water.

[davhill]

Yes, about a week. I had my right rear lower molar pulled and the socket's beginning.to close up nicely. As the man says, salty water rinses help. The.dentist also.advised.me.to steer.clear.of mouthwash for.a.while.

[Elroy Blue]

Last time I had a tooth removed I developed a 'dry socket'. Possibly the most painful experience I have ever had.

The only thing I could take was warm salty water which certainly helped.

[dealmaker]

Why does salty water help??? Curious?

I have been using mouthwash twice a day (assuming it would keep the germs at bay?)

My crater seems as big as it did on Tuesday when tooth was removed! Arghhh!

[MacGee]

It ell definitely be healed in five years time !

[davhill]

dealmaker said:

Why does salty water help??? Curious?

I have been using mouthwash twice a day (assuming it would keep the germs at bay?)

My crater seems as big as it did on Tuesday when tooth was removed! Arghhh!

Too aggressive, apparently.

[K77 CTR]

I had a wisdom tooth removed in August and it's still not fully closed

[wendyg]

Salty water is a fairly good antibacterial in the short term.
In terms of healing, it depends on exactly what you mean. For a normal molar tooth socket I would expect a decent seal over the top of the socket in 10 days and the gum to be meeting in the middle in 3-4 weeks, but I would not expect full bony infill for 18 months. It can be a long process, and depends on lots of factors.

[Halb]

Is using Corsodyl ok?
I have sometimes thought about having my rear wisdom tooth extracted, there is a flappy bit of skin on one side and I have considered an operculectomy, but my dentist warned me against it.
It's a bugger to make sure nothing gets caught, I constantly need to have a toothpick standing by.

[wendyg]

Halb said:

Is using Corsodyl ok?
I have sometimes thought about having my rear wisdom tooth extracted, there is a flappy bit of skin on one side and I have considered an operculectomy, but my dentist warned me against it.
It's a bugger to make sure nothing gets caught, I constantly need to have a toothpick standing by.

Corsodyl (chlorhexidine) is the gold standard for mouthwashes, but really is too strong for regular use. Short-term (3-4 weeks) is good for gum infections. If you are generally healthy, you shouldn't need it after a normal tooth extraction.

Talk to your dentist again if you are having ongoing maintenance problems with your wisdom tooth. If operculectomy is not possible (usually anatomical reasons), then extraction of the tooth is a possibility. However very often the risk of surgery (swelling, pain, etc) and complications (nerve damage, worst case scenario a permanently numb lip)puts this decision on a fine balance between risk and benefit.

[poo at Paul's]

Elroy Blue said:

Last time I had a tooth removed I developed a 'dry socket'. Possibly the most painful experience I have ever had.

The only thing I could take was warm salty water which certainly helped.

Second worse pain in medicine they reckon, to gall bladder pain.

2 weeks of utter misery with my dry socket, then it began to just hurt!