The Long-Awaited Procedure is complete and your wisdom teeth have been removed. Although you are glad the procedure is now over, your gums will still be very tender for the next couple of weeks. In order to ensure you make a fast recovery, below is some advice to help you speed up the healing process.
- Take medication as directed – After the anesthetic has worn off or once you’re fully awake from being put to sleep, you will start to experience a stingy feeling around the area of where your wisdom teeth use to be. Your dentist should have prescribed some pain medication before you left the office, so make sure you get the pain medication as soon as possible and use as prescribed.
- Reduce Swelling – Just like injuries, there might be a chance of swelling in the region where your wisdom teeth use to be; therefore your cheeks might puff up if you don’t take action. Apply an Ice pack on your cheeks for 10 minutes at a time and take at least 5 minute breaks between applications.
- Don’t Drink Hot Liquids – Avoid teas, coffees or anything hot after wisdom teeth removal as the heat from these beverages can increase swelling or bleeding in the region. In addition when drinking liquids avoid using straws as the sucking motion can dislodge the newly formed blood clot.
- Get Enough Rest – As with all surgeries, healing takes place during downtime; therefore make sure to get plenty of rest the first couple of days. Take a few days off of school or work if you have to. Furthermore definitely ease up on the physical activity as this could also increase bleeding.
- Brush and Floss Your Teeth Gently – It is recommended you don’t brush your teeth 24 hours after surgery. Once the 24 hour period is up, be very careful and gentle when brushing and flossing your teeth as you could dislodge the blood clot if you’re not careful.
Many dentists recommend that you remove your wisdom teeth even if you aren’t experiencing any symptoms. One of the main reasons for recommendation of removal of wisdom teeth is that when you get older the wisdom teeth roots mature and become more firmly anchored into the bone; therefore making it harder to remove and there may be more complications of removal of wisdom teeth at an older age compared to a younger age. Make sure you visit your local Pickering dentist for an examination and find out what’s the next best step moving forward with your oral health and wisdom teeth.