What to Expect When Getting Your Wisdom Teeth Removed (2023)

FAQs

How long does wisdom teeth removal take to recover? ›

It can take up to 2 weeks to recover from the surgery for having your wisdom tooth or teeth removed. During this time, you may have: a swollen mouth and cheeks – this will be worse for the first few days but will gradually improve; gently pressing a cold cloth to your face helps reduce the swelling.

You shouldn't feel any pain as your wisdom teeth are removed because the area will be numb. However, if you do feel pain during the procedure, tell your dentist or oral surgeon so they can give you more anaesthetic. How long it takes to remove the tooth will vary.

Remember, the first two days after surgery are usually the worst. On the first day, the sedatives and painkillers used during surgery are still in your bloodstream, so you won't feel as much pain as you will on day two.

Most people can go back to work or school in two to three days after wisdom teeth extraction. However, if your job requires physical labor or heavy lifting, you may need to take a few extra days off of work.

How soon can I drink water after tooth extraction? Except for taking medications, you should avoid all food and drink for at least 24 hours after wisdom tooth removal. This allows your surgical site to heal. It's best to drink plenty of water the next day to remain hydrated and stick to a soft, liquid-based diet.

What is the most difficult tooth to extract? Impacted wisdom teeth are wisdom teeth that have failed to erupt properly. They are generally considered to be the most difficult teeth to extract.

For the first 24 to 48 hours, eat only liquid and soft foods like yogurt, apple sauce, and ice cream. Cold foods may help with some of the discomfort. As you start to feel better, you can try incorporating more solid foods. On the third day after surgery, try foods like eggs, toast, or oatmeal.

After Your Wisdom Teeth Extraction, Don't:

Use straws, suck, spit, or smoke. Avoiding these activities helps maintain the blood clot that forms over the wisdom teeth extraction site. If the clot becomes dislodged, you may have more bleeding, more pain, and a potential side effect called dry sockets.

Don't eat or drink anything, including water, after midnight of the evening before your surgery. Remember to dress comfortably. You'll feel better overall and will be ready to rest after your surgery.

Brush your teeth gently, but avoid the area of surgery for the first 24 hours.

Why is day 3 after wisdom teeth removal the worst? ›

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) is one of the most common complications of wisdom tooth removal. It's where a blood clot fails to develop in the tooth socket, or if the blood clot becomes dislodged or disappears. This can happen 3 to 5 days after surgery.

Most wisdom tooth removal surgeries last about 40-90 minutes. Even if you're having all four of your wisdom teeth removed at once, the procedure typically takes an hour. If your wisdom teeth are in a difficult position or there are unexpected difficulties, the surgery may take a bit longer.

Can You Talk the Day After Wisdom Teeth Removal? You can speak after having your wisdom teeth removed, just try to limit how much you talk immediately following surgery. When you talk, your tongue and mouth muscles move around, which can disturb the blood clots forming within the empty tooth sockets.

That exposes the underlying bone and nerves and results in severe pain. More serious risks, which become more common with age, include nerve and blood-vessel damage. As with any surgery, wisdom-tooth removal does carry the very rare risk of death.

Dislodge the food by gently rinsing your mouth with warm salt water (saline) solution. Avoid swishing the water around and don't spit—this can lead to painful dry sockets. If you received a syringe from your clinician, you can use warm water or salt water to gently flush the socket clean.

Eat only liquid and soft foods such as yogurt, apple sauce, and ice cream for the first 24 to 48 hours. With some of the discomfort, cold foods can help. You can have solid foods gradually when you feel better. Try foods like eggs or toast or oatmeal from the day after surgery.

Please remove the gauze when you eat or drink. Do not sleep with the gauze in your mouth. Pay special attention to the placement of the gauze , making sure it is over the surgical site and not just between the teeth.

Food will probably get stuck in the sockets until they close over completely. This may cause problems with bad breath and a bad taste in your mouth. You can rinse with salt water as described on page 4 to help keep your mouth clean. Infection can sometimes happen after having wisdom teeth taken out.

Root canals can be a painful procedure. In fact, many find it to be more painful than an extraction, but the use of local anesthesia can reduce the pain. The procedure starts by first examining the patient's mouth with X-rays. These help to determine the severity of the infection and the number of teeth infected.

Pain After Tooth Extraction

Ibuprofen will help with pain relief and as an anti-inflammatory. If you cannot take ibuprofen, then 1–2 tablets of regular Tylenol^® should be taken every 4 hours.

Is it dry socket or just pain? ›

For most people, the main symptom of dry socket is severe pain. However, pain tolerance and perceptions differ from person to person. Therefore, some people may experience less pain than others. Dentists will typically diagnose dry socket based on the presence of pain and breakdown of the clot after a tooth extraction.

Macaroni and cheese is perfect because you can swallow the tiny noodles whole or chew them with your front teeth. You can also overcook your pasta noodles to make sure they are soft and easy to chew.

