Impacted wisdom tooth almost always leads to problems like pericoronitis, decay and infections with no other solution but the removal of the wisdom tooth altogether. Wisdom tooth doesn’t contribute much in the chewing process, and their absence doesn’t have any severe effect on the jaw either. This is why wisdom tooth extraction has become a conventional outpatient treatment these days with minimal risks and high success rates.
Although the treatment itself takes less time, recovering from it requires substantial time and diligence. Since the cavity of the removed tooth is supposed to be secured by forming a blood clot, special guidelines are to be followed for preventing the blood clot from being damaged. Some of these guidelines include:
- Avoiding strenuous activities
- Avoiding excessive spitting of blood
- Using mouthwash instead of a toothbrush for day or two
- You can use an ice pack for 3 to 4 minutes after every 15-minute interval to reduce swelling and pain on the day of surgery for one hour.
- On the next day of the surgery, you’ll experience some amount of pain, discomfort, swelling and bleeding, which is normal.
- Avoid spitting for almost 24 to 48 hours after surgery as this may lead to dislodgement of a blood clot
- You’ll be suggested bed rest for at least the first 24 hours avoid any strenuous activity
- Take all the prescribed antibiotics and pain medications without fail.
- In the next three days, the swelling and bruising may be reduced.
- You can take some over-the-counter pain medications for pain too.
- Now that the blood clot is formed do not expose the treated area to heat in any way as it can increase blood flow and damage the clot.
- Start doing warm saline rinses to clean area of the wound and avoid any food getting a stuck area of surgery
- If severe pain continues to visit your oral surgeon for follow up
- In a week, you’ll have to visit the dentist to remove sutures if present.
- You’ll notice a substantial reduction in the bruising and swelling, and you’ll feel much more relieved from pain and discomfort.
- You can now resume your routine activities except the ones which may cause stress on the wound such as, heavy lifting, driving, smoking, etc.
- After ten days of the surgery, the limitation in jaw movement will almost not exist, but you’ll still painfully struggle with chewing, laughing and yawning.
- Now’s the time to start the massage and exercises for the jaw joint. The exercise will be to gently open your mouth as wide as possible and move the lower jaw sideways. Gently massaging the jaw joints every few minutes greatly helps in reducing pain and improving movement.
- If you hear any clicking sounds or see bleeding than immediately stop exercising and contact the dentist.
- In around three weeks, the extraction wound will be completely healed.
- The bruising and swelling will disappear, and your jaw will attain full range of motion.
- In case, even after three weeks, you still are facing any pain or movement issues, you’ll have to consult your oral surgeon again.