After Wisdom Tooth Removal
Home Instructions After Wisdom Teeth Extraction
The removal of impacted wisdom teeth is a serious surgical procedure.
Post-operative care is very important. Unnecessary pain and complications such as infection and swelling can be minimized if these instructions are followed carefully.
***Do not disturb the wound: avoid rinsing, spitting, use of a straw, or touching the wound on the day of surgery and 2 days after. ***
BLEEDING The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for a half hour, then discarded. Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues, bite on a moistened black tea bag for thirty minutes. The tannic acid in the black tea helps to form a clot by contracting bleeding vessels. If bleeding does not subside, call our office for further instructions.
SWELLING
Swelling around the mouth, cheeks, eyes, and sides of the face is a normal occurrence after surgery. This is the body’s normal reaction to surgery and eventual repair. The swelling will not become apparent until the day following surgery and will not reach its maximum until 2-3 days post-operatively. To minimize swelling, apply an ice pack to the outside of your face in the area of surgery continuously, as much as possible, for the first 36 hours.
If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days is also normal. 36 hours following surgery, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face is beneficial in reducing the size of the swelling.
In some cases, discoloration of the skin follows swelling. The development of black, blue, green, or yellow discoloration is due to blood spreading beneath the tissues. This is a normal post-operative occurrence, which may occur 2-3 days post-operatively. Moist heat applied to the area may speed up the removal of the discoloration.
Please call immediately if swelling of the neck occurs.
ADDITIONAL COMPLICATIONS
- Numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue may occur and there is no cause for alarm.
- Slight elevation of temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon.
- Occasionally, patients may feel hard projections in the mouth with their tongue. They are not roots; they are the bony walls which support the tooth. These projections usually smooth out spontaneously. If not, they can be removed by Dr. Rossen.
- Sore throats and pain when swallowing are not uncommon. The muscles get swollen. The normal act of swallowing can then become painful. This will subside in 2-3 days.
- Stiffness (Trismus) of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is a normal post-operative event which will resolve in time.
DIET
Drink plenty of fluids (5-6 glasses of liquid daily).
Soft, cool foods (ice cream, yogurt, pudding) and liquids can be eaten on the day of surgery.
Avoid hot liquids or food for the first 24 hours.
Avoid small seeds, chips, and nuts for 3-4 weeks.
You may return to a normal diet as soon as possible, unless otherwise directed.
PAIN You should begin taking pain medication as soon as you get home/before you feel the local anesthetic wearing off.
For moderate pain, one or two tablets of Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol may be taken every 3-4 hours. Alternatively, 2-3 tablets of over the counter Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) 200 mg may be taken four times daily instead of Tylenol, not to exceed 3200mg daily for an adult.
Do NOT take Tylenol and Ibuprofen together, but you may alternate between the two every 3-4 hours if needed. Consult our practice for individuals under 18.
For severe pain, the prescribed medication should be taken as directed.
Do not take any of the above medication if you are allergic to them, or have been instructed by your doctor not to take it. Do not drive an automobile or work around machinery. Avoid alcoholic beverages. Pain or discomfort following surgery should subside more and more every day. If pain persists, please call our office as it may require attention.
ANTIBIOTICS
If prescribed, be sure to take your antibiotics as directed on the bottle to help prevent infection.
ORAL HYGIENE
Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. Continue to gently brush your teeth around the surgical site. Starting 2 days after surgery, we recommend starting a mouth rinse.
Gently swish a warm salt water rinse (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water)
for 1 minute and spit out. Repeat at least 4-5 times a day, especially after meals for 2 weeks.
SUTURES
Any sutures at the surgical site will typically dissolve within 2 weeks. If they do not, we will remove them at your follow-up appointment or you may gently pull out with sterilized tweezers.
NAUSEA AND VOMITING
In the event of nausea and/or vomiting following surgery, do not take anything by mouth for at least an hour. You should then sip on coke, tea, or ginger ale slowly over a fifteen-minute period. When the nausea subsides you can begin taking solid foods and the prescribed medicine.
ACTIVITY
Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. Vigorous exercising and activities should be avoided for about a week.
***If you need to reach our office regarding any issues, questions, or concerns, please call us at (716) 276-0909