After Wisdom Tooth Removal

Oral Hygiene:

Mouth cleanliness is essential to good healing. Clean your mouth thoroughly after each meal beginning the day after surgery. Brush your teeth as best you can. Rinse with diluted hydrogen peroxide (1 part hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts water) six times a day. Continue this regimen until healing is complete (this can be up to 8 weeks after surgery).

REMEMBER: A clean wound heals better and faster.

Do not use a “Waterpick” (oral irrigation device).

Diet:

For 24 hours after surgery, take only clear liquids (liquids you can read print through). Do not drink through a straw for at least a two weeks following surgery. Drink plenty of liquids (at least 10 full glasses a day) to avoid dehydration. After the first 24 hours, you may be more comfortable if you eat a soft diet (like mashed potatoes or yogurt) before resuming a normal diet. Stay on a soft diet until you are able to chew comfortably.  Do not eat hard foods like chips or nuts for at least 4 weeks. Do not drink alcoholic beverages for at least two weeks. A multivitamin with zinc (like “Centrum”) would be helpful to supplement your diet for several months during your healing.

Bleeding

Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding which results in your mouth filling rapidly with blood can frequently be controlled by biting with pressure on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues please call for further instructions.

Swelling:

The surgical area and face are expected to swell and occasionally bruise; this is normal. The swelling should reach its maximum by the 3rd day after surgery. Elevate your head with extra pillows for the first 48 hours after surgery. This will help reduce your swelling and bleeding. Starting the 4th day after surgery, an electric (moist) heating pad (on medium heat setting) over the surgical area (alternating 30 minutes on and 20 minutes off) will hasten your healing. Using heat in this manner will improve your healing tremendously.

Pain:

It is normal to experience some discomfort after surgery. Your discomfort may increase on the 3rd day following surgery, due to the onset of swelling. The discomfort will lessen following the 3rd day, but may felt up to 1-2 weeks following surgery. Pain medications will be given to you to control and lessen your pain. However, no medication will alleviate all of your discomfort. Some of the medications given and prescribed will cause drowsiness. Do not drive or operate machinery after your surgery or after taking your prescribed pain medications, because they will slow your responses. Begin taking  your pain medication when the numbness begins to wear off, following surgery. The local anesthesia will wear off in about 4-8 hours after the procedure.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you are considering exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Be aware that your normal nourishment intake is reduced. Exercise may weaken you. If you get light headed, stop exercising.

Smoking:

Do not smoke for at least 2 weeks after surgery. Smoking will increase the risk of infection and potentially cause a “Dry Socket” (clot dislocation or disintegration) which can be quite painful.

If questions arise, call Dr. Snyder at (530) 272-3111. If you have prolonged/severe bleeding, swelling or pain, call Dr. Snyder immediately.