What happens if you smoke marijuana after getting your wisdom teeth removed?

Dry Socket

• This is one of the most common risks associated with smoking pot following surgery, including oral surgery. This painful condition occurs when the blood clot at the site of your extraction site is dislodged too soon. In addition to increasing the likelihood of excruciating pain, dry socket also greatly slows down the healing process.

Impaired Healing

• Research suggests that smoking weed impacts both initial wound healing and long-term healing.

• While you may heal sufficiently to continue your daily activities, evidence shows that it may take months or even years to fully recover from tissue damage.

Increased Infection Risk

• While all surgical patients are given antibiotics, smoking marijuana post-op can reduce the effectiveness of these drugs. 

• Furthermore, the act of inhaling smoke can introduce bacteria and other germs directly into the open wounds in the mouth.

Increased Pain

• For many patients, dealing with post-operative pain is the most difficult part of recovering from any surgery. 

• Research shows that smoking marijuana does not effectively treat pain, and it may even make the pain worse in the long run.