Immediately After Your Surgery

• A gauze pad will be placed on the surgical site and should be left in place for thirty minutes. Once this thirty minutes is up, the gauze should be disposed of.
• As the local anesthetic wears off, you will start to feel some discomfort, at which point you should begin taking any prescribed pain medication.
• Refrain from touching or irritating the area in any way, such as through aggressive mouth rinsing. It’s essential that the blood clot that has formed at the extraction site is left undisturbed for optimal healing and minimized bleeding.
• Hold ice packs on either side of the face at the surgical area. For more information, consult the section on swelling.
• Refrain from physical activity or exertion on the day of your procedure. When you begin to recover, you may resume your day-to-day activities at a rate that is comfortable to you.

Bleeding
It’s normal to experience some bleeding after your procedure, as is some amount of oozing or redness in your saliva. To control excessive bleeding, you may first wipe or rinse any old clots out of your mouth, before placing a gauze pad over the site and biting down for half an hour. If needed, this process can be repeated. You may also bite down on a moistened bag of black tea for half an hour should bleeding continue, as the tannic acid in black tea aids in blood clotting. Refrain from exertion or becoming excited, and try to lie down as much as possible, to minimize additional bleeding. If bleeding continues extensively, call our office for assistance.

Swelling
Swelling is also a normal part of any extraction procedure, including wisdom tooth removal. You may experience swelling around the surgical sites, as well as the cheeks, mouth, sides of face, and even around the eyes. This is normal, and will typically arise the day after your procedure and peak within two to three days after surgery. Swelling can be managed by applying ice, be it with ice packs or with two plastic bags filled with ice, to the sides of the face at the surgical site. Apply ice as consistently as possible for the first thirty-six hours following surgery. It’s normal for stiffness and swelling to continue for several days, although after the first thirty-six hours it is more beneficial to apply moist heat to the area.

Pain
Pain medication may be used once the local anesthetic begins to wear off, and for moderate pain over-the-counter treatments like acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used every few hours according to instructions. One to two tablets of Tylenol may be taken every three to four hours, and ibuprofen such as Motrin or Advil may be taken in doses of two to three tablets four times a day. Do not take more than 3200mg within a 24-hour period. Do not take both medications at once. For patients who are minors, check with our office for the best course of action.

If your pain is more severe and over-the-counter painkillers are insufficient, take your prescribed pain medication as instructed. Do not take any medication your doctor has instructed you not to take, or that you are allergic to. While taking these medications, avoid driving or operating machinery, as well as drinking alcohol. Your pain should gradually reduce over the course of each day, but if you find that your pain is continuous, contact us.

Food & Drink
Immediately after anesthesia, it’s important to only consume liquids. Do not use straws, as the sucking motion can dislodge the blood clot in the extraction site and exacerbate bleeding. Once you begin eating, begin with soft food and chew away from the surgical site. Ensure that you’re taking in foods regularly that are protein-rich and calorie-dense. However, because your consumption will still be limited, make sure to compensate by drinking plenty of liquids (ideally five to six glasses per day.) The more you eat, the stronger and more comfortable you will feel during the healing process.

WARNING: It’s important to note that dizziness may result from sitting or standing up quickly from a lying position– sit up slowly, and wait at least one minute before standing.

Hygiene
Do not rinse your mouth until the day after your procedure. After the first day, rinse several times a day (ideally five to six times and particularly after a meal) with one teaspoon of salt mixed with one cup of warm water.

Discoloration
It is not unusual for skin discoloration to accompany swelling. Blue, green, black, or yellow discoloration is a normal occurrence following an extraction, and typically occurs a few days after surgery. To assist in the treatment of discoloration, moist heat can be applied.

Antibiotics
If you have been prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection of the surgical site, make sure that you take the prescribed antibiotics as instructed, as this will help prevent any infection of the surgical site. If you experience any negative reactions to the antibiotic treatment, such as the appearance of a rash, call us and let us know as soon as possible. You may also call our office with any other questions you might have regarding your antibiotic regimen.

Nausea
If you experience nausea or vomiting after your procedure, avoid taking anything by mouth for one hour. After this you should sip on tea, ginger ale, or cola slowly over the course of fifteen minutes. When you are no longer feeling nauseous you may resume eating and taking your medication as needed.

Additional Complications

• Some numbness of the tongue, lip, or chin is normal and temporary, although it should be noted that there may be risk of accidentally biting the tongue as a result. If you have any concerns, feel free to contact our office.
• It’s not unusual to feel discomfort when swallowing or a general soreness of the throat. This is due to muscle swelling, and will go away within a few days.
• You may occasionally feel the bony walls which supported the wisdom teeth, and while they can feel sharp, they will typically smooth out naturally. These can also be removed, however, if they do not.
• Although a slight fever is common and can be reduced by taking medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, call and let us know if you experience a persistent elevated temperature.
• Make sure to sit up for one minute before standing when moving from a lying down position, as you may be more prone to lightheadedness and dizziness due to medications and reduced food intake.
• Make sure to keep your lips moisturized during the healing process, as the corners of your mouth may be more prone to dryness and cracking when stretched.
• You may also experience a stiffness in your jaw muscles, known as trismus. This is not unusual, and it will resolve as you heal.

Takeaways
To aid the healing process and limit bleeding, sutures will be placed on the extraction site. Sometimes these sutures may dislodge, which is normal. Simply discard the dislodged suture. About a week following surgery, the sutures will be removed. This is a quick and painless process which requires no anesthesia and is not uncomfortable.

With each day after your procedure, the pain and swelling will reduce. However, if you find that you are experiencing unusual symptoms or your swelling and discomfort becomes worse, please contact us for assistance.

Over the next month, the cavity where the tooth once resided will fill with new tissue. During this time be sure to keep the area clean by rinsing with saltwater or gently using a toothbrush, particularly after eating.

Because every case is different, be sure to let your doctors know about any problems or questions you might have, so that Drs. Ganoe, Gray, Griffeth, or Ludwig can best help you.

Be sure to brush gently while the area is healing.

In some cases, a blood clot will be prematurely dislodge from the socket. This is known as a dry socket. You may also experience pain at the site or close to your ear two to three days after your procedure. If this happens, please contact our office.