Wisdom Tooth Removal and the Road to Recovery

The time has come to have your wisdom teeth removed, but what can you expect on the day of surgery and during the healing process? 

Getting Started:

Your journey with wisdom teeth removal begins with a consultation in our office. At this visit we get to know you, review your medical history, and we will take time to answer all the questions you’ve been wondering about. We encourage you to write down all of your questions and bring them with you to your consultation. Just remember, there is no such thing as a silly question!

The day of wisdom tooth removal surgery:

You’ll arrive at our office with a parent or guardian, fill out a bit of paperwork, and settle into our waiting area while we prepare the surgical suite. If you are “going to sleep” during your wisdom teeth removal procedure, you might be a little hungry or thirsty from 8 hours of fasting. It’s important that you follow the guidelines for fasting to ensure your safety during your procedure. If you have elected to be sedated but do not adhere to the strict fasting guidelines, we will not be able to perform your surgery under IV sedation. You can learn more about sedation options here. (Link to sedation page)

A member of our clinical team will take you from the waiting area to the clinical area, where we will collect your weight (for anesthesia administration and pain medication prescription) and check your blood pressure. Your mouth will be numbed with a local anesthetic, and depending on your anesthesia decision, you may receive laughing gas to make you drowsy or medication via an IV in your arm. Your surgery should take 45 minutes or less and you’ll be on your way home in no time.

While we know it is very tempting for family members to film your reaction when you wake up after surgery, we ask that you wait to break out the cell phone recording until you exit the building. Given the number of patients in our clinic on a daily basis, we are committed to protecting our patient’s privacy and insist that others do the same.

What to expect after wisdom tooth removal surgery:

Wisdom tooth removal is an actual surgery and does involve some level of swelling and discomfort. Most people will experience the greatest level of discomfort and swelling in the first three days after their wisdom teeth are removed. It is typical for people to resume normal activities within approximately 5-7 days. The sites may take up to 4 weeks to completely heal. Jaw stiffness will also occur and will typically resolve in 10-14 days.

What you should eat after wisdom tooth removal:

Diet is often a question that concerns people. While most choose a softer diet for a few days, you can explore eating firmer items early on. Just realize that there may be some pain with that, and eating firmer foods may take some getting used to. Sticking to a softer diet is solely for comfort, and is not a true necessity. Early on, we encourage everyone to try to start chewing. The ones who do this seem to do better and recover faster. If the surgeon thinks that a totally soft diet is best, he will usually make you aware. The key to doing better after wisdom teeth removal is to stay hydrated and to start chewing foods as soon as possible. We consider eating nothing but applesauce and macaroni to be a thing of the past.

There are many other questions asked regarding wisdom teeth removal. Some additional questions our team hears most are: What will I look like afterward? Will I remember anything? Can I keep my teeth? These common questions will be addressed during your consultation. 

To schedule a consultation, click here or contact our team at 770-302-0101.