Oral Surgery

Wisdom Teeth

Sometimes there may not be room in your mouth for your wisdom teeth and, as they start to come through, they push against the teeth already there or may start to come through at an angle. When this happens, you might feel some pain or discomfort, so the best thing to do is to visit your dentist.

The dentist will probably take an x-ray of your mouth to see how – or if – your wisdom teeth are coming through. From this, they will be able to make a judgement on whether or not to take them out, and how easy or difficult it might be. Extractions can also be done under sedation.

Extractions

Having a tooth out is the same as having an operation and, because of this, you must look after the area to speed healing and to reduce the risk of infection. Here are some pointers:

Frequently Asked Questions

All the FAQs for the treatment.

Quick tips or care instructions for the treatment.

If you receive sedation anaesthesia or general anaesthesia, you’re taken to a recovery room after the procedure. If you have local anaesthesia, your brief recovery time is likely in the dental chair.

As you heal from your surgery, follow our Dental Concepts Dentist’s instructions. There may be

• Bleeding. Some oozing of blood may occur the first day after wisdom tooth removal. Try to avoid excessive spitting so that you don’t dislodge the blood clot from the socket. Replace gauze over the extraction site as directed by the Dental Concepts Dentist.
• Pain management. You may be able to manage pain with an over-the-counter pain reliever or a prescription pain medication as directed by the Dental Concepts Dentist. Holding a cold pack against your jaw also may relieve pain.
• Swelling and bruising. Use an ice pack as directed by the Dental Concepts Dentist. Any swelling of your cheeks usually improves in two or three days. Bruising may take several more days to resolve.
• Activity. After your surgery, plan to rest for the remainder of the day. Resume normal activities the next day, but for at least a week, avoid strenuous activity that might result in losing the blood clot from the socket.
• Beverages. Drink lots of water after the surgery. Don’t drink alcoholic, caffeinated, carbonated or hot beverages in the first 48 hours. Don’t drink with a straw for at least a week because the sucking action can dislodge the blood clot from the socket.
• Food. Eat only soft foods for the first 48 hours. Start eating semisoft foods when you can tolerate them. Avoid hard, chewy, hot or spicy foods that might get stuck in the socket or irritate the wound.
• Cleaning your mouth. Don’t brush your teeth, rinse your mouth, spit or use mouthwash during the first 24 hours after surgery. Typically you’ll be told to resume brushing your teeth after the first 24 hours. Be particularly gentle near the surgical wound when brushing and gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water every two hours and after meals for a week.
• Tobacco use. If you smoke, don’t do so for at least 48 hours after surgery — and wait longer than that if possible. If you chew tobacco, don’t use it for at least a week. Using tobacco products after oral surgery can delay healing and increase the risk of complications.
• Stitches. You may have stitches that dissolve within a few weeks or no stitches at all. If your stitches need to be removed, schedule an appointment to have them taken out.

When to call your dentist or surgeon Call your dentist or oral surgeon if you experience any of the following signs or symptoms, which could indicate an infection, nerve damage or other serious complication:

• Difficulty swallowing or breathing, fever and/or excessive bleeding
• Severe pain and no relief by prescribed pain medications or swelling that worsens after two or three days
• A bad taste in your mouth even after salt water rinsing, persistent numbness or loss of feeling, blood or pus in nasal discharge