Having your wisdom teeth removed is a common dental procedure.
Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to pain, bleeding, overcrowding and many other painful symptoms, so sometimes extraction is the only option.
But what happens after your wisdom teeth have been removed?
In this blog, we’ll cover what you can expect while recovering from wisdom teeth extraction and some aftercare tips that will help you recover faster.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction Recovery
1. Bleeding
Bleeding around the extraction site and the presence of blood in your saliva are both common parts of wisdom tooth removal recovery. To promote clotting post-surgery, your dental surgeon will place a gauze pad where the teeth were extracted and encourage you to gently bite down on it for at least 30 minutes. Doing this will help stop the bleeding and can be repeated if it persists.
If the bleeding does not subside, visit our surgery and we will provide professional assistance.
2. Pain and Swelling
Having your wisdom teeth removed will cause swelling, pain and discomfort for a short period of time, usually a few days. Swelling can be minimised by applying an ice pack to the face on and around the swollen areas. Your dentist will also provide you with pain relief medication that you can use to reduce discomfort.
If symptoms persist on an ongoing basis, consult with one of our dental experts.
3. Dry Socket
A dry socket occurs when a blood clot fails to form at the extraction site or somehow gets dislodged. As a result, the bone and the nerve are exposed, which can cause pain and discomfort. Failure to clot also increases the risk of infection at the extraction site, which can delay your wisdom tooth removal recovery process.
Some signs that you may have a dry socket include bad breath, a bad taste in your mouth, an increase in pain during recovery, and a fever. If you experience any of these symptoms after your surgery, visit our expert team immediately.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare Tips
1. Diet
During the first few days after surgery, you should only consume liquids and you should avoid using straws because they can disrupt clotting. You should also avoid drinking anything hot for the first 24-48 hours.
While recovering, avoid drinking soft drinks, alcohol or caffeinated drinks and eating hard, crunchy or chewy foods that could get stuck in the socket where your tooth was removed (e.g. nuts, seeds, biscuits, gum). You should also take a break from spicy foods, as these can cause further inflammation and discomfort.
Once it’s been a few days since your surgery, you can begin to try soft foods, but you should stop if they cause bleeding or discomfort. Examples of good foods to try as you move off liquids alone are scrambled eggs, mashed banana, salmon, smoothies and porridge.
2. Hygiene
Avoid touching the extraction site with your fingers or your tongue – if you do, you risk introducing bacteria that could cause infection. It’s also important to keep your mouth clean while you’re recovering, especially after meals.
Once 24 hours have passed since your surgery, we recommend holding warm, salty water in your mouth after each meal. Don’t swish it around, as this could impact your clotting. Similarly, when brushing your teeth, make sure you are gentle and don’t irritate the socket.
If you notice some bleeding in the days after your surgery, you can gently bite down on some gauze to encourage the blood to clot.
3. Health and Wellbeing
After the surgery, your body will be exhausted, so it’s very important to rest and avoid strenuous activity. This includes limiting your talking as well. Lay down and relax, but make sure your head is propped up slightly so blood doesn’t rush to your head.
We’ll prescribe medication post-surgery – taking this as directed will help you recover faster. You should also avoid smoking during the recovery process.
Have you got a question about wisdom tooth removal after care? Get in touch with our expert team today.
