Wisdom Teeth Removal: What are post-extraction considerations?

Has your dentist referred you to our oral surgeon for wisdom teeth extractions? If so, you might have some questions about to expect after your procedure. Having your wisdom teeth removed is a smart investment in your health; this is because keeping your wisdom teeth can lead to serious oral health problems like infections and occlusal problems. While the actual procedure is important, one’s recovery after treatment is significant, too. The way you care for your extraction sites and what you eat following treatment should be a top priority – especially if you want to enjoy a successful recovery. Following are some important post-extraction information to consider.

What You Should Eat

After your wisdom teeth are extracted, you should consume liquids like broths and smoothies and then slowly graduate to soft foods like mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. You should avoid hard foods (because of their difficulty to chew and jagged edges) the days following treatment to give extraction sites time to heal. For a full list of items you can eat or drink, speak with our team.

Caring For Your Extraction Site and Managing Discomfort

After your procedure, you will continue to brush and floss to keep your mouth clean. However, be very gentle when brushing near extraction sites. You do not want to disturb the healing process. The day after your surgery, you can rinse your mouth with warm salt water to keep your mouth clean and reduce swelling. In addition to taking medication to manage discomfort, you can apply cold compresses to the outside of your face the first 24 hours after surgery.

Dry Socket and How To Avoid It

Dry socket is a condition that occurs when the blood clot that forms over an extraction site is disturbed. The blood clots that form over wisdom teeth extraction sites are important for healing. If the clot becomes dislodged, patients will have to return to our office to have the site reopened for a new clot to form. Dry socket not only affects recovery, it affects comfort, too. You can avoid dry socket by not touching extraction sites with your tongue or finger. Food with sharp edges may disturb blood clots, too.

Call our practice if you have questions about wisdom teeth extractions!