Wisdom teeth are the final set of molars that come out during the early twenties or late teens.
Wisdom teeth are mainly misaligned, and they will need to be removed. They could be angled the wrong way or towards the second molar.
If misaligned wisdom teeth are left unchecked, they might cause damage to your jawbone, adjacent teeth, or nerves.
Having removed the wisdom teeth, you will probably have questions about what to eat. Here is an answer to your question.
When Can I Eat Solid Food After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
You can start having solid foods on the 3rd day after the removal. You could have eggs, toast, and any other soft solids.
You can then move on to harder foods as the pain in your jaw reduces. In case you feel any pain, slow down and go back to softer foods. You should be able to eat normally after one or two weeks.
When And Why You Should Take Wisdom Teeth Out
It is not compulsory to take the wisdom teeth out. They could grow correctly, and they will not bring you any challenges. In this case, you can leave them be.
The unfortunate fact is that our jaws are mostly too small to accommodate the extra teeth. This size might cause the teeth to come in sideways or impact the teeth that are already formed.
These disarrangements will cause you pain in the jaw and might damage the already existing teeth. It is safe to take the wisdom teeth out to ensure you don’t experience any side effects.
Wisdom teeth themselves might cause oral infections if they rupture during development. They are hard to reach with a toothbrush; thus, cleaning them would be a problem.
The partial eruption will leave an opening in your gums that might result in an infection.
There is a 25% chance that you will develop cancer in the follicle of the wisdom teeth. Pay regular visits to the dentist to ensure you are well cared for.
The most important question is when you should take your wisdom teeth out. There is a small window of time when the wisdom teeth are very easy to remove.
At this time, it will be easy both for the surgeon and the patient’s recovery. The dentist will look at your dental formation and tell you when this window will come up.
It normally occurs after the lower jaw is fully developed. At this time, the second molars would have just come in at around the age of 12. Your dentist will be able to tell if there is room for a third molar.
If there is room, you can rest easy, but it would be a good time to take them out if there is no room. At this point, the wisdom teeth are still small and round. They can be easily rolled out instead of pulling.
Don’t wait until you are 18 or 17 years old when the teeth are well-formed into your jaw. Removing them is a lot tougher, and the jaw will take longer to heal.
Ask the dentist for the exact time since development rates vary in people.
Teeth Extraction Recovery Guide
Removing wisdom teeth is a simple outpatient procedure. The important part is recovering in the correct, healthy manner. There are some things that you need to do to make sure you heal well.
There are some tips you should follow to make your recovery smoother;
1. Adopt safe eating habits
Avoid hot foods during the first day. Do not eat hot soup, coffee, or any hard food. You should take cold foods to help you reduce the swelling.
You could also place an ice pack on your cheek to numb the pain. Ice cream or any other cold drinks will help reduce the pain. Avoid acidic foods and drinks since they will cause you a great deal of pain.
Avoid anything sharp or crunchy that could get stuck in the wound. Nuts, seeds, and hard snacks are all out of your menu. Avoiding these foods will give your gums better chances of healing fast.
Avoid using a straw since the pressure might cause your wound to reopen and start bleeding. Use a spoon or drink directly from the cup or bottle.
2. Try always to sit upright
Sitting is probably not something your surgeon will tell you, but it is important. If you lie down, use a pillow to raise your head above the level of your heart.
If the wound in your mouth is at the same level or lower than the heart, it will increase the pain. More blood will go to the wound because of dilation and blood flow when you are not upright.
This imbalance will cause an increased amount of pressure on the wound, increasing the pain and swelling.
3. Use wet gauze
The surgeon will provide you with gauze to keep on the wound for the first five or six hours. The gauze is meant to keep pressure on the wound, and it has to be wet.
You will need to change the gauze. If you put dry gauze in your mouth, the dryness of the gauze will bond with the blood clot. When you remove the gauze, it will come out with the clot.
This will cause you to have a dry socket which will cause you a lot of bone pain. Wet gauze will help with the clotting, and when removed, it will leave the blood clot intact.
4. Use CBD oil
Take CBD oil before the oral surgery since it will help reduce anxiety and make you feel more relaxed. Talk to your dentist for dosage and safety.
Continue taking the oil until you get past the first 72 hours. This window is usually the period in which the pain peaks. The oil will help you deal with the pain without any side effects.
5. Keep your teeth clean
Brush your teeth after every meal. You can gently clean the wound after eating anything. This cleaning will prevent infections that might cause a lot of damage.
On the day after the surgery, you should gently rinse your mouth five or six times a day. You can rinse with water mixed with salt to get all the food out of the wound until it heals.
Take any antibiotics that your dentist has administered. They will help prevent infections. Doctors can also administer pain killers if they are needed.
Dry Socket And What Causes It
Dry socket is a very painful complication that many people suffer from after tooth removals.
Dry socket, also called Alveolar osteitis, occurs when the blood clot at the extraction site fails to develop or gets dislodged prematurely.
It can also happen if the clot gets dissolved before the wound completely heals. Normally, the blood clot forms at the extraction site, protecting the underlying bone and nerve endings.
Exposure of the underlying nerves and bones will lead to inflammation, pain in the socket and along the nerves around the face.
A dry socket will start causing you pain between 24 and 72 hours after the extraction.
Oral infections cause it. Other behaviors that can lead to the development of a dry socket include;
- Using dry gauze to put pressure on the wound would cause the clot to come off together with the gauze.
- Smoking will slow healing and contaminate the extraction site causing a dry socket.
- Spitting and rinsing your mouth with a lot of force will also bring about the pressure to dislodge the clot leading to a dry socket.
- Drinking through a straw in less than 48 hours after the extraction can dislodge the blood clot.
- Eating hard or sticky foods might remove the clot or scratch it hence exposing the bone and nerves.
You can avoid dry sockets by keeping away from these habits after your surgery. Some common signs of dry sockets include
- The exposed bone at the extraction site because of a missing blood clot.
- Severe pain starts at the extraction site and moves to the cheeks.
- Partial or complete loss of the blood clot at the wound.
- Bad breath and or a foul taste is coming from your mouth.
If you notice any of these signs, go and see your dentist as soon as possible. The open wound will leave you vulnerable to other infections if it is not quickly addressed.
Conclusion
Wisdom teeth come as a sign that you are getting physically mature. It might be completely painless and even unnoticed in some people. The problem is that, at times, it may turn out to be painful.
In this case, you have to get the tooth removed. You will be drugged, so you will not feel any pain during the extraction. The discomfort is likely to come after the tooth has been removed.
The first three days are crucial to the recovery process. You must avoid hard foods, hot drinks, or any vigorous exercises that might cause the blood clot to dislodge.
If the clot dislodges, it will cause a dry socket. This is a complication that will cause you a lot of pain. You can use pain killers or ice to numb the pain around the extraction area.