Wisdom teeth removal can be a nerve-racking dental visit. Taking the right steps after the surgery can make your life a whole lot better. When wisdom teeth get pulled, the doctor warns you about one thing: The possibility of getting dry sockets. A dry socket, also known as alveolar osteitis, is a condition where a blood clot fails to develop or dissolves before it can do its job at the wisdom tooth site therefore making the area infected and very painful. Here are a few steps to take to prevent this dental condition from occurring.
To start, try not eating chewy or solid foods for the first few days after surgery. This also means avoiding seeds of any kind and pepper. Another option is to flush the area with a prescription mouthwash. This was most beneficial to me. Although it’s different for everyone, just taking ibuprofen can help with the pain and swelling. I did not have swelling, which was nice, and it made my experience much better.
In my opinion, the worst part of the whole experience was right after the surgery when I couldn’t remember what I did or what I said. It also gave me a headache but that was the worst of my symptoms. Having the timing right is very important for this operation. I scheduled mine so that I would have a whole weekend to recover and not miss much school.
I had the fun experience of going to Old Chicago right after the surgery while being on the drugs they gave me. I was stumbling around the restaurant just to take my medicine. While all this was happening my father, Tony Frederickson had to tell people why I was wobbling around. This had to be the most entertaining part to hear because I don’t remember a single minute of it.
Unfortunately, you cannot brush your teeth the first three days after the operation because it also can increase the risk of dry sockets. If the area is feeling well after those three days, you can brush like normal but still need to be careful around the extraction area. For me, the overall recovery time was only about four days. Again, it may vary from person to person but it is not as bad as people assume. If the right steps are taken, the whole process will be a cakewalk.