How Long Does a Tooth Extraction Hole Take to Close?

Editorially reviewed by the Dental.me Editorial Team · Updated November 2026

Editorially reviewed by the Dental.me Editorial Team · Updated November 2026

The gum over a tooth extraction hole usually closes within about one to six weeks, while the bone underneath keeps filling in for roughly three to six months. So a hole you can still see or feel two or four weeks after your extraction is often normal, especially after a molar or a wisdom tooth.

Below is a stage-by-stage timeline, how it differs by tooth, what to do about trapped food, and the signs that need a dentist.

Why the hole is still there weeks later

An extraction socket heals in two layers: gum on the surface, which closes in weeks, and bone underneath, which takes months. Cleveland Clinic describes an empty socket as healing from the bottom up, and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust notes that the gum heals very quickly compared with the bone.

That is why many people still see a dip or small crater after the pain is gone. Cleveland Clinic says you might see a small indentation while the socket fills with new tissue. That is normal healing.

The jaw ridge also shrinks after a tooth comes out. A 2023 review of socket healing found the ridge loses size fastest in the first six months, so the spot can look slightly hollow even once healed. If you plan to replace the tooth with an implant, Cleveland Clinic says you will probably need to wait a few months while the socket heals. Our guide to dental bone grafts explains when extra bone is added to the site.

Tooth extraction healing stages: a timeline

Most sockets heal in the same order, though the exact days vary from person to person and tooth to tooth.

• First 24 hours: The socket fills with blood and a clot forms. This clot protects the bone and nerves. Royal Cornwall Hospitals advises no rinsing for the first 24 hours.
• Days 2 to 3: Swelling usually peaks around 48 to 72 hours after the extraction, and Cleveland Clinic notes that day three is often the most painful day.
• Days 3 to 4: This is the usual window for dry socket, when the clot is lost and the bone is exposed. Pain that gets much worse at this point, rather than better, is the main warning sign.
• First week: The clot is gradually replaced by granulation tissue. The socket may look whitish at this stage. Cleveland Clinic says this is normal and is not a sign of infection on its own. Bleeding, pain and swelling usually ease within about a week.
• Weeks 1 to 2: The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) says that after about a week the site begins to regenerate new tissue to close it. Dissolving stitches usually disappear within about 7 to 14 days.
• Weeks 2 to 4: The opening keeps getting smaller and shallower. Royal Cornwall Hospitals says healing takes between a week and a month depending on whether the extraction was simple or surgical.
• Up to about 6 weeks: A 2017 study summarizing the healing research put the start of surface gum regrowth at around day four, with the gum surface fully covered by about six weeks.
• Weeks 6 to 8: Under the gum, the soft healing tissue in the socket is largely replaced by early, immature bone.
• Months 3 to 6: The bone fills in and firms up. Royal Cornwall Hospitals says a sharp bony edge you can feel with your tongue may take three to six months to smooth out.
• After 6 months: The 2023 review describes the main healing process as lasting about six months, with the new bone continuing to remodel for months or even years.

Small tooth vs molar vs impacted wisdom tooth

The bigger the tooth and the more surgery it took to remove, the longer the hole tends to stay open. Sources give different numbers, so treat these as ranges rather than deadlines.

• A simple extraction of a smaller tooth: Royal Cornwall Hospitals says healing takes a week to a month depending on whether the extraction was simple or surgical, and Cleveland Clinic says the jawbone usually takes several weeks to heal completely.
• A molar: Cleveland Clinic says it could take up to four months for your jaw to fully heal after a large tooth like a molar.
• An impacted wisdom tooth: Removing a tooth stuck under the gum or in bone is a surgical extraction. Cleveland Clinic says wisdom tooth sockets can take more than a month to heal, even though most people feel recovered in about two weeks. AAOMS notes that each socket has its own healing schedule, so one side may close faster.

Smoking raises the risk of complications, according to Royal Cornwall Hospitals. A socket that became dry or infected also takes longer to close. For a day-by-day look at the first two weeks after wisdom teeth come out, see our wisdom teeth recovery guide.

What to do when food gets stuck in the hole

Food in an open extraction socket is common and usually harmless, and the safest fix is a gentle rinse, never picking.

