It is normal to undergo some degree of postoperative swelling and pain following wisdom teeth extractions, but the following information may help to reduce these effects and to answer any questions that you may have.

 

Strenuous exercise is best avoided for the next few days. Heavy contact sports such as football should be avoided for up to 6 weeks while the new bone forms (to avoid the possibility of jaw fracture).

 

Do not rinse your mouth out for about 4 hours after the teeth have been removed.  This allows a clot to form which is a vital part of the healing process. You may have a drink, but don’t vigorously rinse. After this time, rinse with warm salty water (1/2 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water) to promote healing. This can be done after eating, or as often as you wish during this phase of healing.

 

Avoid hot drinks, alcohol, smokinq, hard or chewy foods for the rest of the day. Choose cool drinks and minced or soft food. You will know when you are able to get back to normal eating.

 

It is best to keep your head elevated for 24 hours or so after an extraction. To achieve this, you should give yourself an extra pillow at bedtime. You may also find it useful to lay a towel over the pillow, just in case there is any minor bleeding during the night.

 

You will have some blood in your saliva. This is normal. If you are concerned about the amount of bleeding, or if you start to spit out large amounts of dark clotted blood, sit down (don’t lie flat) and place a gauze pressure pack over the wound. Hold this in place with firm biting pressure for about 15 minutes. If this is not successful, try it a second time.  If it is still not successful, please give us a call.

 

Your level of pain following this procedure will depend on a large number of variables.  However, some pain, swelling and bruising is inevitable. Use of ice packs wrapped in cloth (even frozen peas) over the area will help enormously to control both pain and swelling. As well, a mild analgesic such as paracetamol ("Panadol") or ibuprofen ("Nurofen" or "Act 3") during the day and the prescription analgesic we have given you for use at night, should adequately control your pain level if used as directed.

 

You will probably have restricted opening of your mouth for up to 2 weeks following the procedure. This too is normal and your ability to open normally will quickly return.

 

If you do have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask or call.