Wisdom Tooth Removal Aftercare

If you or your teen is planning to have your wisdom teeth removed, you need to know what to expect and which things to avoid after wisdom teeth extractions. By following the right wisdom tooth removal aftercare routine, you can ease discomfort and expect a more comfortable recovery.

What to Eat After Wisdom Tooth Removal

It can take several hours for the numbing agent to wear off, similar to when you have other dental work done. To avoid accidental trauma to your cheeks, lips, or tongue, do not eat anything, and make sure not to chew on your numb lips or cheeks.

For the first several days, you’ll want to only eat soft foods. You can choose single-serve yogurt, Jell-O, and even warm (but not hot) mashed potatoes. It is important to avoid eating anything that could cause damage to your wisdom tooth extraction site while it heals, such as hot or crunchy textures. For the first week, it is important to avoid carbonated drinks, alcohol, or drinking with a straw.

Things to Avoid After Wisdom Teeth Extraction

For at least two weeks, you should not smoke (or vape) or use any type of tobacco products.
Do not consume alcohol or carbonated drinks for at least one week.
Avoid caffeine for at least a few days.
Don’t drink with a straw, as it could cause suction which will dislodge your clot (creating a dry socket.)
Avoid vigorously swishing or brushing around the extraction site. Gently rinsing with warm salt water is fine.
No crunchy or hard foods for at least one week.
Do not engage in exercise or other moderate physical activity during the first week.

In the meantime, be sure to follow all of your home care instructions and take all of your medication as prescribed, especially if it’s an antibiotic. Pain relievers are typically only needed for the first 2-3 days. The more closely you follow your home care routine, the less likely you are to experience a dry socket.

Returning Home After Oral Surgery

Keep a clean gauze over the extraction site for the first few hours until the bleeding subsides. Replace it with a clean piece of gauze as it becomes saturated.

For the first several hours, place an ice pack against each side of your mouth for 20 minutes at a time, then 20 minutes off. This will help prevent inflammation, which is usually the most common cause of post-operative discomfort.

Keep your head elevated for the rest of the day and the day after. Sit or sleep in a recliner or use several pillows to prevent laying down horizontally, which increases blood flow to the mouth.

We will give you specific instructions for cleaning around the surgical site. You do not want to brush the area for at least a few days, so it’s important to rinse with warm salt water after meals in order to remove food particles.

If you want, you can return to regular activities such as work or school within a few days of a wisdom tooth removal. However, it’s important to take things slowly and avoid any heavy lifting or increased heart rates. At most, a week off to recover is typically more than adequate.

Most people stop taking pain relievers after three or four days. Always be sure not to drive or operate heavy machinery if you are taking a prescription pain reliever.

Keep Your Follow-up Visit

To make sure your wisdom tooth surgery is successful and that everything is healing properly, we recommend visiting our Murrieta dentist a week or two after the procedure for a short exam. That way, we can be sure the tissue is closing up properly, and there are no residual tooth or bone fragments that could cause irritation.

Wisdom Tooth Removal in Murrieta

Springs Dental provides oral surgery and family dental services for people of all ages. To make an appointment for a wisdom tooth removal consultation, call our Murrieta office today.