After-Care Following Wisdom Tooth Extraction: Dos and Don’ts

Wisdom teeth your third molars generally erupt between 17 and 21. Occasionally wisdom teeth serve as worthy assets in your mouth when robust and correctly aligned. Unfortunately, they are not well aligned in most cases and require removal from general dentistry in Ajax, ON.

Wisdom teeth are unlike your other teeth because they are located in the posterior region of your mouth. Their position compounds itself when the wisdom teeth are impacted and lying below the gum line growing at odd angles, making it imperative for dentists in Ajax, ON, to perform the removal surgically. Dentists receive adequate training to perform surgical removal of impacted teeth during dental school. However, they take additional precautions to ensure the surgical wound heals correctly and quickly by providing after-care instructions after wisdom tooth extractions.

Following the removal of your third molars, the dentists provide a comprehensive list of dos and don’ts that you must follow stringently to help recover quickly, as the dentist anticipates. This article provides the dos and don’ts following wisdom tooth removal to ensure you don’t complicate your situation by indulging in activities not recommended by your dentist.

Why Are the after Care Interactions Essential Following Wisdom Tooth Removal?

Wisdom tooth removal is unlike removing other teeth by giving you local anesthesia in the mouth, loosening the affected tooth with elevators, and pulling it off with forceps. Instead, wisdom teeth need surgical removal, especially in the tooth is lying beneath the gum line and partially covered by your jawbone.

If you undergo wisdom tooth extraction in Ajax, ON, the dentists x-ray the tooth to determine its precise position and personalize a treatment plan explicitly for your needs. The dentists suggest anesthesia options depending on your dental anxiety level after inquiring into your medical history and any medications you take for your general health.

The wisdom tooth removal process requires approximately 40 minutes and is performed under local anesthesia and sedation to ensure you don’t experience pain or discomfort during the removal. The dentist makes incisions in your gums to expose the impacted wisdom tooth and removes any bone covering it. After removing bone, the process proceeds as usual, with the dentist loosening the tooth or even cutting it in pieces for comfortable removal if it is challenging to remove. You might receive sutures at the surgical site, then dissolve by themselves and gauze over the surgical wound with instructions to bite firmly on the gauze to prevent bleeding and help form a blood clot.

After your surgical procedure, the dentist hands you the list of dos and don’ts to follow for quick and uncomplicated recovery.

Dos after Wisdom Tooth Removal

• Relax:Do not consider jumping into your regular activities soon after getting the problematic tooth removed from the mouth. While you don’t have to remain in bed, you must avoid strenuous activities by relaxing as far as possible.
• Swelling:expect swelling after wisdom tooth removal surgery. However, the dentist suggests you elevate your head using extra pillows to help lessen the swelling.
• Ice Packs Also Help: Ice packs on your cheeks help minimize pain and swelling. However, you must use the ice packs for 15 minutes on and off intermittently during the initial 48 hours.
• Surgical Site Pressure:the gauze on the surgical site helps prevent bleeding and aids in blood clot formation essential for the surgical site to heal. Let the gauze pad remain on the wound for about three to four hours, changing it if it becomes saturated with blood.
• Cleaning The Surgical Site:Cleaning doesn’t indicate you must start brushing soon after getting home. Wisdom tooth extraction is one procedure that requires you to refrain from brushing for approximately 24 hours. However, you can clean your mouth using salt water rinses containing antiseptic properties to clean your mouth three to four times per day.
• Food Habits:You must avoid complex and crunchy foods soon after removing wisdom teeth. Instead, you must have a soft food diet relying on soups, mashed potatoes, yogurt, milkshakes, smoothies, et cetera.
• Medications: do not forget to take pain relievers or antibiotics as your dentist prescribes without skipping doses.
• Hydration:you must keep yourself hydrated by drinking sufficient water without a straw.
• Brushing:24 hours after wisdom teeth removal, you can brush your teeth by avoiding the wisdom tooth extraction site.

Don’ts After Wisdom Tooth Removal

• Do not consider using straws, spitting, smoking, or consuming alcohol after the tooth removal procedure because it helps dislodge the blood clot in the extraction site. A dislodged blood clot results in a dry socket, a painful condition needing further treatments from Ajax dentists.
• Do not consider eating or talking soon after your surgery.
• You must avoid foods like popcorn, potato chips, nuts, and other crunchy foods for at least a week while also avoiding carbonated drinks, spicy foods and sodas.
• Do not continue using ice packs beyond 48 hours after wisdom teeth removal shifting instead to hot water on the extraction site.
• Avoid poking the extraction site with your tongue, finger or toothpick. It can delay healing by provoking bleeding resulting in a dry socket.
• Do not spit or rinse your mouth vigorously for fear of dislodging the blood clot and avoid complications.

If you experience continual pain beyond 24 hours with bleeding and fever, contact the Ajax dentists immediately because the condition indicates an infection in your mouth.

Following the after-care instructions with the dos and don’ts suggested by KC Dental — Ajax speeds recovery and ensures you don’t encounter any complications. If you need wisdom teeth removed, scheduling a consultation with the practice helps remove the problematic tooth and help you recover quickly as soon as possible.