What causes a non-closing hole following teeth extraction?

Question

Hello doctor,

I just had eight teeth taken out, and one was a wisdom tooth. After the swelling went down, I noticed a hole but not where the wisdom tooth was. The hole is not closing, and I am afraid of food lodgement in this hole. I cannot get back to my dentist until next week, and I am afraid to eat. Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

A clinical examination or a clear picture of that hole is wanted to say what exactly could have caused it. A simple guess is that this hole could be due to the tooth removal procedure since the procedure was quite extensive. Do not panic. You can eat normally. When you visit the dentist for a review appointment, the doctor will check the healing and gently flush the socket with antiseptic liquid to remove food deposits if any. After every meal, warm salt water rinses can be followed to remove those deposits, but this should be avoided during the healing period and can be done five days after the extraction. Gargling and rinsing can disturb and delay healing. Soft tissues and socket holes take at least a couple of weeks to close completely. After your review appointment, if the healing is good, you can follow warm saltwater rinses regularly after every meal to remove food deposits till the hole closes.

Meanwhile, avoid hot, spicy, hard, and sticky foods till the extraction site heals. Mouth rinses can be performed but should be done very gently to remove food deposits and avoid probing and checking the area for healing and leave it undisturbed.

I hope this helps.

I wish you a speedy recovery.

Thank you.