Why is it bad to smoke cigarettes after having teeth pulled?

Because during the healing process, when your gums start to produce scar tissue to cover up the big hole in your mouth from the missing tooth, the inhalation from smoking can cause that tissue to break loose from your gums- which then will lead to a longer healing process. Besides that, the nicotene in cigarettes isn't good for the open wound in your mouth. It's like inviting the toxins from the cigarettes into your blood stream...like chewing tobacco leads to gingivitis..

Yes, I smoked after having an extraction. Got a dry socket too. It hurt so bad that I swore I would quit smoking if the pain would stop. It has now been over a week, packed three times, and still painful. The next step is to scrap the area to start another clot again since it still won't heal. Smoking can dislodge or dissolve the clot. It also decreases blood flow to the area. The area needs the blood flow to heal. I have since quit smoking and if I could do it all over again, I would have stopped that first day.

Short Answer.... It can lead to slower healing/infection.

Long Answer.....

After a tooth extraction, a blood cloth slowly forms in the hole left in the bone by the removed tooth. This blood cloth is the initial phase of the healing process. The blood clot’s formation can be slowed down when a person smokes, either from the suction done during the smoking action, or from the chemical toxins that come from a cigarette. This can lead to complications such as a dry socket, which is a temporary and very painful condition that occurs when the blood cloth forms slowly.

I think after you have teeth pulled there is a gooey blood clot that forms over the space. You do not want to dislodge this as you may get a dry socket- bacteria in the hole, really painful. That's why they tell you to not suck anything thru a straw after wards. I'm pretty sure puffing a smoke might do the same.

Several reasons. 1. The smoke and heat dries out the socket and prevents clot formation/dries out the clot preventing healing. 2. Smoking reduces healing/immune system. The smoke reduces circulation to the socket which reduces/prevent healing. If healing doesn't take place or is caused to stop, you get infection, big gaping sore, pain, etc. Wear a nicotine patch to help with cravings.

For the same reason that you are told not to use a straw. The same suction action occurs with smoking or using a straw; this can cause enough pressure to dislodge the forming clot, causing a dry socket to develop.

SMOKING REDUCES BLOOD FLOW TO THE TISSUES HENCE DELAYED HEALING AND AN INFECTION KNOWN AS ALVEOLAR OSTEITIS/ DRY SOCKET. THIS PAIN NORMALLY OCCURS 48 HOURS AFTER THE TOOTH HAS BEEN EXTRACTED. MY PATIENTS REPORT THAT THIS TYPE OF PAIN CAUSED BY THIS INFECTON IS FAR WORSE THAN ANY TOOTHACHE

Because the sucking action can open up the wounds inside your mouth, and cause additional bleeding.