Wisdom Teeth Extraction: Avoiding Complications

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

08 Jul 2008 07:42 AM

The most common treatment for problems with wisdom teeth is extraction. The procedure is usually relatively quick and easy: the gum over each tooth is opened, the tooth is removed, and the gum is closed again (sometimes with stitches). When I had my wisdom teeth removed, I had dissolving stitches -- so I didn't have to go back the dentist to have them taken out.

For many people, the recovery time from a wisdom tooth extraction is just a few days. Your dentist or oral surgeon may have you take painkillers. You'll need to rest for a few days -- physical exertion can increase bleeding.

In order to prevent complications after wisdom teeth removal, here are some things you can do:

• Your mouth will be numb for a while after the surgery. Be careful not to bite your tongue, your lip, or the inside of your cheek!
• Your dentist will probably leave cotton gauze pads in your mouth after the procedure. Keep an eye on the pads and change them before they become soaked with blood. If you are still bleeding enough to need gauze pads after twenty-four hours, call your dentist or oral surgeon.
• Wait to rinse your mouth until the day after your surgery. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water every two hours or so. This can help relieve pain and swelling and keep the incisions clean.
• Stick to clear liquids and soft foods at first. Try to avoid extremely hot liquids, hard foods, sticky foods, alcohol, and tobacco.
• Rinse your mouth with warm salt water after meals to help keep food particles out of your incisions.
• Apply an ice pack to the outside of your cheek for twenty minutes at a time to help reduce pain and swelling. Some swelling and pain after tooth extraction is normal.
• Try to avoid touching the incisions with your tongue or fingers (or utensils). This one was the hardest part for me -- I kept checking to see if my dissolving stitches were still there.

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Heather Long (16954) 08 Jul 2008 07:49 AM

Wisdom teeth.

UGH.

I had all of mine out a year ago and I still remember the awful time I had before they came out and the recovery time. SHUDDER!

Katterine (5) 17 Oct 2008 10:50 PM

I found this searching for natural remedy for root canal. I've been ready to get my root canal since the Fall last year. I've been able to postpone the visit to the dentist by using herbal medications, mainly drinking lots of green tea that prevented the infection from spreading. Can anyone suggest a good way to cure the infected tooth naturally? I am going to be using endodontist 4 less membership to reduce root canal cost. I would hate to have my tooth be killed like that by a dentist though. Does anyone have any suggestions for natural remedies for healing infected root canal of a tooth?