14 February, 2022

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What Symptoms To Expect After A Wisdom Teeth Removal?

According to the American Dental Association, wisdom teeth will start showing up between someone’s 17 and 21 years of age. When we talk about wisdom teeth, which prevail because these teeth tend to erupt later in life, we refer to the back (third) molars.

In dentistry, wisdom teeth removal, also called extraction, is one of the most frequently performed procedures. The surgery is very common because these teeth usually don’t have enough space to grow and are responsible for many dental issues, such as tooth shifting, decay, damage, infections, etc.

Another problem that requires an extraction is when a molar is impacted, which means it’s trapped and can’t erupt normally.

However, even if everything looks normal and there aren’t any issues involved, it is advisable to perform a prophylactic surgery due to future dental complications.

From our experience, we know that everyone cares and worries about the surgery and mainly about recovery. Therefore, having an experienced dental professional is essential before anything else.

To relieve some of your stress, we will share some of the most common symptoms after a wisdom tooth removal and a piece of advice to help you overcome them.

Common Symptoms

During recovery, you might experience a general oral dysfunction accompanied by pain, swelling or bruising, and bleeding. You also might lose the sensation of your tongue and lips, have numb gums and teeth, or have a limited ability to move/open your jaw.

The time to heal varies in each patient, but according to the NHS, it can take up to 2 weeks to bounce back from your surgery, and these symptoms to wear off.

Let’s discuss what you can do during your recovery to make it as easy and tolerable as possible.

Swelling or Bruising

If you’re experiencing swelling or even face bruising after your wisdom teeth removal, keep in mind that these symptoms are typical, especially if the surgery was more complicated.

Try to apply ice compresses on your cheek to help ease the swelling. After the first two days, you can use heat compresses to help with bruising.

Remember to rest well and avoid consuming hard food because the symptoms might worsen.

Bleeding

Bleeding is something else that might worry you after your wisdom teeth extraction, but this is something you should expect to have for the first days.

Your dentist will put a gause in the area after the surgery, which you will have to change with a clean one when you go back home. You might have to change it more times, so be careful and feel free to continue this practice until the bleeding stops.

This is a crucial step to follow because we need a blood clot to be formulated and maintained for the proper healing process. Avoid any hot drinks or food, and don’t use a straw because it will create suction and break the clot.

Minor bleeding might continue the following days, but this is normal. However, you should contact your dentist if the bleeding continues or worries you.

Pain

Every person experiences pain differently, but probably there isn’t a way to skip it in our case here. So after your surgery, get some painkillers, the ones that your dentist will likely prescribe for you. You can take the first one before anaesthesia passes as a recommended practice from our clinic.

Pain should be manageable while taking your medication, so you won’t have to worry much about it. However, if the pain is consistent and unbearable, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for help.

General tips

1. Try to change your eating habits and consume only soft food (soups, creams), avoid hot drinks, and start drinking cold water or any other cold liquid to help you with discomfort.

2. After the first 3 days of your wisdom tooth removal, you can start eating more solid food (always depends on your situation) but try to chew more from the other side.

3. It might not be the easiest thing to figure out how to sleep after your wisdom teeth removal. However, you can use a high pillow and try to sleep from the other side to feel more comfortable.

4. After your wisdom tooth extraction, please avoid swishing or brushing your teeth. You can rinse your mouth with a saltwater solution after the first day passes and carefully start brushing your teeth too.

5. Many people are wondering if they can smoke after their surgery. Let’s skip the part that smoking is a bad habit and someone should quit, but our advice is to avoid it for at least three days.

6. There isn’t a day during recovery that is considered the worst, but the first day is when you should be more careful and may feel more uncomfortable.

Follow your doctor’s instructions, rest as much as you can and don’t forget to take your medication. Don’t miss the follow-up visit to check that everything is going well and get more information for proper and quicker recovery.

These were some valuable aftercare tips that you can follow to care for yourself after removing your wisdom tooth. We understand that surgery can be very stressful, but it’s a typical procedure that will only benefit your overall dental hygiene in the future.

If you consider planning a wisdom teeth removal or experiencing any unpleasant symptoms, please get in touch with the Swedish Dental clinic to get a free evaluation and personalised advice to help you ease your symptoms and restore your daily life.

2023-08-31T09:54:47+01:00
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