“What color should a tooth extraction site be?”
My 19 year old son had his tooth extracted. I want to know what color should a tooth extraction site be?
6 Answers
The extraction site can undergo changes as a normal part of healing. One of the first phases of healing can be off white granulation tissue and could be misinterpreted as infection or pus which could also be white. If concerned, contact the dentist who extracted the tooth.
Within two weeks - darker pink somewhat red and inflamed after it has healed up, lighter pink, or should match the rest of the tissue color in the mouth.
Hello,
Sorry to hear that your 19 year old son had to have a tooth extracted. The extraction site can be a few different colors depending on what is going on. We would like to see a nice pink gingiva (gum tissue) with a darker reddish area in the middle. This is usually what an extraction site without complications usually looks like.
However, there could be variations to this appearance if there was periodontal disease before the tooth was extracted. This would look similar but there would be little of the pink area and more of the dark red area.
Secondly, the area can be red with splotchy areas of white. This is a common presentation of dry socket. The color will change back to the pink after healing of the tooth. If the tooth that was extracted was a wisdom tooth, then dry socket is more likely.
The trick with dry socket is that it has very different appearances in different people. Some times it can look real white and somtimes it can have some yellow to it. The problem with this is that lots of white or yellow can suggest other things like infection.
As always the best thing to do with something that looks concerning is to call the doctor who extracted the tooth and consult with him/her. If unsatisfied with this a second opinion can be helpful. Hope this helps.
My best to you and your son!
William F. Scott IV, DMD
Sorry to hear that your 19 year old son had to have a tooth extracted. The extraction site can be a few different colors depending on what is going on. We would like to see a nice pink gingiva (gum tissue) with a darker reddish area in the middle. This is usually what an extraction site without complications usually looks like.
However, there could be variations to this appearance if there was periodontal disease before the tooth was extracted. This would look similar but there would be little of the pink area and more of the dark red area.
Secondly, the area can be red with splotchy areas of white. This is a common presentation of dry socket. The color will change back to the pink after healing of the tooth. If the tooth that was extracted was a wisdom tooth, then dry socket is more likely.
The trick with dry socket is that it has very different appearances in different people. Some times it can look real white and somtimes it can have some yellow to it. The problem with this is that lots of white or yellow can suggest other things like infection.
As always the best thing to do with something that looks concerning is to call the doctor who extracted the tooth and consult with him/her. If unsatisfied with this a second opinion can be helpful. Hope this helps.
My best to you and your son!
William F. Scott IV, DMD