Wisdom Teeth Removal

The day of your procedure, your surgeon will:

• Give you anaesthesia to numb your teeth and gums and keep you comfortable. (If you choose sedation, they’ll give you sedative medications, as well.)
• Make incisions (cuts) in your gums, if necessary, to expose teeth trapped in your gums or jawbone.
• Carefully loosen your wisdom tooth and lift it from its socket. (They may need to divide your tooth into sections for easier removal.)
• Clean the area to make sure there’s no infection.
• Place stitches to close the surgical site, if necessary.
• Place gauze over the sockets to slow bleeding.

Wisdom tooth extraction usually takes an hour or less. Complex cases may take longer.

After wisdom teeth removal, you can expect mild discomfort, slight bleeding and swelling. Your oral surgeon will give you instructions for wisdom teeth management to ease these side effects. Once your sedation wears off enough, a trusted friend or family member will drive you home.

Your surgeon will give you postoperative guidelines specific for your situation. Following these instructions will help you manage bleeding, swelling and pain after your procedure.

In the meantime, here are some general “dos and don’ts” after wisdom teeth removal:

DO:

• Leave gauze in place for about 30 minutes after your surgery. Replace with clean gauze if necessary. Your surgeon can tell you when to stop using gauze after wisdom tooth extraction. But in general, you can take it out when the bleeding slows. It’s normal to have some oozing, but you shouldn’t have excessive bleeding.
• Rest as much as you can. You should stay at home and recover for at least three to five days. If you have a physically demanding job, you might need to wait longer before returning to work.
• Use an ice pack to help reduce swelling. Wrap the ice pack in a clean towel and place it on your face. Leave it on for 20 minutes, and then take it off for 20 minutes. Repeat several times a day.
• Keep extraction sites clean. Gently soak the surgical areas with alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash. Don’t swish. Swishing can dislodge blood clots and cause dry sockets, a painful condition that exposes the bone at your extraction site. Instead, lean your head to each side and let the mouthwash soak the areas.
• Brush and floss the rest of your teeth every day. While you don’t want to brush over the extraction sites, you’ll still need to keep your other teeth clean during recovery. This reduces your risk for infection.
• Take all medications as prescribed. Your surgeon will give you medications to keep you comfortable and reduce your risk of infection. Don’t stop taking these medications until your surgeon says it’s OK.

DON’T:

• Drink through a straw. This dislodges blood clots and causes dry sockets.
• Exercise until your surgeon says it’s OK. Getting your heart rate up increases your risk for pain, bleeding and swelling. Most people can resume their fitness routines in about 48 to 72 hours.
• Lift heavy things. Heavy lifting also increases your risk for postoperative complications like pain, bleeding and swelling.
• Eat hard, crunchy or chewy foods. These can damage your healing gums and cause pain.
• Drink carbonated beverages or beverages containing alcohol. These beverages can dislodge blood clots and cause dry sockets. Skip these drinks for at least five days.

Wisdom teeth removal usually doesn’t result in long-term complications. In rare instances, people may develop:

• Infection (pus coming out of your socket or incisions).
• Dry sockets (loss of blood clot resulting in exposed bone).
• Damage to other oral structures, including your jawbone, nerves, sinuses or nearby teeth.

Postoperative pain varies from person to person. But many people have more pain and swelling on the third or fourth day. In general, once pain and swelling peaks, you should notice a steady decrease in these side effects.

If pain, bleeding or swelling gets worse again after four days, tell your surgeon. It might mean you have an infection. They can give you antibiotics to help.

You can eat as soon as you leave your appointment, as long as you’re feeling up to it. Stick to a soft food diet for the first three to five days, then add more solid foods as your comfort level allows.

If you get a milkshake or smoothie, use a spoon instead of a straw. Drinking through a straw can dislodge blood clots and cause dry sockets.

In general, eat a soft food diet for the first three to five days. Avoid hard, crunchy or chewy foods, as these can cause pain and interfere with healing.

Your surgeon will give you a list of things you can eat after wisdom tooth extraction. Some of these foods include:

• Yogurt.
• Smoothies.
• Pudding.
• Soups.
• Macaroni and cheese.
• Scrambled eggs.
• Applesauce.
• Mashed potatoes.
• Cottage cheese.
• Pureed fruit.
• Cooked vegetables.
• Soft cooked fried rice and noodles

You’ll need to rest at home for three to five days after wisdom tooth removal. Most people can resume work, school and other routines at this point.

If you have a job that requires physical labour, you may need to take a few extra days off. Anything that raises your heart rate can increase postoperative pain, bleeding and swelling.

As long as you’re old enough to have wisdom teeth, you’re old enough for wisdom teeth extraction. There’s also no upper age limit. Many dentists recommend wisdom teeth removal in your late teens or early 20s. At this age, your wisdom teeth are still developing, so they may be easier to extract.