While it may not require anesthesia, wisdom tooth extraction is still a type of oral surgery. Therefore, you’ll want to ensure your teen takes all the necessary steps to recover in the hours following the procedure. Use the following three tips to get your child’s healing process off to a promising start.

How to Care for Your Teen After a Wisdom Tooth Extraction

1. Focus on Fluid Intake

After the physical stress of an invasive procedure, the body needs every tool at its disposal in order to recover. To ensure it has enough fluids, make sure your teen drinks at least six glasses of water throughout the rest of the day. You can also incorporate juice or smoothies, as it’s best not to eat hard foods right after the tooth extraction.

When serving them drinks, don’t use a straw—the suction could remove the blood clot guarding the extraction site, resulting in a painful “dry socket.”

2. Use Ice & Heat Packs

You may notice your teen’s cheeks and jaw swelling up after the surgery. While this is normal for about three days after the wisdom tooth extraction, it’s important to treat the inflammation with temperature therapy. Give them an ice pack to hold against their cheeks to reduce the swelling.

In a day or two, you might start to notice bruising—after about 36 hours, wet a washcloth with warm water, and have your teen hold it to the affected areas to get rid of this.

3. Make Sure They Relax

Immediately after the extraction, it’s crucial that your teen give the wound time to heal. Even if they feel like heading outside or playing video games with friends, avoid any activities that might make them excited or encourage movement.

To avoid complications, your child should sit or lie down with their head elevated above their heart. In the few hours after the surgery, they’ll need to bite down on gauze pads, so they shouldn’t be doing much talking either. To help them relax, turn on the TV or play some instrumental music. 

If your teen is due for a wisdom tooth extraction, take them to Main Street Dental of La Crosse, WI.  Dr. Dan Kujak and his team have over 30 years of experience serving clients of all ages east of the Mississippi River. Whether you’re looking for preventive care—such as cleanings and X-rays—or restorative treatments, you’ll feel right at home in this state-of-the-art facility. To schedule an appointment, call (608) 784-4063 and visit the website to learn more about their services.