Can smoking cause dry socket?

Cigarette smoking or other tobacco use can delay healing of dry socket. That's because the sucking action on the cigarette can dislodge the clot that is forming in order to heal the socket. This should be avoided for the first three to five days or so while the area around the tooth extraction is healing.

Your dentist will advise you of what other post extraction regimens to follow.

I hear questions about dry socket, rather regularly. In the great majority of cases, removal of a tooth is a routine procedure, and is followed by a period of very little discomfort. In a small percentage (less than 5%) of cases, a dry socket may develop, which is usually quite painful. Causes seem to vary, but perhaps the most common is loss of the clot forming in the extraction site. This is usually caused by smoking during healing, and other forms of suction -- like using a straw. Consumption of carbonated beverages early in the healing process can also dissolve the clot. Follow post-op instructions carefully, to help make your experience as easy a possible.

Smoking can cause dry socket, a painful condition when a blood clot dislodges after a tooth extraction. The sucking motion of cigarette smoking can pull the clot from the hole in your gum. Also, the chemicals in cigarettes prevent your body from healing quickly. When you smoke, you inhale harmful toxins that decrease your supply of red blood cells to the wound. When having a tooth removed, it's best to avoid smoking both before and after the procedure.