How long is recovery from wisdom teeth surgery?
Wisdom teeth surgery is a very common procedure that can help treat or prevent problems such as pain and infection. Recovery is usually straightforward but can be influenced by different factors such as the difficulty of the procedure, degree of impaction, angle of teeth, distance from important structures such as nerves or sinuses, and your age. Studies have shown that younger people tend to recover much faster.
Here’s what you can expect..
Day of surgery
Wisdom teeth surgery is a day procedure, meaning that there is no overnight stay required. You will arrive and leave on the same day as the surgery. If you are having local anaesthetic in the dental chair, you are able to drive yourself, otherwise, if you are having general anaesthesia, you will need someone to drive you home.
Straight after the surgery, you may feel drowsy if you have had general anaesthesia and will start to slowly regain feeling in your mouth as you wake up from the surgery. Some pain and swelling is normal. Ice packs may be applied to the face in the first 24 hours to help reduce the swelling. You might also notice some pink stained saliva. It is important not to spit out too vigorously as you might damage the stitches or cause the developing blood clot to dislodge early.
You will be able to go home from hospital once you are awake and feel well. Having someone with you overnight is required after a general anaesthetic to look after you.
Day 1-3
The first three days usually are the most challenging as you may feel more sore and swollen, and may notice some blood in your mouth. It is important to follow instructions on the recommended foods to eat (soft foods) as this will help the gums to heal. If you have been given extra pain relief, use this as required. It is also important to take antibiotics as prescribed. Start using the mouthwash to rinse gently after each meal to keep the mouth clean.
Day 3 onwards
Most people fully recover from wisdom teeth surgery in three to four days and are usually able to return to work by this stage. The symptoms should be much better by day 3, and pain and bleeding is usually much better within one week of surgery. If your teeth were impacted or were growing an awkward angle, it could take a little over a week to recover.
It can often take weeks to months for the wounds to completely heal, so it is important to follow the instructions provided to prevent developing an infection. This includes:
Avoiding strenuous exercise for the first week
Smoking
Vigorous spitting
Drinking from straws
Taking antibiotics as prescribed
Keeping the mouth clean
You might be given a small syringe with a curved tip to help rinse out any food particles that get trapped in the healing tooth socket.
Complications
Ongoing symptoms such as severe pain, swelling, bleeding or a bad taste or smell from the wound could be a sign of infection.
Contact the clinic if you experience any of the following:
difficulty swallowing or breathing
fever
persisting pain despite taking pain medication
swelling getting worse over time
numbness that is not getting better
blood or pus coming out of your nose
bleeding that is not able to be stopped with using gauze pressure