Foods to Eat and Avoid after your Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Your wisdom teeth are the last set of molars to develop. These are commonly removed, especially when they are impacted and cause pain or teeth crowding. While getting your wisdom teeth out can be painful, it should heal in a couple of days.

While the extraction site is healing, you need to avoid certain kinds of food. Here’s a list of what you can and cannot eat while you’re recovering from your wisdom teeth extraction.

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What to avoid

Twenty-four hours after your surgery, avoid eating foods that have extreme flavor and temperature. Hot foods can lead to bleeding. Avoid eating oats, grains, or foods that might get stuck in your gums or teeth. You should also avoid foods that will require you to chew a lot.

You should also stay away from drinking with a straw because doing so may promote blood clotting. Don’t eat highly acidic foods, too, because they can irritate tissues and cause pain in surgical sites.
  

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What to eat

It is important to drink lots of fluids daily to avoid dehydration. To speed up healing of wounds, include high calorie and high protein foods in your diet. You can also eat apple sauce, soup, jello, ice cream, yogurt, smoothies, and mashed vegetables while you’re waiting for your gums to heal.

Dr. John Pasqual is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon specializing in oral-facial surgery and dental implants. For the latest in oral health, follow this Twitter account.

Addressing Concerns: Does Wisdom Teeth Removal Change Face Shape?

A major concern for many patients is whether a wisdom tooth extraction can change the shape of the face. There have been many speculations; but medically speaking, the procedure does not cause any significant change to the face. The extraction of wisdom teeth, which are usually impacted and not yet fully erupted should not cause deformity of any kind. However, there are two conditions that may potentially affect face shape, but only for a limited amount of time: 

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Multiple extractions: Removing several back teeth may give the patient a sunken look or cause the face to appear thinner or more angular. The only way to correct this is to replace the missing teeth. 

Immediate post-op complications: Some patients tend to experience swelling in the mouth area after the operation. The swelling should only last for a few days, but if the mouth area still continues to appear swollen after a week, the patient may be suffering from an infection and should immediately visit his dentist. It must be noted that several studies have shown that having one’s wisdom tooth removed when older significantly increases the risk of infection and swelling. Post-operative plans should be discussed by older adults and their dentist before the operation. 

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There is a growing trend of having their back teeth removed to define further their jaw structure and facial features. It is known that many professional models had their wisdom teeth removed to give them a more defined look. However, this is highly discouraged by many dental professionals as these extractions should be done for health reasons and not for any aesthetic purposes. 

Dr. John Pasqual specializes in wisdom teeth extraction and dental implants. To learn more about his practice, visit this website.

Pain Begone: Having Impacted Wisdom Teeth Removed

Wisdom teeth are third molars located at the back of the mouth, and the last adult teeth to erupt. Most people have four wisdom teeth – two on the top and two on the bottom. Although the jaw can accommodate 32 permanent teeth, most of the time, it is too small to hold two more teeth each. Thus, the inadequate space prevents the wisdom teeth from erupting and results in dental impaction. There are three types of impaction:

1. Soft tissue impaction, where there is insufficient room to allow the gum tissue to retract for adequate cleaning of the tooth;
2. Partial bony impaction, where there is enough space for the tooth to erupt partially, but it cannot function properly in the chewing process and creates cleaning problems, among others; and 
3. Complete bony impaction, where there is no space for the tooth to emerge and remains embedded in the jaw bone. The impacted wisdom tooth may also be in an unusual position.

Regardless of the type, impacted wisdom teeth can cause several dental problems, including red or swollen gums and bad breath. Some people may also encounter difficulty in opening the mouth and prolonged headache or jaw pain. Moreover, impacted teeth can cause extreme pain when they become infected or damage other teeth.

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It is important to see a dentist immediately if the impacted wisdom teeth cause discomfort, pain, and other dental problems. An x-ray of the mouth and jaw will be performed to determine the exact position of the impacted wisdom teeth and the best strategy for removal. An oral surgeon will perform the extraction, which usually takes 45 minutes or less. An incision is made in the gums and any bone blocking the impacted tooth is removed before the extraction. If the impacted tooth is too large to extract in one piece, the surgeon needs to use a drill to cut the tooth into smaller pieces. After the extraction, the incision is stitched shut. Non-removal of impacted wisdom teeth can result in cyst development, chronic mouth discomfort, and gum disease.

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Oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. John Pasqual has years of experience handling various dental procedures, including wisdom teeth removal. Visit his clinic’s official website for more information.

After-care guide to wisdom teeth removal

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It is estimated that 95 percent of American teenagers develop impacted wisdom teeth. While not generally detrimental to health, impacted wisdom teeth are generally recommended to be removed if they pose the risk of gum disease. Most individuals opt for the removal because it also frees up space in the mouth and relieves pressure on the jaw structure. The actual procedure will take a maximum of a few hours. Being a generally standard dental practice, recovery time and after-care guidelines are short and easy to follow. Still, it is important to take the following into consideration after undergoing the procedure:

There may be bleeding and/or swelling: There may be some oozing of blood during the first day after a wisdom teeth removal. Patients should avoid excessive spitting so as not to dislodge the blood clot and encourage the recovery process. Patients should also replace the gauze over the extraction site at the recommended time frame set by their dentists. Bruising and swelling may also occur. For these cases, an ice pack is used as directed by the dentist or surgeon.

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Avoid smoking and drink plenty of water: This is a simple extraction process, but it is still a traumatic event for the body. In order to hasten the recovery process, patients should drink plenty of water after the surgery and avoid tobacco use for at least 72 hours after the procedure.

Be careful around the site: Most dentists will tell their patients to not brush, rinse, spit, or use mouthwash during the first 24 hours after surgery. Normal dental activities can resume after that, although one should be particularly gentle around the wound and rinse their mouth with warm salt water every two hours and after their meals for around a week.

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Following these guidelines should make the recovery process painless and easy. If there is excessive bleeding, swelling, or pain after 24 hours, patients should see their dentist or surgeon immediately.

Dr. John Pasqual is a practiced oral surgeon. Find out more about oral health by following this Facebook page.