After Wisdom Tooth Removal
Right After Surgery
- A gauze pad has been placed over the surgical area. Please keep it in place for an hour. Afterward, you can remove and discard the pad.
- Avoid vigorous mouth rinsing and/or touching the wound area immediately following surgery. This can dislodge the blood clot that has formed over the area, and cause severe bleeding.
- As the local anesthetic wears off, you will feel pain. Take your prescribed pain medications at the first sign of discomfort starts.
- Rest. Keep your activities low-key the day of surgery, and gradually increase them when you feel comfortable.
- Put ice packs on the side(s) of your face where the surgery occurred for at least one day after surgery.
Other Complications
- Temporary numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue is a common occurrence after this type of surgery. Exercise caution, as since your lip or tongue is numb, you could accidentally bite it and not feel it. Call our office if this sensation persists beyond the specified timeframe.
- Running a slight fever in the hours after surgery is common. If your temperature persists, or is excessively high, notify the office. Tylenol or ibuprofen may be taken to reduce the fever.
- Take care when transitioning from the lying down position to standing. Light-headedness may occur from low blood sugar or as a side effect of your medications. Sit for one full minute and get your bearings before standing up.
- Sometimes, patients report feeling hard projections in their mouths when they run their tongue over the area where the tooth was extracted. These projections aren't roots; what they are the bony walls which once supported the tooth, and they will smooth out over time. If not, they can be removed.
- If the corners of your mouth were stretched during your procedure, you may experience chapping or cracking. Keep your lips smooth and moist with a gentle ointment such as Vaseline.
- You may have a sore throat after your surgery, which can make the normal act of swallowing quite painful. This should go away on its own in 2–3 days.
- It is normal for your jaw to be stiff a week or so following surgery. This may make it difficult to open your mouth for a time, but be assured, it will resolve itself.
After-surgery care
If you’ve had an impacted wisdom tooth or teeth removed, you’ve had a surgical procedure. Self-care during this period is very important. Unnecessary pain, and complications such as infection and swelling, can result if these instructions are not followed to the letter.
Bleeding
Bleeding is a normal occurrence following surgery. Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva is not cause for alarm. If you experience excessive bleeding, first rinse or wipe away any old clots from your mouth. Place a gauze pad over the area and bite firmly on it for 30 minutes. Repeat if necessary. If bleeding continues, bite on a moistened black tea bag for thirty minutes. The tannic acid in the black tea aids clot formation by causing bleeding vessels to contract. Also, be sure to sit upright and take it easy. If bleeding won’t stop, call us right away for further instructions.
Swelling
Swelling around the mouth, cheeks, and sides of the face is not uncommon after this kind of procedure. That is a natural and normal reaction to surgery. How much swelling you get usually corresponds to the length and complexity of the surgery performed. The swelling does not typically manifest until the day after the surgery and usually peaks out 2–3 days post-operatively. To minimize swelling, use ice packs. Two baggies filled with ice, or towels filled with ice, should be applied to the areas of the face where swelling occurs. If possible, leave them on continuously while you are awake for the first 36 hours. If swelling or jaw stiffness persists after this period, you’re still OK. Again, this is perfectly normal. 36 hours after surgery, applying moist heat to the sides of the face can be help bring the swelling down.
Pain
Moderate: take over-the-counter Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) in 200 mg tablets; take 2–3 tablets every 4 hours
Severe: take your prescription medication as directed. This medicine is much stronger than aspirin or ibuprofen, so expect it to make you sleepy and for it to slow down your reflexes. Do not drive a car, work around machinery, or drink alcohol.
If necessary, you may also take both Ibuprofen and the prescribed meds, either at the same time or alternating between the two.
Your post-operative pain and discomfort should improve daily. If pain does not subside, you should call our office.
Diet
Immediately after your surgery, only liquids should be consumed. Drink directly from a glass. Do not suck liquid through a straw. This can cause more bleeding by dislodging the blood clot. Soft foods may be introduced the day after the surgery. Eggs, potatoes, and pasta are excellent examples of soft foods.
Nourishment should be taken regularly. This is no time to go on a diet. A high calorie, high protein intake is optimal. Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, and to compensate for a decreased food intake. Try to drink at least 5 glasses of liquid every day. Do not skip meals if you can help it. By continuing to eat, you will feel better, have more strength, less discomfort and heal faster.
Keep the mouth clean
Immediately following the surgery, do not rinse your mouth — at all. The day afterward, then, you can start rinsing at least 3–4 times daily, particularly after meals. Mix one teaspoon of salt mixed into one cup of warm water.
Discoloration
In some cases, swelling may be accompanied by bruising 2–3 days after the procedure. This is a normal, healthy post-operative occurrence resulting from blood spreading beneath the tissues. Applying moist heat to the affected area has been shown to accelerate the removal of the discoloration.
Antibiotics
After most procedures, antibiotics are usually prescribed to help prevent infection. Take all tablets or liquid as directed. If you develop a rash or other allergic reaction, stop using the antibiotics and call the office immediately if you have any questions.
Nausea and Vomiting
If you experience nausea and/or vomiting after your surgery, do not eat or drink anything for at least an hour. Sip on a soft drink, tea, or ginger ale, slowly over a fifteen-minute period. Medication for nausea and vomiting may be prescribed for you to use if you need it. When the nausea abates, you can resume eating solid foods and take any other prescribed medicines.
