It’s not uncommon for teenagers to have their wisdom teeth removed as they come in, especially if they’re getting impacted or crowding other teeth and causing misalignment issues. However, there are also plenty of adults who elect to have their wisdom teeth removed later on.
For some, removing them is unnecessary if they grow fine and have no impact on other teeth. That said, the fact that they’re in the back of your mouth can make them hard to clean, leading to issues like cavities. At some point, it may be in your best interest to have them removed.
Whether you go under general anesthesia for this process or the extractions are simple enough that your wisdom teeth can be pulled like normal teeth with little more than Novocain, you will experience some downtime following the procedure. It generally takes at least two weeks for your mouth to fully heal, and you’ll have some swelling for the first 2-4 days following the extraction.
How can you reduce swelling and speed the healing process after tooth removal? You can take several steps to facilitate recovery and keep pain and swelling to a minimum.
Rest and Recover
This is very important – you must plan to rest for at least a few days following wisdom tooth extraction. It’s best to avoid strenuous activity and give yourself adequate time to heal. First and foremost, you need to make sure the bleeding subsides, and blood clots form so the sockets can start to heal.
If you’re up and at them the same day or the day after, you could reopen wounds and increase bleeding, healing time, and risk of infection. Spending a couple of days on the couch, packing your mouth with gauze, and taking other precautions is the best way to ensure proper healing and minimize swelling and potential discomfort.
Anti-Inflammatory Medication
After any surgery, pain symptoms are to be expected. With proper treatment, you can avoid the onset of pain. Anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen will help reduce swelling and alleviate discomfort, but depending on your threshold for pain, you may also want to take the painkillers your dentist prescribes.
Often, you can take them simultaneously or trade them off to maximize benefits. Some patients don’t need painkillers, and ibuprofen does the trick. You’ll want to ensure you start taking it before the anesthesia completely wears off and continue taking it at regular intervals after that. In other words, get ahead of the pain if you want to control it.
Icing
Swelling is a normal bodily response to trauma, such as tooth removal, but you can help control it in various ways. One of the best options is using ice packs, which will not only address the swelling but also help to numb the area if you’re experiencing some pain.
You never want to put ice directly on your skin, so wrap your ice pack in a thin towel. You can apply it for about 20 minutes if it’s comfortable and then remove it for about 20 minutes before reapplying. This could help immensely during the first couple of days after surgery.
Stick to Soft Foods
The last thing you want to do is stab your healing sockets with something hard or sticky, so eating only soft foods in the days following the removal of wisdom teeth is best. Cold, soft foods like ice cream, Jell-O, pudding, and yogurt can be especially soothing during the first couple of days, after which you can start adding mashed potatoes, pasta, eggs, and other soft foods that are more filling and nourishing.
Sipping milkshakes might be a good idea, but you must avoid using straws for at least a few days. Using a straw’s suction could damage blood clots in the sockets, causing them to come loose and set off bleeding again.
Clean Carefully
Cleaning can be tough for several days following oral surgery, so you’ll want to follow your dentist’s instructions to a tee. For the first few days, you’ll use saltwater rinses, after which you can probably begin brushing, as long as you’re careful to avoid the sockets. Your dentist may provide you with a small syringe that you can use to gently flush the area around the sockets to remove food and bacteria until they are fully healed.
Wisdom teeth removal is one of the most common dental surgeries and can be associated with some painful memories for many adults. It seems like everyone has a story about their experience, whether it's what crazy thing they said while the anesthesia was wearing off or what they wish they would've known about recovery before going under. To help keep recovery stories on the lighter side, we made a quick overview of what to expect after your wisdom teeth extraction and how to make your recovery as painless as possible.
What to Expect
The wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last adult teeth to surface, usually between the ages of 17 and 21. Wisdom teeth are not necessary for a healthy smile, and not everyone keeps them. If wisdom teeth do not grow in properly, which usually happens because they do not have enough room to emerge, they can create serious problems. When this happens, the wisdom teeth can crowd the mouth and cause future oral health problems like pain and infection.
According to the American Dental Association, people should have their wisdom teeth checked before the age of 20 to see how they are growing in and check for wisdom teeth impaction while the roots are developing. Your dentist or oral surgeon will most likely recommend that you have the final molars removed in a single outpatient procedure. Although wisdom tooth extraction is an outpatient procedure, it is considered a form of major surgery. During the surgery, general anesthesia or local anesthesia, will be used to make it more comfortable, but after it wears off, you can expect some discomfort and pain. Ask your dentist which type of sedation to expect so you can be prepared when you wake up from surgery, at which time recovery begins.
Taking Care of Yourself After Surgery
After your wisdom teeth removal, you can expect to have some pain, swelling, and light bleeding. Your dentist should tell you how to take care of your mouth after the surgery, but here are some of the most common suggestions for a healthy recovery.
- Be careful not to dislodge the blood clot form where your teeth were removed
- Avoid brushing, spitting, flossing, rinsing, or drinking from a straw for the first day of recovery
- Do not consume solid foods, alcohol, coffee, soda or hot beverages in the first few days after your surgery
Recovery Time
Wisdom teeth recovery usually takes three to four days. However, if your teeth were impacted, it could take as long a week to heal. Pain after wisdom tooth extraction usually lasts from 3 days to one week, unless you experience an infection or dry socket, which happens when the blood clot gets dislodged from the extraction site. You can expect swelling of the mouth and cheeks to go down in 2-3 days and the stiffness and soreness to go away in 7-10 days.
How to Speed Up Healing
There are plenty of things you can do to speed up healing during your wisdom teeth recovery.
- Take it easy for the first few days. In most cases, you can resume normal activities after the first day, but it would be best to wait about a week. You don't want to do anything that could dislodge the blood clot from the removal site.
- Place an ice pack over your jaw to help with swelling. The cold from the ice pack helps reduce inflammation and the discomfort that comes with it.
- For pain management, you can take a prescription pain killer prescribed by your oral surgeon, or you can take a recommended over-the-counter pain reliever.
- After the first day, gently rinse your mouth with salt water a few times a day to help keep it clean and prevent infection.
Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid
Staying hydrated and eating healthy after your wisdom teeth removal is an important factor for a healthy recovery. However, you may need to change some eating habits for the first week or so following the procedure. Here are some foods to eat, and some to avoid, during wisdom teeth recovery.
Eat. For the first few days after surgery, start by eating soft foods that don’t require chewing, such as:
- Soup
- Yogurt
- Soft noodles
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Apple sauce
- Pudding
- Mashed potatoes
- Smoothies (TIP: Don’t drink through a straw. It could dislodge your blood clot or ruin stitches.)
Avoid. Some foods can easily get into the sockets and in teeth and cause pain and damage to the healing wounds. Avoid eating foods like:
- Sticky candy
- Chewing gum
- Hard, crunchy food like chips, pretzels, nuts, and seeds
- Extremely hot food
Getting your wisdom teeth removed is a procedure you should take seriously but not something to fear. The recovery period usually takes a few days, and, in some cases, there may still be swelling and discomfort for a week or more. You can help reduce pain and prevent infection by using ice packs, enjoying soft foods, and keeping your mouth clean with salt water. Don’t hesitate to call your oral surgeon if you notice any unusual symptoms after your surgery. They will help get you on the road to recovery and back to a healthy and confident smile.