Wisdom teeth removal surgery is a common preventive measure but might be necessary for those experiencing pain. Wisdom teeth can get cavities and don’t always have enough room to properly grow.
No matter your reasoning for wisdom tooth extraction, you might have some anxiety about the procedure. This guide on how to prepare for wisdom teeth removal will help you prepare for the surgery and recovery process.
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When to Get Wisdom Tooth Removal Surgery
Going to the dentist regularly will help you figure out if you need wisdom tooth removal surgery. The dentist will assess your teeth with X-rays. You’ll need to remove a wisdom tooth or teeth if:
- There is a poor prognosis
- There is a high level of decay
- Access to the tooth is limited
- Repair isn’t possible
- You struggle to clean your wisdom tooth
If you have a cavity in your wisdom tooth, wisdom tooth cavity treatment involves removing the tooth.
How to Prepare for Wisdom Teeth Removal
Knowing how to prepare for wisdom teeth removal will help the process go smoother. Your oral surgeon will provide you with the eating and drinking instructions you need to follow.
These are the steps to take to prepare:
Book Time off Work
When you schedule your wisdom tooth surgery, be sure to book time off work as well. The time it takes to return to work will depend on your reaction to the procedure, the number of teeth removed, and the type of anesthesia used.
It’s common for people to take up to three days off from work. If you have a physically demanding job, you might want to take off 3-5 days for recovery.
The time you need to take off from playing sports and strenuous activity might be longer. Let your organization know ahead of time if you are getting your wisdom teeth removed.
Schedule Transportation
After wisdom teeth extraction, patients typically go home the same day. You won’t be able to drive due to the anesthesia so arrange transportation ahead of time.
Your designated driver for the day should also pick up your over-the-counter (OTC) medications to help with pain. You can also do this before the surgery if you prefer.
The sedation used during your surgery will determine how long you should wait until driving. Your surgeon will advise you on the appropriate amount of time.
It might be necessary to arrange for someone to help you when you get home. The first 24 hours after general anesthesia can cause dizziness and confusion.
Following the procedure, it’s important to avoid alcohol, critical decision-making, and machine operation for 24 hours.
Pack a Bag
On the day of your surgery, it’s important to be prepared with a packed bag. Bring the necessary paperwork and have your dental insurance card ready.
Wear comfortable and loose clothing for the procedure. You won’t have to change into anything for the surgery so it’s important to be comfortable in what you show up in.
Food Preparation
You can prepare for your arrival at home after the procedure by planning your meals. Your surgeon should provide you with a list of foods that are acceptable to eat during recovery.
It’s recommended to eat foods that don’t require chewing, so stock up on the following:
- Soups and broths
- Pureed foods
- Apple sauce
- Ice cream
- Yogurt
- Smoothies
Drinking from a straw can disturb your healing process and cause a dry socket. As you begin to recover, you can start eating softer foods like mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal.
Always avoid eating hard, crunchy, and chewy foods following your procedure. Avoid carbonated beverages and alcohol as they can dislodge blood clots and cause dry sockets.
Keep ice packs ready in the freezer to help with pain management.
Understand the Procedure
If you have anxiety about the upcoming surgery, find out more about the procedure before your appointment.
The procedure involves the removal of one or more wisdom teeth. It could involve removing wisdom teeth that have yet to erupt from the gums, as well as visible wisdom teeth.
You might be aware of the need for this surgery when you experience tooth pain.
A healthcare professional will administer general anesthesia, local anesthesia, or sedation during the procedure. Full recovery can take a few weeks even though you might be able to return to work in a few days.
The surgery usually takes an hour or less, but it’s not uncommon for complex cases to last longer.
Ask Your Surgeon Questions
You should have a consultation with your oral surgeon before scheduling a procedure. This is a great time to discuss your concerns and ask questions about wisdom teeth removal.
Bring prepared questions and take notes if you want to remember the details. Some common questions patients ask about the surgery include:
- Can I drink water before the surgery?
- Do I need to fast before the visit?
- What kind of sedation will I have?
- How soon can I brush my teeth?
A surgeon might have a pamphlet with the information you need readily available for you to keep.
During this time, you’ll also receive instructions about what you should do before and after the surgery. Leading up to the surgery, ask all your questions regarding pre-surgery, anesthesia, and aftercare.
Be honest about your medical history if you are asked any questions.
Stop Smoking
Smoking can negatively impact your recovery from wisdom tooth removal. Taking longer for your mouth to heal is not ideal and can cause other problems in the future.
Stop smoking weeks before your wisdom teeth removal surgery and don’t smoke during the recovery period. If you smoke, make sure to let your dentist know before the surgery.
Smoking is one of the main causes of infections and dry sockets. You can use nicotine patches as an alternative if you struggle to go without smoking.
Additionally, if you are having an IV sedation, smoking can lead to breathing complications while you are under.
This rule of thumb goes for both cigarette and marijuana smoke. Marijuana and general anesthesia can cause poor heart function and low blood sugar which can impact the surgery.
Wisdom Teeth Removal Aftercare
This form of oral surgery requires specific aftercare to ensure a successful healing process.
