Post operative care is vital to
ensure uncomplicated healing following
surgical removal of impacted wisdom teeth. Unnecessary
pain, infection, and/or swelling can be
minimized if instructions are carefully
followed minimizing disruption to the
healing process
Directly following the removal of your
wisdom teeth the following precautions
should be noted to ensure the best healing
process:
The gauze pad placed over the surgical area
should be kept in place for at least half an
hour, then it may be carefully removed and
discarded or if necessary a fresh gauze
applied for another half and hour until
bleeding stops.
Patients should avoid vigorous mouth rinsing
or touching the wound area, as doing so may
initiate bleeding caused by dislodging the
blood clot that has formed in the area.
Prescribed pain medication should be taken
before the local anesthetic wears off and
any discomfort begins. Activities the day of
your surgery should be restricted, once you
feel comfortable your normal daily activity
may be resumed. Ice packs should be placed
to the sides of your face where the teeth were extracted. (For an
explanation please refer to the section on
swelling.)
Bleeding:
Patients may expect a certain amount of
bleeding following wisdom teeth removal.
Slight bleeding, redness or oozing is also
not uncommon. You may start by first rinsing
or wiping any old clots from your mouth and
placing a gauze pad over the area while
biting firmly for thirty minutes to help
control any excessive bleeding. If necessary
you may repeat this process. Should the
bleeding continue, bite on a moistened tea
bag for thirty minutes. The tea bag contains
tannic acid which helps to form a clot by
contracting the bleeding vessels. To
minimize any further bleeding sit upright, avoid
any exercise. If
the bleeding persists call for further
instructions.
Swelling
Normally you can expect some swelling
following removal of impacted wisdom teeth.
It is normal to experience swelling around
the mouth, cheeks, eyes and sides of the
face. This is simply the body's reaction to
the surgery. The swelling may not be visible
until the following day after surgery and
will not reach its maximum until 2-3 days
post-op. Your doctor may choose to
prescribe some medication to help reduce
post operative swelling. Application of ice
packs to the side of face where surgery was
performed may minimize facial swelling. Two
plastic bags filled with ice, or ice packs
should be applied to the area where the
surgery was performed and should be left on
continuously while you are awake. However
after 24 hours ice no longer
has any beneficial effect. Do not be alarmed
should swelling or jaw stiffness persist for
several days this is part of a normal
reaction to the surgery. Thirty-six hours
following the surgery, applying moist heat
to the sides of the face helps to reduce the
size of the swelling.
Should swelling persists and or get worse
after the 3rd day then contact the office
immediately.
Oral Hygiene
It is very helpful to start rinsing with a
cup of warm water and a teaspoon of salt.
This rinsing should start 1 day after
surgery and be performed after every meal
and before bedtime. Avoid using any
mouthwashes, due to the content of alcohol.
Discoloration
There are some cases in which discoloration
of the skin follows swelling. Due to the
spreading of blood beneath the tissues, black, blue, green, or yellow
discoloration may develop. This is a
normal post-operative occurrence which may
occur between 2-3 days after oral surgery.
You may apply moist heat to the area to
speed up to removal of the discoloration.
Antibiotics
If you have been placed on antibiotics,
take them as directed. Antibiotics will be
given to help prevent infection if deemed
necessary. Discontinue antibiotic use in the
event of a rash or other unfavorable
reaction such as diarrhea or vomiting. Call
the office if you have any questions
Nausea and Vomiting
In the event of nausea and/or vomiting after
your extractions, do not take anything by
mouth for at least an hour, including the
prescribed medicine. You may then slowly sip
on coke or ginger ale over a fifteen minute
period. As soon as the nausea subsides you
can begin eating solid foods along with the
prescribed medicine.
Other Complications:
Do not be alarmed if you experience numbness
in the lip, chin, or tongue. Remember, this
is temporary as stated before the surgery.
However, be aware that if your lip or tongue
is numb you may bite it unknowingly so be
careful.
It is normal to experience a slight
elevation of temperature following wisdom
teeth removal. Should the temperature
persist, notify the office. You may take
Tylenol or Ibuprofen to reduce the fever.
When standing from a lying down position,
sit for a minute and then get up. Remember,
you were not able to eat or drink prior to
the surgery and it was also difficult to
take fluids; in addition taking medications
may make you dizzy, so standing up suddenly
may make you light headed.
After you wisdom teeth have been removed you
may feel hard projections in their mouth
with their tongue. These are not roots, they
are the bony walls which used to support the
tooth. The projections normally smooth out
themselves. If not, they may be removed by
your doctor. If the corners of your mouth
are stressed, you may experience dryness and
cracking. To prevent this your lips should
be kept moist with an ointment such as
Vaseline.
It is normal to experience sore throat and
pain when swallowing. Following surgery the
muscles become swollen causing these
symptoms. This discomfort will subside
within 2.3 days.
For a few days following the removal of your
wisdom teeth stiffness (Trismus) of the jaw
muscles may cause difficulty in opening your
mouth. This is normal and will resolve in
time.
Finally Dry Socket
Sutures are placed on the surgical area to
minimize post-operative bleeding and to help
the healing process. Sometimes they become
dislodged. This is no cause for alarm, just
remove the suture from your mouth and
discard it. Often the sutures are self
resorbing sutures and will fall off on their
own. In some cases
the sutures are placed that may need to be removed, you will
be notified should an appointment be needed.
You can expect a cavity where the tooth was
removed which will gradually fill in over
the next month with tissue. You should keep
the area clean in the mean time with salt
water rinses or a toothbrush especially
after meals.
Remember, your case is individual, no two
mouths are alike. Do not accept well
intended advice from friends. Any problems
you may have should be discusses with those
best able to help you: Contact us directly
and without delay.
When brushing your teeth, be gentle around
the areas where your wisdom teeth were
removed.
Dry Socket
When the blood clot get prematurely
dislodged from the tooth socket, this is
known as a dry socket. Symptoms of pain in
the surgical areas and even to the ear may
occur 2-3 days following the surgery. Call
the office should this occur.
Be aware that your normal nourishment intake
is reduced, and so if you are involved in
regular exercise, it may weaken you. If you
experience light headedness, stop
exercising.
In case of emergency go to the nearest
hospital