On the same day of surgery, you should not brush near the extraction site. However, you should start normal brushing again the very next day, according to the American Dental Association. You will certainly want to be careful and gentle, but you should resume full brushing the day right after wisdom tooth extraction.

So, why no dairy? Dairy causes an inflammatory response in the oral tissues and this is not desirable after you have had dental implant surgery. Dairy has also been known to trigger nausea and vomiting.

Bed rest the first 2 days is essential after surgery to hasten recovery and prevent complications. Stay down with your head elevated all day the first day, mild activity on the second day, and do what you feel like you are up to on days 3 and 4.

Spit. You may have some bleeding for the first day, which is normal. It's important that you try to avoid spitting, which can dislodge a blood clot in the socket. Your doctor or oral surgeon will supply you with gauze to absorb any excess blood.

The process of removing your wisdom teeth does not need to be a terrifying and frightful experience. With a professional dental team and various anesthesia and sedation options available nowadays, you can have a safe, easy, and pain-free dental experience at your surgeon's office.

There is no simple answer to the question, “Should I stay awake or sleep, while my wisdom teeth are extracted?” It is important to consider your pain tolerance level and severity of dental anxiety. If the answer is high to one or both, you should definitely consider a type of sedation.

Important Oral Surgery Pre-operative Instructions

Avoid the use of aspirin products such as Anacin, Bufferin, or Alka-Seltzer or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines like Ibuprofen (Motrin), for at least three days prior to surgery; Tylenol is OK to use instead.

It is always important to get a good night's sleep prior to your procedure. Ask your dentist if there are any sleeping positions they recommend in order to avoid placing pressure on your mouth (if it is relevant to your particular procedure).

Can I wear deodorant before wisdom teeth surgery? ›

Do not wear makeup, lotion, powder, deodorant or nail polish. It is important to remove your nail polish so that the doctors and nurses can see your true color during the surgery and in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. The color of the skin and nail beds is an important sign of blood circulation.

This change in your oral hygiene routine will likely lead to more bacterial plaque growth — and smelly breath — during that first week after your procedure. Once you've fully healed, you can go back to brushing, flossing, and rinsing as usual.

The pain and swelling should subside more and more each day following surgery. The second day following surgery is usually the worst day for swelling.

Unpleasant Taste. Another common symptom of a dry socket is a bad or sour taste in your mouth. This can be one of the first signs of infection, so don't let that smell linger without taking swift action.

It's Better to Take Out All Wisdom Teeth at the Same Time

Even if they emerge from your gums without any problems, they can force the surrounding teeth to become misaligned, which leads to some discomfort and makes them harder to keep clean because they are so far back in your mouth.

You may also experience some blurring of vision following anesthesia. For these reasons, we recommend that you do not drive or operate machinery for the first 24 hours after surgery.

You can expect your recovery time after wisdom teeth removal to be three to four days. However, if your wisdom teeth were impacted, this could increase your recovery time to about a week to heal. You may experience discomfort or pain after wisdom teeth extraction for three days to one week.

Most patients have fully recovered by day 5, following the extraction. If you haven't progressed as outlined in the timeline above, it many be a good idea to consult your doctor, as you may experience a non-healing condition called Dry Socket.

You can expect some pain and swelling from the wisdom tooth extraction to last for about 3 to 7 days, depending on the type of extraction necessary and your body's natural healing process. However, thanks to over-the-counter pain medications, you don't have to suffer through that pain.

When can I stop worrying about dry socket? ›

When Can I Stop Worrying About Dry Socket? Until the full recovery of your extraction site, a dry socket can form if you fail to follow the care tips. Usually, a week (7-8 days) after wisdom tooth extraction, you can stop worrying about a dry socket as gums take this much time to close fully.

The swelling will build over the first 48 to 72 hours and then plateau for 2-3 days making the 3rd-5th days the worst for pain and swelling. However, the swelling may be minimized by the immediate use of ice packs.

Days 3-4: While swelling will peak during this time, the throbbing pain will give way to general soreness. Don't be alarmed if it's difficult to open your mouth completely. This will soon subside. Oral hygiene is important to keep the extraction sites clean.

After Your Wisdom Teeth Extraction, Don't:

Use straws, suck, spit, or smoke. Avoiding these activities helps maintain the blood clot that forms over the wisdom teeth extraction site. If the clot becomes dislodged, you may have more bleeding, more pain, and a potential side effect called dry sockets.

Apply ice packs to your face for 15 minutes on and then 15 minutes off to reduce swelling. Don't eat or drink anything, including water, after midnight of the evening before your surgery. Remember to dress comfortably. You'll feel better overall and will be ready to rest after your surgery.

On the same day of surgery, you should not brush near the extraction site. However, you should start normal brushing again the very next day, according to the American Dental Association. You will certainly want to be careful and gentle, but you should resume full brushing the day right after wisdom tooth extraction.