How to Quickly Recover from Wisdom Teeth Extraction

How to Quickly Recover from Wisdom Teeth Extraction

At some point, almost everyone has to go through it. It's very rare for people not to have their wisdom teeth removed. These last set of molars are set so far back in the mouth that they are hard to care for if they even manage to come in properly. More often than not, wisdom teeth are impacted, which means there isn't enough room for them in the mouth, and they end up jammed against the other teeth. They are extracted to head off tooth decay. If you are looking to extract yours soon, be sure to head to sunshine state Dentistry clinic for the best services.

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The road to recovery seems interminable, especially when you can’t eat your favorite foods. It will feel like a lifestyle change of sorts when you have to temporarily switch to non-solid foods for several days. However, if you can just toe the line and follow your doctor’s orders, you can speed up the process.

Listen to your dentist.

Although it may seem like obvious and straightforward advice, be sure to adhere to the instructions issued by your dentist or oral surgeon. You'll probably be bombarded by anecdotal suggestions from friends and family who have already had their wisdom teeth pulled, but everyone is different, and no two people go through the same healing process. 

Stay on top of the medication you're given, and carefully follow the prescribed dosage. There's also a fair amount of bleeding involved, so don't skimp on the part where you need to bite down on the gauze in your mouth.

Ice it.

There's going to be some residual pain and swelling. Your dentist likely sent you home with promo ice packs that should be applied gently on the outside of the cheek or jaw near the extraction area for 15 minutes, then off for 15 minutes, repeating throughout the day. This form of cryotherapy helps speed up the recovery process as well as manage the pain.

Watch out for the foods you eat.

Too many people believe they can eat whatever they want if they chew near the front of their mouth away from the incisions. Unfortunately, food still manages to find a way to become lodged into the newly made holes. 

It's as gross as it sounds. No matter how many times people try to rinse the food out of the pockets, getting it all out is problematic, possibly leading to infections or more pain. Getting food trapped in the holes can hurt and prolong the amount of time your cheeks look swollen.

Be sure you keep the food consistency either liquid or mushy, so you can limit chewing as much as possible. You may think chewing gum or taffy won't be an issue since there's no chance they will get stuck in the holes left by the wisdom teeth. The act of chewing can still cause pain and overwork the area. You never want to wear out any part of your body that just went through surgery.

If you can remain disciplined for two weeks after getting your wisdom teeth removed, you can minimize the pain and accelerate the healing process. It isn't worth risking an infection which comes with some pretty nasty consequences such as discoloration. 

With medication and ice packs to manage the pain and inflammation, you just need to overcome your food cravings for a relatively short period of time, which may even put you on the path to healthier eating habits.