Whether young or old, you can have your wisdom teeth removed
As we’ve discussed before, it’s never too late to remove your wisdom teeth. Reasons to remove wisdom teeth include poor angulations which can cause issues to the adjacent teeth, swelling, gum disease, and many more. If you or someone you know is thinking about having your wisdom teeth removed, here are a few things that you should know about recovery.
Wisdom Teeth Recovery Facts
- It typically doesn’t take patients longer than 3-4 days to recover.
- If your teeth are severely impacted, it may take a bit longer for recovery.
- Full healing can take 4-6 weeks, so you need to take care of your mouth to avoid complications.
As you resume your normal routine. Make sure to avoid any activities that could dislodge stitches, such as:
- Intense exercise
- Smoking (just cut smoking out altogether if you care about your general health)
- Drinking from a straw (or any activity which causes suction)
- Spitting
You should know that some pain, swelling, and bleeding naturally happens with wisdom teeth removal. Ice packs and pain medication do help. If you find that the pain you’re experiencing is abnormal, call us right away. By day three, you should notice your symptoms wearing off, and all of the pain or bleeding should be gone within a week. Seek help without hesitation if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, if you have a fever, if your medication doesn’t seem to numb the pain, or if you can’t stop bleeding.
How You Should Take Care of Your Mouth at Home
We will give you precise instructions on how to avoid infections and complications. We’ll guide you through how to clean and protect your mouth post-surgery. After this extraction, this may be the only time we ever advise you not to brush, floss, or rinse for an entire day. General cleaning instructions include rinsing your mouth out with saltwater. Instead of spitting it out like usual, tip your head over your sink and let the water drain out slowly and then dab the wound with gauze to remove excess blood.
Foods to Eat/Avoid
Eat
- Cottage Cheese
- Mashed Potatoes
- Apple Sauce
- Pudding
- Soup
- Smoothies (avoid seeds!)
Avoid
- Hot food that can burn the site
- Nuts and Seeds
- Eating anything hard
The #1 takeaway is that you should always listen to your dentist. Dr. Mitchell A. Lomke, DDS, and Dr. Joshua M. Lomke, DDS, will always have their patients’ best interest at heart.
Come to Smile Designs of Olney for All of Your Cosmetic Procedures
For your smile makeover or any other dental needs, come to Smile Designs of Olney! Book an appointment with us. Whether you want your teeth whitened, straightened, or restored altogether, we pride ourselves in quality patient care and giving you the smile makeover that you deserve. Our small, professional staff will make you feel right at home. We service the Montgomery County regions including Olney, Laytonsville, Brookville, Silver Spring, Rockville, Columbia, Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Germantown, MD. Contact us at (301) 260-0700, visit us online, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.