Wisdom teeth removal is a common dental surgery procedure, but it has earned a reputation of being a painful one. I understand if you dread having a third molar removed since you have to make a few adjustments while you are in recovery. However, nobody should be helpless because there are things that you can do to hasten your healing process.
Recover Faster After Your Surgery
Taking care of yourself and your wound should be your priority after your surgery. And below is list of what you should do after your surgery:
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Prepare Before The Procedure
Ask your dental health professional all the questions that you may have. This will give you a clearer picture of what to expect during your procedure and while you are in recovery. Typically, you will be given a list of what to do before and after your procedure. Clarify with your dentist if there are items on the list that you do not understand.
Also make sure that you stock up on food and drinks that will help you recover after your surgery. For the first 24 to 48 hours, you can only have liquid and soft food such as soups, yogurt, and steamed vegetables.
You can also treat yourself to a few scoops of ice cream. Its cold temperature will have a soothing effect on your incision.
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Apply Gauze and Pressure
Just like any other wound, applying enough pressure to your incision can help stop the bleeding. Gently bite down on a gauze pad for about five minutes or until the bleeding stops. Repeat this process if bleeding occurs again. The soft pressure limits the blood flow, helping in the formation of a blood clot.
Biting down too hard will be counterproductive. Too much pressure can leave no space for a blood clot formation, and this might just reopen the wound. A worse situation would be if you might have a dry socket—a very painful condition where the underlying nerves are left exposed due to the absence of a blood clot.
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Take Lots of Rest
Your body needs rest to heal from any surgery, including wisdom teeth removal. And the length of your rest will matter in your recovery. This is because healing also utilizes energy. The more you move, the less energy will be left for your recovery.
If you are not sleeping, you may start to binge-watch that Netflix series you have been putting off for months. You may also read that tome that has been sitting on your nightstand. Just refrain from physically demanding activities for the first few days following your operation.
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Have Lots Of Ice On Hand
Swelling after wisdom teeth removal surgery is common. Consistent application of ice to the removal site helps reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation.
Use an ice pack and press it gently yet firmly against your face for 20 minutes at a time with another 20 minutes off to rest your cheeks. Repeat this continually for the first 36 hours following your procedure.
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Follow The Prescription
Whenever necessary, you can take pain relievers following your procedure. Over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen and naproxen may be enough to relieve your pain. If they are not adequate because of your low pain tolerance, you may ask your surgeon to prescribe you medicine that suits your needs since patients react to certain drugs quite differently.
Your dentist may also ask you to take antibiotics for swelling and infection. Please remember to complete the prescription even if the swelling has improved.
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Keep the Jaw Moving
You may feel some stiffness after your surgery, so it is advisable to massage your face or move your jaw by slowly opening and closing your mouth from time to time. This very simple activity can prevent you from developing a trismus or muscle stiffness, which can occur and last for a few days after any oral surgery.
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Properly Clean Your Incision
While you cannot use any mouthwash, you can brush your teeth after your procedure. Remember to brush gently and do not let your toothbrush touch the incision site to avoid dislodging your blood clots.
To keep your incision clean, you can rinse with a simple saltwater solution. Just dilute a half teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Use this solution after every meal for the first few days, but be mindful not to swish too hard when you rinse.
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Do Not Smoke and Drink
If you are a smoker, avoid using tobacco products for at least 48 hours. Tobacco has thousands of chemicals that will irritate and can cause infections to your wound.
You are also not allowed to drink alcohol for the same time period. Alcohol can impede your healing while also increasing your risk of infection.
Both alcohol and tobacco products can cause dry mouth, which can negatively affect your mouth’s healing capacity.
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Skip Hard and Crunchy Foods For The Meantime
Hard or crunchy foods will pierce your gums. These include nuts, chips, and cereals. You will immediately sense if the food you are having is hard the moment you attempt to bite it. Do not power through because it may end up reopening your incision.
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Avoid High-Sugar Food and Beverages
Food and beverages that have a lot of sugar give way to a lot of bad bacteria in your mouth. Always keep in mind that your teeth and gums are especially vulnerable after wisdom teeth removal. Sugar-rich food and beverages stick so well on your teeth, and you cannot brush like you normally do while you are in recovery. This will enable the bacteria to thrive in your mouth, exposing your wound to infection.
Let’s Work Together Toward Your Speedy Recovery
Madison Dentistry’s board-certified doctors are equipped with excellent skills to perform any surgery, and we want our patients to have a stress-free recovery from wisdom teeth removal. We start this by ensuring that our patients are guided every step of the way to get the best results of the procedure
Get in touch with us now to schedule your wisdom teeth removal.