You’ll most likely experience slight bleeding, swelling, and mild discomfort. You can ease the pain by following the recommendations from your oral surgeon, and using these tips:
Leave Gauze in Place
After your surgery, keep your gauze in place for about 30 minutes. If you are bleeding too much, replace your gauze with clean gauze.
Your surgeon will make it clear when to remove and replace your gauze after the surgery.
In general, you should be able to take it out when your bleeding slows down. It’s common to have oozing but not excessive bleeding.
If your bleeding continues, reach out to your surgeon to see what the next best steps to take are.
Get Some Rest
Wisdom tooth removal recovery requires a lot of rest. You should stay at home and recover for up to 3-5 days depending on the severity of the procedure and how you feel after.
Sleeping is important for healing, but it can feel uncomfortable to sleep while you’re in pain. Sleeping upright might be recommended to prevent dry sockets.
The more sleep you get after surgery, the better. Without proper sleeping habits, you might not be able to heal adequately.
Use Ice Packs
We talked about preparing ice packs for after your surgery. Now, let’s get into why it’s so important.
Using an ice pack can reduce the swelling you feel after getting your wisdom teeth removed. Wrap your ice pack in a clean towel or multiple paper towels and place it on the swelling area.
Leave it on for 20 minutes and take it off for another 20 minutes. Repeat this process throughout the day.
Icing is an effective method for reducing pain and swelling because the cold helps constrict blood vessels, decreasing circulation to the area.
Take Medications
Taking all medications as prescribed can help you through the pain and swelling. Don’t stop taking these medicines until your oral surgeon says it’s okay.
Your risk of bleeding can increase with certain medicines, including:
- Aspirin
- Advil (ibuprofen)
- Coumadin (warfarin)
- Aleve (naproxen)
- Plavix (clopidogrel)
Your oral surgeon might recommend you stop taking these medications days before your surgery. Avoid tobacco and alcohol at least eight hours before the surgery as well.
Keep Your Mouth Clean
The extraction sites in your mouth are sensitive and need to be kept clean.
You can soak the surgical areas with an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash that your oral surgeon can recommend. Try to avoid swishing as you would when using traditional mouthwash.
Swishing will dislodge blood clots and cause dry sockets, exposing your bone at the extraction site.
You can allow your mouthwash to soak the extraction areas by leaning your head to each side.
Continue to Brush and Floss
It’s important to keep up with your oral health routine by continuing to brush and floss your teeth. You don’t want to brush over the extraction sites, but keep your other teeth clean during recovery.
You risk infection by not continuing to brush and floss your teeth after wisdom tooth removal.
Wisdom Tooth Surgery Complications
Wisdom tooth surgery complications can happen, so it’s important to know the signs.
While there are minor problems, you might come across major issues that require you to reach out to your oral surgeon. Call your dentist if you experience excessive bleeding, dry socket symptoms, or an infection.
You need to seek immediate care if you have these signs of infection:
- Worsening swelling of the gum or face
- High fever with chills
- A pus-like discharge from the wound
- Pain that doesn’t improve with medication
A dry socket can occur after any tooth is extracted.
Understanding Dry Socket
Dry socket is an oral condition that can happen to you after wisdom tooth extraction. After the surgery, your surgeon will:
- Clean the gum socket
- Smooth out the bone that is left
- Close the gum with one or more stitches
The hole in the bone where the tooth was removed, the socket, forms a blood clot in the socket to protect your bone and nerves. The blood clot could become displaced or won’t fully form at all.
When the bone and nerves are exposed, it’s referred to as dry socket. This is painful and leads to a longer healing process. In addition to pain, these are other symptoms you might experience from dry socket:
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Slight fever
- Bad breath or bad smell coming from the mouth
You might experience pain radiating from the socket to the eye, temple, neck, or ear on the same side that the tooth was pulled. If you had wisdom teeth removed on both sides, you could experience pain in each of them.
A dentist can tell if you have dry socket by looking at your extracted tooth area. The dentist might need to take an X-ray of the socket to see if tooth fragments were left behind during the surgery.
Dry Socket Treatment
After confirming that you have dry socket, a dentist will do any of the following to treat the condition:
- Prescribe antibiotics
- Prescribe pain medicine
- Clean out the socket
- Filling the socket with medicated paste or dressing
You might be required to come in regularly to have your dressing changed until the symptoms subside. The dentist will also help you create an at-home care plan that involves pain medicine, icing your jaw, and rinsing out your socket carefully.
With proper care, dry socket can heal anywhere between seven and 10 days. During the recovery process, new tissue will form to cover your exposed socket.
Get Ready for Your Procedure
Knowing how to prepare for wisdom teeth removal can help you get ready for your procedure. With the information in this guide, you’ll feel prepared and hopefully feel more at ease with the process.
Pre-surgery and aftercare instructions are essential to the healing process. Follow the orders from your surgeon to recover easily.
For more articles like this on health, check out our other blog posts.
Rosette has a knack for anything DIY. She spent her younger years learning about the different hardware tools, lighting, and equipment in the hopes of establishing a hardware business in the future. Her career options may have changed, but today, she continues to write so passionately about her first love.
