Here's a day-by-day guide to normal extraction healing, so you know what to expect and when to call your dentist.
Day 1: Fresh Extraction Site
- Dark red blood clot filling the socket
- Swelling beginning around the area
- Possible oozing of blood (normal for first few hours)
- Pink, slightly puffy gums around the site
What's normal:
- Some bleeding for 2-4 hours
- Blood clot looking dark red or maroon
- Slight swelling
- Tender gums
What's NOT normal:
- Heavy bleeding that won't stop
- No blood clot forming (empty hole)
- Severe pain not helped by medication
Days 2-3: Blood Clot Stabilizes
- Blood clot may look darker (dark red/brown)
- Swelling at its maximum (day 2-3)
- Clot may have grayish or yellowish areas
- Gums may look slightly white or gray around edges
What's normal:
- Clot changing colors
- Peak swelling
- Some throbbing or aching
- Bad taste in mouth
What's NOT normal:
- Lost blood clot (dry socket)
- Severe, worsening pain on day 3+
- Fever
- Pus or foul discharge
Days 4-7: Granulation Tissue Forms
- White or cream-colored tissue forming over clot
- This is granulation tissue (NOT pus or infection)
- Socket may look smaller
- Swelling decreasing
What's normal:
- White tissue over the socket (healing tissue)
- Decreasing pain
- Reduced swelling
- Still a visible hole
What's NOT normal:
- Increasing pain after day 3-4
- White tissue that smells bad
- Fever or spreading swelling
Week 2: Socket Filling In
- More white/pink tissue covering the area
- Socket definitely smaller
- Gums starting to close over
- Minimal to no pain
What's normal:
- Soft tissue covering most of the socket
- Pink, healthy-looking gums
- Tenderness when eating directly on it
- Small indentation remaining
What's NOT normal:
- Socket that looks the same as day 1
- Ongoing moderate/severe pain
- Any signs of infection
Weeks 3-4: Socket Mostly Closed
- Gums mostly or completely closed
- Small indentation may remain
- Tissue is pink and healthy
- No more soreness
Timeline to full healing:
- Soft tissue: 2-4 weeks
- Bone filling in: 2-4 months
- Complete bone remodeling: 6-12 months
Long-term appearance:
- Gum will be flat or have slight dip
- Bone fills in underneath
- Area looks normal
Signs of Complications
- Severe pain starting day 2-4
- Visible bone in socket (white/gray bone, not soft tissue)
- Pain radiating to ear
- Bad taste/smell
Infection (call dentist):
- Fever
- Increasing swelling after day 3
- Pus or discharge
- Bad smell that doesn't improve
Normal vs concerning:
- Yellow/white SOFT tissue = normal healing
- Gray/white HARD tissue visible = possible dry socket
- Decreasing pain = normal
- Increasing pain after day 3 = concerning
Key Takeaways
The key things to watch: pain should decrease after day 3, you should never see exposed bone, and swelling should peak around day 2-3 then improve.
When in doubt, call your dentist. It's always better to have them check a normal healing socket than to ignore a problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should tooth extraction look like when healing?
Day 1-3: dark blood clot. Days 4-7: white/cream granulation tissue covering the clot. Week 2+: pink tissue closing over the socket. The socket gradually fills and closes over 2-4 weeks.
Is white stuff in extraction site normal?
Yes, white or cream-colored soft tissue is normal—this is granulation tissue, the body's healing response. This is different from exposed bone (dry socket) which is hard and visible.
How do I know if extraction is healing properly?
Signs of proper healing: pain decreasing after day 2-3, blood clot present, white soft tissue forming by day 4-7, swelling improving after day 3, no fever or foul smell.
Medical Disclaimer
The information provided on Urgent Dental Helper is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is NOT intended to be a substitute for professional medical or dental advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist, physician, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a dental or medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
