The last of the adult teeth to emerge from the jaw are the rear molars on the top and bottom of both sides of the mouth. These rear molars are commonly called wisdom teeth, and they usually emerge between the ages of 17 and 21, though some people’s wisdom teeth never emerge. If there isn’t enough room in the jaw and inside the mouth to accommodate the wisdom teeth, they may remain trapped inside the jaw, or they might emerge and compress the other teeth, causing them to shift out of alignment and leading to an avalanche of other problems.
Your dentist may recommend that you have wisdom teeth surgery to remove your rear molars if they discover any of these issues, or they may recommend surgery when the teeth are impacted within the jaw and are unable to emerge due to lack of space in the bone and the mouth. Recovering from wisdom teeth extraction usually takes about a week, though recovery can take longer when the wisdom teeth were impacted, and efficient recovery will require effective aftercare.
Most patients can return to work or school a day or two after surgery, it’s important to avoid any strenuous activity that might upset the surgical site. As the surgical site heals, a blood clot forms in the space where each wisdom tooth was.
This blood clot protects the wound and helps it heal, keeping it alive as new tissues form, just like a scab does on a regular wound. If this blood clot is disrupted, the result is a painful condition known as a dry socket. Dry sockets are excruciatingly painful, and, without the protection of the blood clot, the surgical site is openly exposed to infection. This can happen in any, or all, of your wisdom tooth extraction sites. In many cases, dry sockets are caused by a sucking action, like the act of smoking a cigarette.
Dentists counsel patients to quit smoking for a variety of reasons, but it’s particularly crucial for smokers to avoid smoking as their wisdom teeth extractions heal. The sucking action of smoking, combined with the introduction of complex, harmful chemicals to the surgical site, wreak havoc on healing and create an ideal setting for dry sockets and infection. Even after your stitches are removed, it will take several months for the bone to fully heal following wisdom teeth extraction, and this vulnerable tissue is more susceptible to infection than healthy, whole tissue. Pay attention to any discomfort, swelling, or discharge from the site, especially if you smoke, and make sure to see your dentist right away if you notice anything unusual.
Your dentist will provide comprehensive aftercare instructions, and following these instructions will facilitate a comfortable recovery and help you prevent painful, threatening dry sockets from forming. Smoking isn’t the only contributing factor for dry sockets; avoid drinking with a straw, spitting, or doing anything else that might loosen or threaten your stitches or the blood clot, like strenuous exercise.
For the first few days following surgery, eat a soft yet nutritious diet, including options like apple sauce, smoothies, and soup, and avoid extreme temperatures or foods that could get lodged in the surgical site. Rinse your mouth daily with salt water to keep it clean; make sure not to spit out the salt water, letting it fall out of your mouth and into the sink after rinsing. Dentists recommend ice packs applied externally for pain management, and they may provide a prescription for pain medication or recommend over-the-counter products. You may also receive a prescription for antibiotics to prevent infection as you heal.