What is the Recovery Period for Wisdom Teeth Extraction?

Just got your wisdom teeth extracted? Experiencing excruciating pain post the extraction? Has your doctor asked you to stay on a soft food diet? Wondering when will you get back to chewing crunchy food with ease? Want to know what is the recovery period for wisdom teeth extraction? Read the following for the answer.

What is Wisdom Teeth Extraction?

Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars that an individual gets in their lifetime. As these molars emerge, they are known to bring about a lot of discomfort for most people. When they emerge, normally between 16 to 20 years of age, there may not be sufficient room left for these molars to come out perfectly. Consequently, they end up emerging at an angle, may crowd the mouth and may not even emerge fully at time. If they do not come out properly, wisdom teeth cause more harm than good. They lead to oral health problems like pain and infections in the future and so most people get these wisdom teeth removed. Besides, they aren’t even necessary for a beautiful smile!

Dentist worldwide advice people to get dental checkups before they turn 20 to see how their wisdom teeth are emerging and the status of these molars while the roots are still forming. After this an oral check up, if the dentist finds it necessary, they would remove these final molars in this stage itself. Wisdom tooth extraction is a kind of major surgery. Although local anaesthesia is generally administered to the patient in order to make the procedure of wisdom teeth removal a more comfortable one, some pain and discomfort is still felt in the process. These are experienced especially when the effect of anaesthesia wears off. Once the wisdom teeth are pulled out, the recovery time starts.

What is Wisdom Teeth Extraction?

What is the Recovery Time after Wisdom Teeth Extraction?

Once the wisdom teeth get extracted, the patient experiences swelling, pain and some bleeding. The duration of the recovery period after wisdom teeth extraction depends on how acutely the wisdom teeth were affected and the manner in which they were emerging. As per dental experts, wisdom teeth recovery occurs in a period of 3 to 4 days, although it can last longer and extend up to a week also.

What Care Should the Patient Take Post Wisdom Teeth Extraction?

The recovery period after wisdom teeth extraction can take many days and in certain cases the swelling and discomfort may still remain for a week or more. As the mouth heals, these individuals are advised to be careful not to dislodge the blood clot or harm their healing gums. Although one can resume their normal activities after the first day of wisdom teeth extraction itself, it is better for them to take it easy for a few days.

For about a week or so, they should not do anything that could potentially dislodge the blood clot from the area from where the teeth were removed. These individuals should consult a dentist to understand how they can take care of their mouth in the best way through the recovery period. According to dental experts, patients after wisdom teeth extraction should avoid flossing, spitting and rinsing their mouth for 24 hours. They should even avoid brushing their teeth on the first day of recovery. They should refrain from consuming alcohol, solid foods, soda, coffee and hot beverages in the first few days following the extraction procedure.

There are certain things that one can do to make recovery time after wisdom teeth extraction easier. For managing the pain post wisdom teeth extraction, one can take an over-the-counter pain reliever prescribed by their dentist. As for the swelling post wisdom teeth extraction, placing an ice pack over the jaw can prove to be very helpful in alleviating it. The cold helps to decrease the inflammation and ease the discomfort considerably. After 1 full day, the individuals can start by gently brushing their teeth. They should rinse their mouth with saline water frequently after wisdom teeth extraction in order to keep it clean and keep infection at bay. One should also resort to a soft-food diet after wisdom teeth extraction, which can include yogurt, apple sauce, cottage cheese, etc. for the first day or more. After this the individual can then slowly shift to a semi-soft food diet.

So by applying ice packs, keeping your mouth clean with saline water and enjoying a soft food diet, you can pass through the recovery period after wisdom teeth extraction with optimal ease. If you notice any irregular symptoms like fever, severe pain, pus discharge or other complexities like infection, contact your dentist right away.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:March 13, 2018

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