Wisdom Teeth Removal: Recovery Tips

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth that come in during early adulthood. Some people may have them removed to forestall problems that might occur when they come in. These problems can include having the wisdom teeth becoming impacted, which can cause pain and a number of other dental problems.

A dentist will remove wisdom teeth using a local anesthetic and then stitch up the gum where it resided. A folded cotton gauze is placed over the place where the tooth used to be in order to control bleeding.

Here are some wisdom teeth removal recovery tips to help make you more comfortable after the procedure:

• Bite down on the gauze periodically and change it as needed when it becomes soaked with blood. The bleeding should stop after 24 hours, but if it doesn’t, contact your dentist.
• While the anesthetic is still wearing off and your mouth is still numb, be careful not to bite the inside of your cheek, lip or tongue.
• Try using either an ice pack or warm towel on the outside of your mouth for the first couple of days.
• Try to rest immediately after surgery as physical activity can cause bleeding.
• Start out by eating soft foods, switching gradually to harder foods as the healing proceeds. Don’t take a drink through a straw as the sucking motion can loosen the blood clot on the wound, delaying healing.
• After the first day of recovery, rinse out your mouth periodically with salt water.
• Do not smoke, especially during the first few days of recovery.
• Do not rub the wound with your tongue or your fingers.
• Continue to brush regularly, but carefully.

You will be given medication to deal with the pain after the tooth is extracted. In due course, if it is needed, the dentist will remove the stitches, but some are absorbed into the body.

And remember: healthy teeth can save you money, so it's important to get these procedures done when recommended.