Every answer below gives the earliest time commonly advised and the more cautious advice, because published waiting times differ a lot, even between NHS hospitals. When in doubt, wait for the longer time and follow your own surgeon's instructions.

When can I eat or drink after a tooth extraction?

Usually after about 1–3 hours. Oxford Health says a warm (not hot) drink and food are fine after 1 hour, while Kent Community Health says nothing to eat or drink for 3 hours. Don't eat or have hot drinks until the numbness wears off, because while you're numb you can bite your cheek or burn yourself without feeling it.

When can I eat soft food, and for how long?

Once the numbness wears off, which usually takes 2–3 hours. Newcastle Hospitals says no chewing for the first 4 hours. Have lukewarm liquids and soft food for the rest of the day. After a simple extraction, stay soft until chewing feels comfortable. After surgical or wisdom tooth removal, NHS hospitals suggest a soft diet "for a week or so." The Soft Food Meal Planner builds the menus.

When can I eat normal, crunchy food?

After a simple extraction, usually after 2–3 days. Guy's and St Thomas' says solid food may be uncomfortable for 1–2 days, and Oxford Health says to avoid hot, cold, spicy, sharp or crunchy food for 2–3 days. After wisdom teeth, Cleveland Clinic says to add new foods in week 2 but save crunchy and chewy foods for weeks 3–4. Keep nuts, seeds, rice and sweetcorn away from the socket, because they can get stuck in it.

When can I use a straw after a tooth extraction?

Wait at least 24 hours (ADA MouthHealthy), and ideally a full week (Cleveland Clinic). Sucking on a straw can pull the blood clot out of the socket. Drink from a cup instead. If your surgeon says an upper tooth left an opening into the sinus, follow their advice; one leaflet says no straws for 14 days.

When can I smoke after a tooth extraction?

Wait at least 24 hours, and ideally 72 hours or longer. Leaflets range from 24 hours (Newcastle) through 48 hours (Cambridge) to 72 hours (East Sussex), which suggests a nicotine patch to help. A 2022 review found smokers had more than three times the odds of dry socket, so every extra day helps.

When can I vape after a tooth extraction?

Treat vaping like smoking: at least 24 hours, ideally 72 hours or more. This is precautionary. We found no leaflet that gives a separate time for vaping and no studies on vaping and dry socket. Cleveland Clinic says to avoid vaping along with smoking. Vaping also involves suction and usually nicotine, which is why we use the smoking times.

When can I drink alcohol after a tooth extraction?

Wait at least 24 hours. Kent Community Health says 24–48 hours. After wisdom teeth, Cleveland Clinic says to skip alcohol for at least 5 days. Alcohol can make the socket bleed again. If you were prescribed painkillers, check the label or ask a pharmacist before drinking.

When can I drink soda or fizzy drinks?

Cleveland Clinic says to skip carbonated drinks for at least 5 days after wisdom teeth, and its dry socket page says to avoid fizzy drinks while you heal. This advice is thinly sourced: we didn't find an NHS figure. Flat drinks from a cup are the safe choice in the first days.

When can I drink coffee or hot drinks?

A warm drink is fine early on, but wait for hot drinks. Cambridge says avoid hot drinks for 12 hours after the numbness wears off, Newcastle says 24 hours, and Guy's and St Thomas' says 2 days for hot food and drinks. Never drink anything hot while you're numb.

When can I exercise after a tooth extraction?

After about 48–72 hours. Rest for the rest of the first day, without bending or heavy lifting. Newcastle says no exercise for 48 hours and then build up gradually. Cleveland Clinic says skip the gym for 48–72 hours and don't lift over 10 lb. After harder surgery, some hospitals say a few days.

When can I sleep flat or on my side?

There's no published "sleep flat from day X" rule. Leaflets say to keep your head raised when resting, and Cleveland Clinic suggests extra pillows on days 1–3. After that, sleep in whatever position is comfortable. This answer is thinly sourced.

When can I go back to work or school?

Often the next day. After a local anesthetic alone, most people need no time off. After IV sedation, wait at least 24 hours. After general anesthesia, plan 2–4 days. Cleveland Clinic suggests 3–5 days of rest after wisdom teeth, longer for physical jobs. The NHS says 1–3 days off may be needed after a harder removal.

