While some people have healthy wisdom teeth that never cause problems, others deal with impacted versions prone to infection or partially erupted teeth that attract bacteria and crowd other molars. If wisdom teeth removal is in your future, prepare for the procedure by learning about post-extraction care. The right precautions will protect the socket from infection and pain.

Do:

Apply ice and heat packs.

Reduce facial swelling, bruising, and pain with ice packs in the first 48 hours after wisdom teeth removal. Apply the pack for 20 minutes, then wait another 20 minutes before icing the area again.

Switch to a heat pack on the third day since cold therapy becomes less effective after 48 hours.

Change the gauze often.

Bite down firmly but gently on clean gauze to control post-surgery socket bleeding, which usually subsides after a few hours. Change the gauze every 20 to 30 minutes until a clot forms. You can also use damp tea bags to encourage clot formation because the tannins cause blood vessel constriction. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, contact your dentist.

Don’t:

Consume hard or crunchy foods.

Enjoy liquid and soft foods such as yogurt and applesauce in the first 24 to 48 hours after wisdom teeth removal since hard, crunchy, and acidic foods can dislodge the clot and irritate the extraction site. Also, avoid alcoholic beverages that cause irritation or drinking anything out of a straw. The suction will upset the clot.

You can consume soups, eggs, oatmeal, toast, and other relatively soft foods on the third day if there is no chewing pain. Wait at least a week before resuming normal eating habits.

Skip oral hygiene.

Add a teaspoon of salt to a cup of warm water, and gently rinse your mouth five to six times the day after surgery to keep your mouth free of excess bacteria. However, avoid vigorous rinsing that can irritate the affected area.

Resume normal brushing and flossing the following day while avoiding the extraction site to prevent bacteria buildup and infection. 

Schedule wisdom teeth removal with Oral Surgery Associates of Alaska. The oral surgeons are on staff at Alaska Regional and Providence Hospitals and provide the personalized care each patient needs for better oral health. Call (907) 561-1430 to make an appointment. Learn more about their oral surgery services online, and get additional wisdom teeth removal care tips on Facebook.