Most people have their wisdom teeth extracted because their dentist recommends it, but few really understand why it was necessary\u2014particularly if the teeth didn\u2019t cause any pain. By nature, dentists always want to err on the side of caution (read: prevention). Often this means actively monitoring your mouth for any signs of complications like:<\/p>\n
Your dentist would recommend wisdom tooth extraction to correct problems like the ones listed above or to prevent these complications from coming up in the future.<\/p>\n
Usually, wisdom tooth extraction<\/a> takes less than 45 minutes. Dentists use anesthesia to numb the area and ensure you don\u2019t feel any discomfort. Next, they remove any bone blocking access to the wisdom tooth. This step normally happens with impacted teeth, where it\u2019s necessary to remove certain areas of hard tissue. Once the dentist has direct access to the tooth, they will divide it into parts to make extraction easier and reduce your recovery time. An extraction forceps is then used to extract the sections of the tooth. Afterward, we use a gentle water stream and disinfectant solution to clean the empty space. The final step in the extraction process involves stitching the open wound shut to prevent food particles or debris from accumulating. Your dentist will then place oral gauze in the space to control bleeding and promote healing.<\/p>\n Wisdom teeth extraction is typically done as an outpatient procedure, meaning you\u2019ll go home once it\u2019s done. Because this is technically surgery, it\u2019s probably a good idea to take the day off work. Stick to your regular oral routine to keep your mouth clean before the surgery and minimize the risk of infection.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve scheduled the extraction with your Greenville, SC, dentist<\/a>, you will receive a list of do\u2019s and don\u2019ts from the dental team on what should happen before the surgery and on the day of your surgery. Some specifics you need to know include how long to avoid drinking, eating, or smoking before the surgery and whether you should postpone your regular exercise routine and other physical activities. Be honest about any over-the-counter drugs, prescribed medications, and recreational drugs or quantities of alcohol that you take. Believe it or not, this information can help your dental team prevent any unpleasant or unsafe interactions with the anesthesia.<\/p>\n Since even local anesthesia impairs reflexes, you\u2019ll need to make arrangements for someone to drive you home after the surgery. We also recommend you prepare a \u201crecovery\u201d room at home. Charge all your favorite devices and gather your most comfortable pillows and the coziest comforters. Stock your fridge with cold foods like ice cream, milkshakes, mushy peas, soup-soaked bread, and other foods that are easy to eat without chewing. You\u2019ll be off your feet and resting for a couple of days, so why not make your stay as comfortable as you can?<\/p>\n A little bleeding or oozing on the first day after a wisdom tooth extraction is completely normal. Try to avoid excessive spitting as this may dislodge the blood clot in the socket and delay healing. We usually recommend that our patients change the oral gauze every hour or so to ensure the extraction site remains clean. You\u2019ll need to eat only soft foods for a week or so to minimize the chances of food particles getting stuck in the socket and irritating the wound. It\u2019s also a good idea to wrap an ice pack in a soft cloth and place it on the outside of your cheek for the first 24 hours to reduce any facial swelling.<\/p>\n On the second day after the extraction, the bleeding should have stopped completely. You can now resume brushing, but be particularly gentle with the teeth and gums near the surgical wound. Gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water every two hours and after meals for seven to 10 days. It usually takes about a week to get back to your normal routine after a wisdom tooth extraction, but if you notice any persistent symptoms or have any questions regarding the extraction process or your recovery, feel free to call us<\/a> or, better yet, schedule an appointment <\/a>with our Greenville, SC, dentist. We are happy to answer all your questions!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wisdom Tooth Extraction: Process, Preparation, and Recovery Most people have their wisdom teeth extracted because their dentist recommends it, but few really understand why it was necessary\u2014particularly if the teeth didn\u2019t cause any pain. By nature, dentists always want to err on the side of caution (read: prevention). Often this means actively monitoring your mouth…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":1725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[61],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1724"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1724"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205488,"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1724\/revisions\/205488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monroefamilydentistry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How can you prepare for the procedure?<\/h2>\n
What should you expect during the recovery?<\/h2>\n