How Much Wisdom Teeth Recovery Time Is Necessary?
Getting your wisdom teeth extracted is something that many people experience. Naturally, you want to get back on track as soon as possible, but you do not want to rush it. After a wisdom tooth extraction, it will take some time for the hole to close completely. There are several factors involved in the healing time. Firstly, it depends upon an individual’s hygiene. Other deciding factors are stated below.
Which Factors Affect Wisdom Tooth Extraction Recovery?
After the wisdom teeth removal, the factors that will affect the healing start with the nature of the extraction. If the wisdom tooth were mainly in the gums, it would take less time than if the tooth was completely encased in bone (impacted). When there is an impacted wisdom tooth, the dentist must remove more bone to extract the tooth – this will require a more extended surgery and a longer healing period.
In some surveys taken in the past, the healing time after a wisdom tooth extraction was averaged. One survey taken in 1995 revealed that the average patient took three days off from work, and about 20 percent did not take any time off. Another survey, taken in 2001, showed that the average patient took only 1.2 days off from work.
Factors Affecting Emergency Tooth Extraction Recovery
Every person is a little different when it comes to how fast they might heal. It also depends on your age and overall health. Health conditions such as diabetes, if not controlled, will slow healing.
Dental Pain:
Because of the anesthesia that the dentist gives you, it will take a couple of hours after you get home before it wears off. It is strong enough that you will not be allowed to drive home. If you were given general anesthesia, you would not be allowed to drive for 48 hours.
The dentist will provide you with some pain relief medication and possibly antibiotics for a couple of days. Any pain felt after that can usually be handled well by over-the-counter pain medication.
The pain you feel from the tooth extraction will typically last a couple of days, except in cases where more extensive surgery is required. The gums will usually heal in about two weeks, but it will take much longer for the bone to heal. The bone will be healed in about six weeks.
Swelling:
You can also expect there to be some swelling after the wisdom teeth surgery. You are required to put ice packs on your swelling cheeks or face to reduce it. Apply it with a frequency of 20 minutes followed by 20 minutes off. As the swelling goes down, you will notice that the pain decreases, too. You can expect the swelling to be at its peak between 48 to 72 hours after the surgery.
Avoiding a Dry Socket:
If the blood clot that first forms in the socket are disturbed, this can lead to a condition called “dry socket.” It is a painful condition that you will want to be sure to try and avoid. You can usually steer clear of it if you carefully follow the oral surgeon’s instructions after the surgery.
Getting active too soon is one way to disturb the clot, so you will want to relax for a couple of days. If the clot is dislodged, you will likely need to go back to the dentist for treatment and some prescription pain medication. The dentist will put a medicated dressing on the socket.
When stitches are used to close up the hole, they will be left in for about seven days. After that, you will go back to the dentist to have them removed.
Speeding Up the Healing Time:
Several things can be done at the time of the dental surgery that will speed up the healing. They include:
- Stitching the hole Closed – Dentists will sometimes stitch the hole closed. This helps to ensure that the clot is not disturbed, which enables faster healing.
- Avoid Smoking – This will delay healing because it reduces the oxygen and nutrients going to the gums. It will also increase the likelihood of gum disease.
Failed Healing:
On some occasions, wisdom teeth recovery may be delayed, and healing may not occur as expected. This can occur if the instructions are not followed carefully or if the blood clot is disturbed. The socket can become infected, and the dentist will need to treat the problem. If you have severe pain, white pus around the socket, a high fever, trouble swallowing or breathing, and other unusual symptoms, you should revisit the dentist.
Wisdom tooth surgery is a widespread practice when they are going to be a problem. If you need to have one or more wisdom teeth removed, Dr. Kumar T. Vadivel, DDS, FDS RCS, MS, MBA a board-certified periodontist, can help you. He frequently performs wisdom tooth extractions in his Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Grapevine, Mocking Bird/SMU TX ToothHQ offices. His offices accept nearly all dental health insurance plans. For a consultation or information about wisdom teeth removal after-care, you can contact his office at 214-731-0123
