How to recover quickly from wisdom tooth surgery

Age brings wisdom, or so they say. Another thing age brings is your wisdom teeth. These are molars that erupt in your late teens or early twenties. However, sometimes wisdom teeth fail to erupt; sometimes they grow sideways instead, where they push against the adjacent teeth. This is called ‘impaction‘ and it’s one of the most common reasons for why people need their wisdom teeth removed.

If you’re undergoing wisdom tooth surgery, then we’ve written this post for you. We’ll discuss what you should expect from wisdom tooth removal surgery and the best ways to recover from surgery quickly.

What’s the procedure for wisdom tooth removal like?

First, the surgeon will give you an anaesthetic so that you don’t feel any pain. Usually, this will be local anaesthesia, which the surgeon will inject at the site of extraction. In some cases, however, you might be offered general anaesthesia. This is where you lose consciousness so that lyou won’t be awake during the procedure.

Next, your surgeon will make an incision into the gum to expose the wisdom tooth. The surgeon will then remove any bone blocking the tooth before removing the wisdom tooth from your mouth.

Finally, the dentist will clean the extraction site and may choose to stitch the wound closed.

What’s the best way to recover from wisdom tooth extraction surgery?

Recovering from wisdom tooth surgery isn’t a walk in the park. Follow these tips to help you recover as quickly as possible.

• Activity: Once the surgery is over, you’ll be expected to return home to rest. It’s not a good idea to go immediately back to work because your body will need to recover from the surgery. You should be able to resume normal activities the day after the surgery. However, do avoid physical activity for a least a week, because any strenuous activity could dislodge the blood clot from the extraction site.
• Drinks. Remember to drink lots of water after the surgery. However, don’t drink alcohol, coffee, tea, or fizzy drinks. It’s also advised not to drink from a straw, because this could dislodge the blood clot from the extraction site.
• Food. Avoid eating hard foods for at least the first twenty-four hours after surgery as these could irritate your wound. Also, avoid chewy foods as these could get stuck in the extraction site. The best foods to eat are soft foods like applesauce and yoghurt.
• Oral care. Although dentists normally recommend their patients to brush their teeth twice a day, those who have just had their wisdom teeth removed are the exception. This is because they should refrain from brushing their teeth for the first 24 hours after surgery, as it could dislodge the blood clot. So instead of brushing, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water, as this will keep your mouth clean without irritating the wound.

If you think you need a wisdom tooth extracted, then call us on 020 8428 3769. Our professional and experienced team are here to help you.