{"id":394,"date":"2023-12-13T23:38:56","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T23:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/?p=394"},"modified":"2024-01-10T23:40:37","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T23:40:37","slug":"fly-after-extraction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/2023\/12\/13\/fly-after-extraction\/","title":{"rendered":"Flying the Friendly Skies After Tooth Extraction"},"content":{"rendered":"
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While dentists always want to avoid extracting teeth, doing so is sometimes necessary to preserve a patient\u2019s oral and overall health. Tooth extractions<\/a> can alleviate chronic pain, prevent further injuries or infections, and keep teeth from being forced out of alignment, but the recovery period afterward isn\u2019t known for being free of unpleasant aftereffects. Here are a few issues that can arise when traveling by air after tooth extraction and a few tips for alleviating them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Are the Dangers of Flying After Tooth Extraction?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s crucial that you take twenty-four to forty-eight hours to rest and heal after having a tooth extracted. Your dentist will provide you with aftercare instructions and prescriptions to help keep the process smooth, complication-free, and as comfortable as possible, so take care to follow them precisely. Neglecting to do so can lead to discomfort, pain, and delays in the healing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you fly within the first two days after tooth extraction, you may be in for quite an unpleasant experience. As an aircraft gains altitude, the air pressure decreases, and this can agitate or even injure the surgical site, causing discomfort or even dry socket. Dry socket is a miserably painful condition that happens if a blood clot comes loose from an extraction site, exposing the distressed tissue, nerves, and jawbone beneath it. If you have dry socket, over-the-counter pain medication may be woefully insufficient to give you any significant relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can I Make Sure My Extraction Site Heals Properly If I Have to Fly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The best way to avoid the complications that can arise from flying after tooth extraction is to wait a few days before you fly and take excellent care of the surgical wound during that time. If this is not possible, here are a few ways you can mitigate the risks and treat discomfort:<\/p>\n\n\n\n