When can I drive after a tooth extraction?

After a local anesthetic alone you can usually drive, as long as you feel well. After IV sedation, wait 24 hours (King's College Hospital says until the next day). After general anesthesia, wait 48 hours. Don't drive if a painkiller makes you drowsy.

When can I rinse and spit?

After 24 hours, gently. Most leaflets say no rinsing or spitting for the first 24 hours; Whittington Health starts warm salt-water rinses at 12 hours. For the first few days, let the water sit over the socket, then let it fall out instead of spitting hard. Use 1 level teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water.

When can I brush my teeth after a tooth extraction?

Usually after about 8 hours, gently, and not right over the socket. East Sussex Healthcare says to skip brushing for the first 8 hours, then brush as normal but carefully near the wound. Oxford Health and Guy's and St Thomas' also say to brush as normal and be gentle near the wound. ADA MouthHealthy says to brush your other teeth but avoid cleaning the teeth next to the socket, and Cleveland Clinic says not to brush right over the site until your dentist says it's OK. If you have stitches, Newcastle Hospitals says to brush gently around them from day 3–4. After wisdom teeth, Cleveland Clinic says you can gently brush the new gum in weeks 3–4. The Recovery Tracker's care guide for brushing puts this in your daily checklist.

How this tool works

For each activity we collected the waiting times in NHS hospital leaflets, Cleveland Clinic and ADA MouthHealthy. We took the earliest time any of them allows and the most cautious time. From your extraction time, the tool works out when each one is reached:

Not yet: before the earliest time.
Some say OK: between the two.
Most say OK: past the most cautious advice we found.

Times count from the exact time you enter. "Sleep flat" counts calendar days, because the advice is about days 1–3. A few times depend on your answers: surgical removal makes the cautious times for crunchy food, alcohol and work longer, and sedation changes work and driving. Two activities (fizzy drinks and sleeping flat) have only one source, and vaping borrows the smoking times. Each card is labeled when that's the case.

The tool can't know your surgery's details, so your surgeon's instructions always come first. If you saved a Recovery Tracker, this page fills in your date automatically. It stays on your device.

Frequently asked questions

Why do different leaflets give different waiting times?

There's little research on exact times, so each hospital writes its own advice. For example, smoking advice ranges from 24 to 72 hours, and straw advice from 24 hours to a week. That's why we show both the earliest and the most cautious times.

Is it 24 hours from the extraction or from when I get home?

The leaflets count from the extraction. Enter the time your tooth came out and the countdowns start from then.

Can I drink water after a tooth extraction?

Yes. After about an hour, sip water or a lukewarm drink from a cup. Just don't use a straw, and don't swish it around hard for the first day.

What if I already used a straw or smoked too early?

Don't panic, and stop now. Rinse gently with warm salt water once 24 hours have passed, and watch for pain that gets worse around days 2–5. If that happens, use the Dry Socket Checker and call your dentist.

Sources

NHS. Wisdom tooth removal (Recovering from wisdom tooth removal). reviewed 12 June 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. Oxfordshire Community Dental Service – Mouth care after surgery. reviewed 18 July 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. Tooth extraction after care. last edited 8 November 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. Instructions following removal of teeth (leaflet 0338). June 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Whittington Health NHS Trust. What to do after a tooth extraction?. October 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Removing Wisdom Teeth – Information for patients (OMI 88077). May 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Removal of impacted wisdom teeth – Information for patients (PL410.7). December 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Dental surgery and recovery. reviewed January 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Surgical removal of teeth. updated 6 February 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Surgical extraction of teeth. version 6, November 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Extractions. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Cleveland Clinic. Tooth Extraction: Surgery & Healing. updated 4 April 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Cleveland Clinic. Wisdom Teeth Removal: Procedure & Recovery. updated 11 August 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Cleveland Clinic. Dry Socket: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment. updated 5 May 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Cleveland Clinic. Oral Surgery: Uses, Procedures & Recovery. updated 1 October 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Kuśnierek W et al. Dent J (Basel) 2022;10(7):121. Smoking as a Risk Factor for Dry Socket: A Systematic Review. 2022. Accessed October 26, 2026.

Last reviewed October 26, 2026 by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.