There are certain situations that require you to stop smoking weed and there are others that you may have questions about. For example, you most likely already know that you shouldn’t be smoking weed before you have an operation done but what are the rules regarding smoking weed after? One operation that many are curious to know more about in regards to weed consumption is wisdom teeth removal. Specifically, users want to know whether or not it is okay to smoke weed after having their wisdom teeth pulled. In this article, we will further evaluate this question and look over the advantages and disadvantages of marijuana use after a wisdom teeth removal procedure.
Why It Isn’t Good to Smoke After Wisdom Teeth Removal
Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to smoking weed after you have had your wisdom teeth removed and, even worse, these drawbacks are pretty severe and painful. Here are two of the main reasons why you probably shouldn’t reach for your bud while your wisdom teeth wounds are healing.
Dry Socket
When you have a tooth removed, the tooth is extracted from the socket in which it is attached to the bone and the body will clot the area with blood in order to protect the bone and the nerves that were previously attached to the tooth. In some instances, this blood clot will somehow be displaced from the site, causing intense pain in a condition known as dry socket. Not everyone who has a tooth removed has to deal with this issue but smoking substances is one of the activities that can increase your risk. If you would prefer to avoid pain after your wisdom tooth surgery, avoid smoking marijuana.
Dry Mouth
Smoking marijuana has one major side effect: dry mouth. While this isn’t too big of an issue on a regular basis, dry mouth can also cause issues that can lead to dry socket and it contributes to poor oral hygiene as bacteria are allowed to develop if the mouth isn’t properly hydrated. This is not good for the recovery process and could negatively affect your healing if you choose to smoke weed while you still have wounds.
Is Smoking Cannabis Bad for Your Teeth?
Another major question (while not necessarily pertaining solely to wisdom teeth surgery) is whether or not smoking cannabis is bad for your teeth. Overall, smoking, in general, is bad for oral health, which means that cannabis falls into this category. Smoking tends to lead to increased decay and more bacteria and plaque growth that breaks down the teeth and the gums. If you are one who is involved in good oral hygiene, smoking weed can actually produce adverse effects.
How to Consume Marijuana Safely After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
If you insist on consuming marijuana after wisdom teeth removal, there are some alternative ways to take the substance that can be better for your overall health and recovery. For those who are interested in these alternatives, take a look at a couple of our suggestions below.
Vape
While not entirely better, vaping is slightly better than smoking marijuana and will help you achieve the same effects while reducing some of the impact. However, it should be kept in mind that vaping can still carry some of the same side effects as marijuana such as dry mouth and dry socket. If you are looking to avoid this risk entirely and would prefer to go with a method that didn’t pose as many risks, it would be best to avoid vaping as well as smoking until the wounds left over from your wisdom teeth surgery have been completely healed.
Edibles
Another option you could choose to pursue is taking edibles in place of smoking. Edibles come in a wide variety of treats, which means that you can get them in pretty much any form that you desire. However, this depends on the results of your surgery. Say, for example, that your wisdom teeth wounds were sewn shut. If this is the case, you are more likely to be able to start eating solids shortly after receiving the procedure and can eat edibles that are safe for your mouth and provide you with your desired THC dosage. If you have wounds that are open, however, you mostly have to avoid solid foods, which can be a big disadvantage. In instances like these, try to find edibles that can be mixed in with drinks like smoothies or can simply be swallowed so that you can receive the benefits. If you do choose edibles in either case, make sure to carefully rinse so that no food particles are left in the exposed wound during the healing process.
CBD
If you’re having quite a bit of trouble finding a way to get your marijuana into your system, you could consider straight CBD or CBD mixed with THC as a way to reap the benefits that the hemp plant has to offer. CBD is well-known for being offered in liquid form that can then be added to drinks, which is perfect for those who have to avoid their wounds while they are recovering. In addition, some of these products have THC mixed into them so that you can easily get a certain dose of cannabis with each use. Try out these products if you are interested in the potential medical effects rather than simply recreational use.
How It Can Help
Just as there are negatives to smoking marijuana while healing, there are positives as well. To understand what marijuana can do for you while you are healing after your surgery, here are some of the most notable benefits of cannabis consumption after surgery.
Pain
While it is not the worst pain you will experience in your life, wisdom tooth pain can be uncomfortable and may increase if you end up with complications like dry socket, which often results in severe aches and pains. It can also simply hurt due to the fact that you have several nerves that are now in contact with the environment of your mouth since the tooth has been removed. Because of this, prescription medications are often prescribed after surgery but some individuals may prefer to avoid these types of medicines entirely. A suitable replacement can be THC, which helps to relax the body and keep the mind off the pain, making it easier for you to go about your day without feeling the consequences.
Inflammation
Despite being a healing process, inflammation only increases the discomfort and pain after wisdom teeth removal. THC and possibly CBD can help to calm down the inflammation around your wounds to ease the pain when it starts acting up. The less severe the inflammation, the more bearable the after-effects.
Conclusion
Smoking marijuana may be a daily ritual for some but there are times where it is okay and times where it can cause more harm than good. If you have recently had a wisdom teeth surgery or are having one in the near future and were wondering how smoking marijuana can impact that, this guide above will give you a glimpse into the advantages and disadvantages of this activity in this post-surgery situation.