• Rinse gently with warm salt water. AAOMS advises this if food gets stuck. Recipes vary: AAOMS uses half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, while Royal Cornwall Hospitals uses one teaspoon. Take a mouthful, gently bathe the socket for about two minutes, then spit gently. See our guide to salt water rinses.
• Wait until the first day has passed. Royal Cornwall Hospitals says to start salt water rinses and remove food from the socket only after 24 hours. AAOMS warns that rinsing hard or swishing too early can disturb the clot.
• Use the irrigation syringe only if your dentist gave you one, and only as directed. AAOMS says your surgeon may give you a plastic irrigating syringe to flush food out, to use as directed until food stops getting trapped. Start dates vary between surgeons, so follow your own instructions.
• Do not pick at it. Keep fingers, toothpicks and your tongue out of the socket. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust warns that poking the wound with a finger or tongue can cause bleeding, and Great Ormond Street Hospital advises against poking a socket with fingers or anything else.
• Chew on the other side. AAOMS suggests avoiding chewing near the extraction site because food may get stuck there.

If food keeps packing into the socket and you cannot rinse it out, or the area starts to taste or smell bad, ask your dentist to check and clean it.

What’s normal and what isn’t

Healing that is slow but steady is normal; healing that reverses, with pain, swelling or discharge getting worse, is not.

Usually normal:

• A visible hole or dip two to four weeks after a molar or wisdom tooth extraction
• A whitish layer in the socket during the first week or so
• A sharp edge you can feel with your tongue for a few months
• Small pieces of bone working their way to the surface. Royal Cornwall Hospitals says these either dissolve or come out on their own. Our post on a bone fragment after tooth extraction explains more.

Not normal:

• Pain that suddenly increases a few days after the extraction, especially pain that spreads toward your ear, eye or temple, or bone you can see in the socket. These are signs of dry socket.
• Pus or white or yellow discharge, a persistent bad taste, or swelling that gets worse instead of better. Royal Cornwall Hospitals says an infected socket most often appears at least seven days after surgery.
• Fever. Cleveland Clinic lists a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher as a reason to call.
• Numbness of the lip, chin or tongue that lasts well past the four or so hours local anesthetic can last. Royal Cornwall Hospitals says nerve-related numbness after wisdom tooth removal usually recovers in a couple of weeks but can take up to six months. Tell your dentist or surgeon about it.

When to call your dentist

Call your dentist or oral surgeon if healing seems to be going backward or you have signs of infection. That includes:

• Severe pain that does not improve with pain medicine, or a sudden or persistent increase in pain
• Swelling that gets worse after the third day
• Pus or drainage from the socket
• A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
• Bleeding that does not stop after firm pressure with damp gauze
• Food that keeps packing into the socket and will not rinse out
• A socket that does not seem to be getting any smaller over several weeks

If you no longer have a dentist, or yours cannot see you soon, you can find a dentist or an oral surgeon near you on Dental.me.

Go to urgent care or the emergency room if you:

• Find it hard to breathe, speak or swallow
• Have a lot of swelling in your mouth, or find it hard to open your mouth
• Have a swollen or painful eye, or sudden changes in your vision

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for a tooth extraction hole to close?

The gum usually closes over the hole within about one to six weeks, depending on the size of the tooth and how it was removed. The bone underneath fills in over roughly three to six months and keeps remodeling after that. Molars and impacted wisdom teeth tend to take longer.

Is it normal for a wisdom tooth hole to still be open after 2 weeks?

Yes. AAOMS describes weeks two to four as a later healing phase in which the site continues to heal. A partly open socket at two weeks is common, as long as pain and swelling are easing.

My wisdom tooth hole is still open after 1 month. Should I worry?

Not necessarily. Cleveland Clinic says wisdom tooth sockets can take more than a month to heal, and the gum surface may take up to about six weeks to fully cover. If the hole is not getting smaller, keeps trapping food, smells bad or hurts more, ask your dentist to take a look.

What should I do if food is stuck in my tooth extraction hole?

After the first 24 hours, rinse gently with warm salt water and spit gently. If your dentist gave you an irrigation syringe, use it the way they showed you. Do not dig at the socket with a toothpick, finger or your tongue, because that can disturb healing and cause bleeding.

Why is there white stuff in my tooth extraction hole?

In the first week or so, a whitish layer in the socket is usually healing tissue. Cleveland Clinic notes that this whitish look is normal and is not a sign of infection by itself. Pus with a bad taste, increasing pain, swelling or fever is different and needs a call to your dentist.

When does the bone fill in after a tooth extraction?

By about six to eight weeks, most of the soft healing tissue in the socket has been replaced by early bone. The socket then fills in and firms up over the next few months, and a 2023 research review describes the main healing process as lasting about six months.

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