Guidelines for Successful Healing After Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Proper wisdom tooth aftercare is crucial to the recovery and longevity of your oral health. Follow our Lehigh Valley dentist’s post-operative instructions to avoid complications such as pain, swelling, and infection.
For your convenience, we’ve created a patient-friendly guide on caring for your mouth after wisdom tooth extraction. Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry has helped countless patients in Stroudsburg, Bethlehem, and Fullerton, PA, successfully heal after their oral surgeries.
What to Do After Wisdom Tooth Extraction
For a successful wisdom teeth removal and recovery, please follow these guidelines:
- If you’re undergoing IV sedation for wisdom tooth removal, have someone you trust drive you home.
- Keep your gauze pad in place and bite down for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this process with new gauze if you bleed after removing the gauze.
- Avoid touching your surgical area, rinsing your mouth, or drinking through a straw to prevent excessive bleeding.
- Avoid vigorous physical activity at least 24 hours after your surgery
- Take medication as prescribed to counteract any pain from your procedure.
Additional Wisdom Tooth Aftercare Tips
Bleeding
After tooth removal, patients can expect slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva. You can control excessive bleeding by rinsing or wiping away any clots from your mouth, placing a gauze pad over the area, and biting for 30 minutes.
If bleeding continues, try biting on a moistened tea bag for 30 minutes. The tannic acid in the tea bag forms a clot by contracting the blood vessels. To minimize further bleeding, don’t sit upright and avoid strenuous activity. Contact our Stroudsburg or Bethlehem office if the bleeding doesn’t subside.
Swelling
Swelling around the mouth, cheeks, eyes, and sides of the face after wisdom teeth extraction is normal. Often, you won’t experience swelling until the day after surgery, and the swelling won’t reach its maximum until two to three days post-op.
To reduce swelling, place ice packs on the sides of the face at the surgical site. You can use cold compresses continuously while you’re awake. After the first 24 to 36 hours after surgery, you should switch to heat as ice won’t affect swelling any longer.
Toothaches and Pain
Take medication as prescribed to alleviate tooth and gum pain. Your prescribed pain reliever might make you groggy and slow down your reflexes. Don’t drive or work around machinery while taking your pain medication, and avoid drinking alcohol or using tobacco products.
Pain or discomfort following surgery is usually at its worst 24 to 48 hours after surgery. After that, it should subside more and more every day. If your pain persists or worsens, it may require attention, and you should contact our office right away.
Nausea
Patients may experience nausea and vomiting after wisdom tooth extraction. If this happens, avoid eating, drinking, or taking medication for at least one hour. Start by slowly sipping water or tea and then progress to eating soft, solid foods once the nausea subsides.
After your surgery, stick to a soft diet for the first few days. Avoid chewy foods, and don’t drink through a straw to prevent disturbing the blood clot that protects your surgical site. Since you’ll be low on energy, try to consume meals higher in calories and proteins. Also, make sure to drink five to six glasses of water each day.
Oral Hygiene Care
You can brush your teeth the night of your wisdom tooth removal, but rinse gently and be mindful of the surgical site. Use warm salt water to rinse your mouth five to six times a day after your surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days off do you need after wisdom teeth?
While every patient’s recovery timeline differs, you can typically return to work after two to three days of rest. If you work an office job or any other profession that doesn’t require vigorous physical activity, you may be able to return after one day. However, if your job is physically-demanding, you may want to take more than a few days off to recover.
What is the best thing to do after getting wisdom teeth out?
After a wisdom teeth removal, you should follow your oral surgeon’s aftercare instructions to ensure a successful recovery. This may include avoiding certain foods, refraining from physical activity, and taking medication as prescribed. Ask your oral surgeon for additional wisdom tooth extraction care tips at your initial consultation.
When should I stop using gauze after wisdom teeth?
For the best results, wait at least thirty minutes to one hour before removing your gauze pads. This will give your gums time to heal as the gauze staunches the bleeding. Reapply gauze for 30 minutes if bleeding persists. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, contact your oral surgeon immediately.
How soon can I drink water after tooth extraction?
Except for taking medications, you should avoid all food and drink for at least 24 hours after wisdom tooth removal. This allows your surgical site to heal. It’s best to drink plenty of water the next day to remain hydrated and stick to a soft, liquid-based diet.
Our Lehigh Valley Oral Surgeon is Here for You
It’s crucial that you must be provided with clear instructions and get all your questions answered. Please call our Bethlehem & Stroudsburg oral surgeon if you have additional questions regarding your wisdom teeth extraction aftercare.
To contact our helpful team, call our Stroudsburg office at (484)-821-1357 or our Bethlehem office at (484)-821-1357, and we’ll be happy to assist you. You can also get in touch through our online contact form.
Still Have Questions About Your Aftercare?