When having your wisdom teeth removed, make sure you allow enough time for recovery. Because you’ll need to limit your activities to ensure proper healing, you won’t be able to return to work right away.
Fortunately, recovery time from wisdom tooth extraction is usually short. If you follow your oral surgeon’s aftercare instructions, you should be able to return to work within a few days.
When Can You Return to Work After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Make sure you leave enough time for recovery when you have your wisdom teeth removed. You won’t be able to return to work right away because you’ll need to limit your activities to ensure proper healing.
Fortunately, recovery time from wisdom tooth extraction is usually short. If you follow your oral surgeon’s aftercare instructions, you should be able to return to work within a few days.
Many patients are able to return to work within a few days.
Every patient is different, but most can return to work within two or three days of having their wisdom teeth removed. The nature of your work, however, makes a difference. If your job requires a lot of physical activity, your oral surgeon may advise you to take more time off. Too soon after wisdom tooth extraction, performing a physically demanding job can result in painful complications.
What can I expect my recovery time to be?
After the wisdom teeth removal, you can expect to be out of commission for three to four days. However, if your wisdom teeth were impacted, your recovery time could be extended to about a week. For three to one week after wisdom teeth extraction, you may experience discomfort or pain. You may be in pain for longer if you have an infection or a dry socket, which occurs when a blood clot is dislodged from the extraction site. The swelling in your mouth and cheeks will last two to three days, while the pain will subside in seven to ten days.
Getting ready for tooth extractions and wisdom tooth extractions
You can recover more quickly if you prepare well. You will receive specific instructions from your dentist, oral surgeon, or hospital on how to prepare for your tooth extraction or wisdom teeth extraction procedure, but there are a few things to consider before the procedure:
1. Begin by taking things slowly.
After the procedure, plan to rest and relax for at least 24 hours. You may need to schedule time off from work and other obligations.
2. Arrange for return transportation.
You’ll almost certainly need someone to drive you home from the hospital.
3. Consult your physician about fasting.
If you have a general anaesthetic, you may be told not to eat or drink for a certain period of time before the procedure.
4. Try to stay as healthy as possible.
Your body will be able to handle the stress of surgery better if you are in good health.
Do you need to remove all your wisdom teeth?
If you’re between the ages of 16 and 19, it’s a good idea to have your wisdom teeth examined. This will give your dentist a good idea of whether or not they will cause you problems as you age. You will be able to decide whether or not you want your wisdom teeth removed once you have been informed of any existing or potential problems.
Wisdom teeth that are healthy and properly positioned should not cause problems and should not be extracted. If you’re over 30 years old and haven’t had any problems yet, you’re unlikely to have any in the future, so you might as well leave them alone. The advantages of not having your wisdom teeth removed include avoiding the risks of surgery as well as the associated costs.
If your wisdom teeth cause pain or infection, crowd other teeth, or become stuck (impacted) and can’t break through your gums, your dentist may recommend that you have them removed. If your wisdom teeth have broken through the gums but cannot fully emerge due to a lack of space, they are more likely to develop cavities and gum disease because they are difficult to clean and may require extraction. Many dentists and oral surgeons believe that wisdom teeth that have become impacted should be extracted before the age of 20. This is because the bone around your teeth is softer when you’re younger, teeth are easier to remove because the roots aren’t fully formed, and you heal faster.
What are the main possible risks of removing a wisdom tooth?
During the extraction, there may be some bleeding, but this usually goes away quickly and is unlikely to cause any problems. If you’re at home and the area bleeds again, apply pressure to the area with a rolled-up handkerchief or swab for at least 10 minutes to stop the bleeding. Please get in touch with the department where you had your operation if the bleeding does not stop.
The lower wisdom teeth are close to two nerves. The distance between the nerves and the wisdom teeth can vary. See the illustration below. The inferior dental nerve provides sensation to the lower lip and skin overlying the chin, while the lingual nerve provides sensation to the tongue. During a tooth extraction, these nerves can be bruised. You may experience numbness or pins and needles in the tongue, lower lip, skin over the chin, or any combination of these areas if this happens. The risk to the inferior dental nerve is less than 1% if the wisdom tooth is far away from the nerve, but it can be as high as 9% if the nerve is nearby. The lingual nerve is only at a 0.5 per cent risk. This could take up to 18 months to recover. The nerve may not fully recover in rare cases, leaving you with small patches of numbness on your lip or chin. The sense of taste is rarely influenced.
It’s possible that an infection will develop in the socket or that the blood clot from the extraction socket will dissolve, resulting in a dry socket. This is a rare occurrence, occurring only about 2% of the time. It can be reduced by rinsing the area with water or mouthwash by starting the day after your procedure. It is advised that you do not smoke for a few days following your wisdom tooth extraction. If you smoke, you’re more likely to get an infection or a dry socket. It’s also possible that antibiotics will be required after the extraction.
Can I speed up the recovery process?
While you’re recovering from wisdom tooth extraction, there are a few things you can do to speed up the healing process. You should take it easy for at least the first three days. It’s best to wait a week before returning to normal activities. Avoid doing anything that might cause the blood clot to dislodge from the removal site. After that, you should take either your oral surgeon’s prescribed pain relievers or a recommended over-the-counter pain reliever to get some relief from the discomfort. It’s also crucial to apply ice to your jaw to help with swelling and inflammation. It would help if you practised rinsing your mouth with salt water several times a day after your first day of recovery. This will keep the mouth clean and help to prevent infection.