Seongmo Dental Clinic · Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
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The normal course day by day, and the signs of dry socket · Seongmo Dental Clinic, Sungshin Women’s University Station · Board-certified specialist in Integrated Dentistry
💡 The short answer. Pain is worst on the day of extraction and the day after, eases from days 2 to 3 and mostly settles within a week.
Swelling peaks on day 3 and then subsides. If pain suddenly worsens on days 3 to 4 with a bad taste in the mouth, that is dry socket and you should come in straight away.
Seongmo Dental Clinic gives written aftercare instructions and checks the site at suture removal.
Contents
The socket is covered by gum over 3 to 4 weeks, and bone takes several months to fill in. Food packing in the meantime is normal and is rinsed out by the method prescribed.
A blood clot forms in the socket, covering the bone and providing the base for gum to grow over.
If that clot is lost and bone is exposed, pain worsens rather than improves 2 to 4 days after extraction, radiating to the ear and jaw, with a bad odour from the mouth.
That is dry socket. Using a straw, smoking, vigorous rinsing and hot food are the causes that dislodge the clot, and it is more common after impacted lower wisdom tooth extraction.
Irrigating the socket and packing it with medicament reduces the pain within a few days, so please come in rather than enduring it.
Swelling peaks on day 3 and mostly subsides within a week; where bruising occurs it moves down to the cheek and neck and lasts about two weeks. Difficulty opening the mouth comes from the jaw muscles tightening and resolves in about a week. Warm compresses and gently practising opening help.
Seongmo Dental Clinic gives written aftercare instructions and checks the socket at suture removal.
The criteria before extraction are in does a wisdom tooth have to come out, and the extraction itself on the wisdom tooth page.
If you are worried about your recovery, call +82-2-922-3966. 30 seconds on foot from Exit 2 of Sungshin Women’s University Station.
How many days does pain last after wisdom tooth extraction?
It is worst on the day and the next, eases from days 2 to 3 and mostly settles within a week. If it worsens again on days 3 to 4, dry socket should be checked.
When can I eat after a wisdom tooth extraction?
You can have soft food on the other side once the anaesthetic wears off. Hot, hard and spicy food is avoided for about a week.
When can I smoke after extraction?
Smoking dislodges the clot and is a leading cause of dry socket, so we advise avoiding it for at least 3 days and preferably a week.
Food gets stuck in the socket — is that all right?
It is normal for the 3 to 4 weeks before the gum covers over. Rinse gently by the method prescribed and do not dig at it with a toothpick.
Related information
Seongmo Dental Clinic opened in 1998. I have held this position as the third director since April 2022, and I have one standard for choosing equipment: if I would not use it on my own family, I do not use it on my patients.
One more scanner must not mean more treatment. If anything, it should mean cutting less, extracting less and finishing in one visit, from a more accurate original.
The goal is not to be first with new equipment, but to offer the better of what is possible today to the patient sitting in the chair.
📍 3rd floor, 2 Dongsomun-ro 20ga-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
🚉 30-second walk from Exit 2, Sungshin Women’s University Station (Parking: up to 2 hours at Utah Mall)
📞 +82-2-922-3966
📅 Mon/Wed/Fri 09:30–18:30 · Tue 09:30–20:00 (evening clinic) · Sat 09:30–14:30 (no lunch break) · Weekday lunch 13:00–14:30 · Closed Thu, Sun and public holidays
💬 Booking and enquiries: Naver Booking · Naver Talk · KakaoTalk channel · English page
🟡 Opened in 1998; third-generation director in charge of care since April 2022
⚕️ This article was written for information purposes in line with Korean medical law and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s medical advertising standards.
Equipment specifications given here come from the manufacturer’s official material and the figures on accuracy and comfort are values reported in academic literature; the outcome and course of individual treatment vary with the condition of the mouth.
Please decide on a specific diagnosis and treatment plan after consulting your treating clinician.
This article was written as of August 2026. Equipment specifications and cost-related content are reviewed and updated every three months.
Peer-reviewed sources supporting the explanations above, selected by Dr. Tae-yoon Jang (Director, Seongmo Dental Clinic). Individual results may vary.
