What if you cover your gum in tissue and smoke after an extraction?

It is not a good idea to smoke after a dental extraction, and especially not the first 24-hours, though it is better for more healing to occur than that before picking back up. If you are addicted, you might want to use a patch if you can get the patches. That is not the same as smoking, but that may help take the edge off of not smoking.

Smoking after an extraction can help cause a painful condition called dry socket. That is when you lose the blood clot and healing slows. Some of the symptoms include moderate to severe pain, an accumulation of debris or necrotic tissue, redness, swelling, slowed healing, and exposed bone.

So, in short, it is better to have nicotine cravings than it is to have pain of the socket which may sometimes radiate to an eye or ear, or may cause some glandular swelling in your throat as is common with a cold or flu.