Can You Smoke After A Root Canal? – What expert dentists are saying?

Can you smoke after a root canal? Of course, you can. But whether you should or should not is the question. 

If you had a root canal done recently, then smoking might not be the best thing to do right now. The process leaves your mouth feeling tender and numb. But is it ok to smoke in such conditions? 

A root canal not only leaves your mouth in a condition that it needs to heal from, but it also makes your mouth vulnerable to different possible health conditions.  So, if possible, avoiding the habit of smoking during a root canal can leave your mouth in a better position. 

Can You Smoke After A Root Canal?

It is better not to smoke if you have recently had a root canal. It makes the healing process more time intensive. In addition, doing a root canal requires oral surgery. When you have a root canal, your mouth remains vulnerable following the day of the surgery.

When you have gotten a root canal, you should follow the directions that your dentist provides for a faster and better recovery process. During the first few hours of a root canal, you should avoid eating anything, and your mouth will still remain numb. 

Eating hot food or liquids or even smoking is not helpful during the first few hours after a root canal. You need to wait for the anesthesia to wear off after a root canal completely. 

Smoking after a root canal is bad for your oral health because it slows down the healing process. 

The toxin chemicals present in cigarettes are the reason behind cancer. It can spread cancer by poisoning the sensitive issues inside your mouth. In addition, smoking can reduce blood flow, the necessary supply of oxygen, and different nutrients to the gum. Due to this slowdown, your recovery process may take more time than expected.  Also, you might develop different other oral problems as well. 

Read More: How to Stay On top Of Your Oral Health

Reasons Not To Smoke After A Root Canal:

When you have a root canal, it would be best to avoid smoking. Here are a few reasons why –

• Smoking might increase the reason for getting a root canal.
• Your body is in a recovery process after a root canal. So you should avoid smoking to increase the speed of recovery. 
• The dental association of any country does not approve of tobacco products because smoking is unhealthy for the body. It is particularly not good for the root canal.

How Long After A Root Canal Can You Smoke?

To be honest, there is no specified time limit after a root canal when you can smoke. You should also remember that your mouth will be numb after a root canal. So, as doctors suggest, it is not the best time to smoke a cigarette. 

It is best to follow the instructions given by your doctor. Doctors don’t recommend several activities after a root canal. Some of them include – eating, chewing, and smoking. 

Your mouth will be numb and sensitive. So chewing and smoking will only make it worse for you. Until numbness wears off, you should not chew any food in the area of the root canal. 

Also, you could use this opportunity to stop smoking completely. Previous trials might have been failures, but who knows, this time, you might quit smoking for good. 

Alternatives To Smoking:

The addictive habit of smoking is hard to quit. However, there are several different activities you can do to slow down the feeling of wanting to smoke. Here are some recommendations –

• Make yourself busy. When you are thinking of smoking, it might be a good decision to make yourself busy. For example, you can do household work or work on a hobby.  
• You can chew gum or suck a lozenge and keep your mouth stimulated when it is craving a smoke. 
• Smoking makes your system dry. So instead, you can drink a glass of water. 
• Do exercises. You can go for a walk or run or go swimming. Playing any sport can also help you alter the feeling of needing to smoke. 
• Take a deep breath and pay some attention to your exhalations and inhalations. Take deep breaths.

Tips To Heal After A Root Canal 

Here are the simple tips to get better after having a root canal –

• Keep your head elevated when sleeping. 
• Don’t eat anything within the first few hours after having a root canal. 
• Take pain medication.
• Avoid strenuous activities for a few days. 
• Avoid reasons that might cause inflammation. 
• Gargle with salt water. 

Read More: 6 Ways To Improve Your Oral Hygiene

Frequently Asked Questions! (FAQ):

Here are some questions people ask about root canals and other related topics. 

Bottom Line:

Root canal or not, smoking has different negative effects on your health. So, it might be a good decision to quit smoking.  However, if you have a root canal, quitting smoking for the time of healing is necessary. When the root canal is completely healed, you can resume smoking. However, it is better to stick to “not smoking anymore”. 

I hope that this article was helpful. If you have any further queries, you can ask them in the comment section.

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