7 Tips for Recovering From a Wisdom Tooth Removal Procedure

10 million people get their wisdom teeth removed each year. This number is unsurprising considering how much of a hassle wisdom teeth are. Aside from their painful arrival, wisdom teeth often come with additional health risks.

However, some people shy away from the procedure because it comes with its own set of complications, including a painful recovery period. But, if you follow these seven tips after your wisdom tooth removal procedure, you can look forward to an easy recovery!

Before your wisdom tooth removal procedure, it’s a good idea to follow the proper preparations. With the proper preparation, you’ll be able to recover faster from what can often be a long recovery period.

Start by taking care of your dental health, brushing and flossing as you normally would in the time preceding your appointment. A healthy mouth is a welcome environment for recovery. Plus, you won’t be able to brush for a while after the surgery, so starting with a clean mouth will help you feel better as you recover.

Also, get your home ready for recovery. Make up your bed, purchase soft foods, and make a recovery playlist on Netflix of your favorite feel-good shows – spare no details. You’ll be recovering for a few days, you should be comfortable while doing it.

Finally, have someone drive you to your appointment if possible. You will not be able to drive home. Relying on public transportation or rideshare impedes the time you should be relaxing.

Dentists perform wisdom teeth removal procedures while the patient is under anesthesia. But, after the anesthesia wears off, you will experience some pain. The level of pain varies from person to person, but most people look for ways to help mitigate it.

Therefore, ice is your best friend when recovering from a wisdom tooth removal procedure. When possible, have a bag of ice with you throughout recovery. Not only does it numb the pain, but it also helps reduce swelling and bruising.

Moreover, using ice on your face immediately after surgery encourages essential blood clotting. The clot that forms over the removal site helps heal the bone and nerve endings around it.

Remember not to apply ice directly to your skin. Instead, use a soft towel or fabric between your skin and the ice pack.

Ice cream and soft foods will be your best friend during recovery. The pain you feel in your mouth is only heightened by solid, crunchy foods. Some of our recommendations for a post-oral surgery recovery are:

And, of course, ice cream. Ice cream packs a double-whammy for oral surgery recovery because it’s soft and cold. So, you can eat and relieve swelling at the same time.

Moreover, you should avoid salty foods and acidic foods during recovery. Even if they’re soft, they can be rough on your mouth, causing inflammation that will increase pain levels.

Aside from the pain and swelling, your tooth extraction comes with the added risk of infection. Ensuring a clot forms over the removal site will help protect you from an infection. But, you can also reduce your risk by keeping your head elevated while laying down.

This trick helps relieve swelling, which reduces the chance of your blood clot coming loose. After you’ve had oral surgery, try sleeping with several pillows stacked up behind your head and neck for optimal comfort and recovery.

This is a hard one to follow because there’s so much pain involved in tooth extraction recovery that most people want to use straws. They’d rather not tip their head back to drink, instead, allowing the drink to come to them. But, if you want a smooth recovery, you cannot drink from straws while your gums are healing.

Straws are your blood clot’s number one worst enemy. Sucking your soft foods and drinks through a straw creates suction in your mouth. Oftentimes, this can cause your blood clots to loosen and even break off.

The more you have to regrow a clot, the more at risk you are of infection. Moreover, it will take much longer for your gums to heal.

When recovering from a wisdom tooth removal procedure, you’ll likely need to take painkillers. Depending on your levels of pain, an anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen might do the trick. But, some people experience very high levels of pain.

In those cases, the dentist may prescribe a narcotic like Vicodin or codeine. If you’re suffering from wisdom tooth pain after wisdom teeth removal surgery, talk to your dentist. They are the only ones who can tell you for sure which medicine is best for your situation.

In most cases, wisdom teeth removal is considered an outpatient procedure. To get back to your regular routine as quickly as possible, it’s important to follow all post-procedure instructions and take it easy for a few days. To ensure a speedy recovery, we recommend following these three key steps: rest, relax, and hydrate!

Resting your jaw keeps your clot in place and reduces the chances of infection. Relaxing your body helps you feel less stressed, making the recovery process seem easier. Finally, hydrating promotes quick healing in your gums.

Recovering from a wisdom tooth removal procedure doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating. In fact, with the proper preparation, you might find yourself enjoying your time in bed. Or, at least, not suffering too much.

If your wisdom teeth are giving you trouble, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment. Give Billings Oral surgery a call at (406) 655-0170 or contact us online today!

To learn more about how we can help improve your smile, please request an appointment now.