Are you a young adult who’s developed an ache behind your molars? If so, your wisdom teeth could be growing in or have become impacted. Because they’re considered a vestigial feature (meaning that it has no current apparent function) and also cause other issues, many dentists recommend extracting them.
If you’ve been told your wisdom teeth must be removed, it’s natural to feel nervous. Although you know you’ll be numbed for the appointment itself, many patients wonder whether recovery is painful and how long it takes. Keep reading to learn more about what you can anticipate while you heal after your procedure!
24 Hours After Surgery
It’s important to follow your dentist’s post-op instructions immediately after your extraction to ensure that your mouth mends as intended. Within the first day, your body will form blood clots over the wound to protect the underlying materials. If this becomes dislodged for any reason, you could develop an incredibly painful complication known as dry socket. Plus, if the bone and nerves are left exposed, they can become infected. To protect the area, you should:
- Stick to liquid foods.
- Don’t drink alcohol, coffee, soda, or other hot drinks.
- Sip fluids from a glass rather than drink through a straw.
- Avoid brushing your teeth, spitting, or rinsing your mouth.
- Quit smoking and vaping.
- Keep gauze over the site to staunch any bleeding.
- Use a cold compress or take over-the-counter medications to alleviate inflammation.
- Take it easy and get plenty of rest.
- Keep your head elevated when you sleep.
First Week After Surgery
It’s natural to experience some aching, tenderness, and swelling for several days after your appointment. Typically, this peaks around the 3rd day and then starts to dissipate. You can upgrade from a liquid diet to softer foods after about 4 days, to avoid irritating or injuring the blood clot. Some popular choices include scrambled eggs, yogurt, pudding, smoothies, broth, mashed potatoes, and applesauce.
You can probably return to work or school after 2 to 3 days as well, but it depends on your unique circumstances. If your daily life involves overly strenuous activities, then you’ll need to take enough time off to allow your mouth to heal itself.
Second Week After Surgery
After about 7 to 10 days, any soreness or stiffness in your jaw should gradually go away. However, if at some point your blood clot was pushed out of place then it will have to reform, and it’ll take longer for you to fully recover. If you notice throbbing that becomes sharp and persistent or isn’t going away, you may have dry socket. Sometimes, you can apply an oral analgesic to numb the area until a new blood clot forms. Be sure to contact your dentist to let them know so they can provide instructions for the best next steps to take.
Following your dentist’s orders in detail is the best way to heal swiftly and efficiently after your wisdom tooth extraction!
About the Practice
At Soleil Dental, you and your entire family benefit from the expertise of two dentists who work together to provide a full array of services under one roof, including wisdom tooth extractions. They take their time to get to know your unique dental needs so they can offer fully individualized solutions to meet them. Then, they use advanced dental technology to achieve accurate, long-lasting results. If you’re concerned that you may need your latest molars removed, you’re welcome to request an appointment on the website or by calling (214) 304-2112.