Wisdom teeth, the molars that develop at the back of your mouth are a normal part of your mouth development. They rarely cause trouble, except in some cases, where they come at an angle and push into the neighbouring tooth or gum, causing pain and discomfort.

Wisdom tooth extraction is a minor oral surgical procedure people commonly undergo as a measure to prevent future oral issues or if they have such an impacted wisdom tooth. If you have undergone wisdom tooth surgery, it will usually take around five days for the swelling to come down and two weeks for complete healing. 

Caring for the wound left by the surgery is a crucial part of the healing process. Recovery usually happens gradually, with some improvement seen every day. Bruising, pain, and swelling are normal and will take time to heal. In addition, you may also experience a tightness in the jaw.

This blog will focus on the home care tips you need to follow to speed your recovery and prevent unnecessary complications like developing an infection or continued pain and swelling.

Care Tips To Follow At Home Post Wisdom Tooth Removal

Following these home care tips after wisdom tooth removal will reduce your recovery time  and reduce pain and discomfort:

• Managing bleeding

After the surgery, you may notice a slight bleeding or redness in the saliva, which is common. For excessive bleeding, doctors place a gauze pad over the site for around 30 minutes. Staying calm, sitting upright, and avoiding exercise will help minimize bleeding. 

• Taking care of pain

For moderate pain, take the medication prescribed by your oral surgeon, which may include antibiotics. Don’t take medications if you are experiencing any side effects, such as a rash on your skin. With each succeeding day, your pain should lessen. If it doesn’t, meet your oral surgeon immediately.

• Treating swelling

You may see swelling around your mouth, cheeks, and sides of the jaw, which is the body’s normal reaction to surgery. You may apply an ice pack to minimize the swelling. The right method is to apply for 20 minutes, and then stop applying the ice pack for another 20 minutes. Continue this process till you get relief.

• Stitches or dry socket

The stitches help to reduce bleeding and facilitate the healing process. Even if the stitches become dislodged, you can discard them without being too concerned. The stitches will eventually be removed a week after the surgery. Sometimes, a blood clot may get dislodged prematurely from the tooth socket. Known as a dry socket, it may cause pain at the surgical site for which you need your oral surgeon’s intervention.

• Nausea or vomiting

If you feel nauseous, avoid taking anything through your mouth, including the prescribed medicines, for at least an hour. Take foods and medicine only after the nausea subsides.

Diet After The Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Your oral surgeon will advise you to follow these tips following the wisdom tooth surgery:

• Fruit juices and acidic foods that can irritate the surgical site
• Take only a soft and cold diet 24 hours after the procedure
• Try not to miss even a single meal as it will give you the strength
• Spicy foods 
• Fizzy drinks 
• Sharp or hard foods like chips or popcorn
• Avoid drinking liquids using a straw, as sucking can dislodge the blood clot. Drinking from a glass is advisable
• Try to get five to six glasses of liquid daily
• Eat only soft foods and chew them away from the surgical site. Suitable foods include milkshakes, smoothies, soups that are not too hot, mashed bananas and potatoes

Oral Hygiene Tips

It is natural for food to get stuck at the place where your tooth was removed, and keeping the area clean can be challenging. But, maintaining hygiene will facilitate quicker healing. 

These tips will help keep the site clean:

 Gargle with an antiseptic mouthwash to avoid infection. However, be careful not to rinse vigorously

• Use warm water and salt to reduce swelling and soothe your gums 24 hours after the procedure,

Level Of Activity

After the first 24 hours, you can resume daily activities but you need to be careful doing things that could dislodge your stitches or the blood clot.

Avoid these:

• Spitting 
• Lifting heavy items
• Strenuous physical exercise
• Consuming tobacco products
• Drinking alcohol 

Doctors recommend taking at least 2 days off from work, school, or college from your surgery date. If your work demands strenuous activity, taking three to four days of leave is advisable. Returning to work and daily activities gradually is crucial to the healing process. 

With these precautions in place, you will be well on the way to a speedy recovery. However, don’t hesitate to get medical support if you notice any of these:

• Breathing trouble
• Fever
• Tingling or numbness 
• Pain does not reduce with medication

Conclusion

Wisdom tooth extraction is one of the most commonly performed dental procedures. Following home care tips and your oral surgeon’s advice will make your recovery smooth and complete.

At Gnathos, our maxillofacial surgeons, with years of experience in dental procedures behind them, take all precautions to ensure a pain-free wisdom tooth removal. 

To ensure a smooth removal process, we adopt unique methods to assess the difficulty level of removing a wisdom tooth. We decide the anesthesia based on the difficulty level determined. Moreover, we consider each patient’s past medical history and underlying health conditions before we plan our surgery. 

All these precautions, plus our advanced dental equipment and high standards of safety, make Gnathos the most trusted dental clinic in Hyderabad for all procedures, including wisdom tooth extraction.