With the summer months upon us, we’re all looking forward to getting out to the water. If you’re among the countless Americans who undergo a surgical or dental procedure each year, you might be pondering how to adjust your summertime plans to account for it. Dental surgery can address oral health concerns in the gums, jaw, teeth, or other oral tissues. It’s often needed to address oral health concerns such as jaw bone loss, severe cavities, dental trauma, impacted teeth, and oral cancer, among others. While effective, it’s essential to understand the impact it may have only on our everyday activities during recovery. The team here at Dentistry of Miami is available to help you understand how to protect your oral health while recovering from surgery and when it’s safe to return to swimming.
How To Know When You Can Return To Swimming After Dental Surgery
Let’s start with the good news. In most cases, you can return to swimming following your dental surgery. It’s advisable to give it a day or two before heading out to the water, though the absolute minimum amount of time to wait is until the anesthesia wears off. However, the longer you relax and wait before hitting the water again, the faster your body will heal. This is a general guideline for swimming after dental surgery; specific procedures may require you to wait longer. A dental extraction is a relatively minor surgery, but it’s best not to hit the water immediately. You’d be better off waiting at least 24 hours. Ideally, you’ll wait until the tooth heals, but you don’t need to. This varies from surgery to surgery, starting at least 24 hours. Some surgeries require you to wait two weeks before hitting the water again. In fact, this is the best plan overall.
So why is it essential that you wait?:
- Water tends to be a perfect environment for bacteria to grow and thrive. Surgery inevitably results in you having less protection from these bacteria as your incision site, or extraction point, is still open wounds.
- Dental extractions produce a blood clot in the hole left after the tooth is removed. This clot protects the oral tissues from infection and debris. If this clot gets knocked out or washed out, the result is a condition called dry socket. It’s uncomfortable and exposes your oral tissues to infection.
- The strenuous activity also promotes bleeding, while water can interfere with clots forming as it washes the blood away before it can solidify. Further, oral discomfort tends to elevate in response to this activity.
If you have an upcoming dental surgery, it’s essential to plan your summertime activities appropriately. Make sure you have time to recover before you head back out to the water. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
Contact Dentistry of Miami For More Summertime Oral Safety Tips
The summer months tend to see a spike in oral injury due to increased activity. Being more active is essential for our health and is an excellent way of burning off stress and bonding with friends and family. Ensure you can do so safely by calling (305) 598-2622 today! We’ll schedule an appointment with Dr. Eduardo Solorazan or Dr. Furshman at our clinic in Miami, FL!
