Many people have this question about how much time it will take to recover after wisdom tooth extraction. Most people recover rapidly from wisdom tooth extraction, but there are certain situations in which recovery could take more time.
Normal Recovery from Wisdom Tooth Extraction
We recommend for most people to relax the rest of the day after their wisdom tooth extraction. You will probably not feel like doing anything, and you shouldn’t do any vigorous activity that can increase your heart rate and lead to more bleeding. You will start to experience some discomfort as the surgical anaesthesia recedes. Your personal discomfort is dependent on your individual vulnerability, so take medication as directed.
The next day, it’s fine if you get back to light activity. You can work if you are not facing a lot of discomfort, and your day to day tasks don’t need vigorous physical activity.
Most people can get back to their normal routine activities by the second or third day after the wisdom tooth extraction.
Complications That You Might Experience
For instance, if you had an event 5 days after your wisdom tooth extraction, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to sing in the event as far as the normal time frame is considered. You can return to light practices the next day, working up to a full practice in the next two days, which would give you enough time to prepare for your event.
However, if you were not able to sing in the event then you might have had some potential complications. If you had more discomfort than normal, it might have made it difficult for you to practise, or you might have been taking pain medications that made it difficult for you to practise.
Another potential reason is excessive swelling. If you were experiencing excessive swelling it could have made it difficult for you to sing, and it might have made you afraid too as you were not going to look your best for one of your performances.
Also, you might have done something to get rid of the blood clot in the sockets, which might have raised your discomfort and your risk of complications.
Certainly, it’s possible that there were just enough signs of complications that the person organising the event decided to choose someone else instead.
Things to Do to Avoid Complications After Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Your dentist will provide you with certain instructions at the time of your consultation and the day of your surgery, so follow them in detail. Although, in general, there are a few things that you can do to decrease your risk of complications.
- Don’t brush the area: You can brush your front teeth, but refrain from brushing the area surrounding your extracted teeth. This could displace the blood clot, which shields the empty socket left by the extracted teeth. To keep your mouth clean, rinse often with salt water.
- Apply ice periodically: Use an ice pack (do not apply it directly) to help control swelling and discomfort. Apply and rest 20 minutes each. Repeat as required.
- Eat soft foods: You must especially avoid foods that break up into tiny pieces and can get inside the sockets and cause infection. However, hard foods can also trouble your jaw, which might be painful since the surgery. You can have soft, cool foods that you can eat using a spoon.
- Don’t use a straw: The suction from a straw could displace the blood clot in the socket, raising the risk of complications.
- Take it easy: Avoid vigorous exercise for nearly a week after your extraction. Vigorous exercise increases your blood pressure and heart rate, which can displace the blood clot.
Planning Wisdom Tooth Extraction
If you want to have a wisdom tooth extraction, it’s better not to plan it within a week of an important event. Though the majority of people recover fast, there’s always a risk that complications could happen. Therefore, it’s best not to put yourself at risk of ruining your event or others’ event.
We offer safe and pain-free dental treatment at King Street Dental. If you would like to speak to our dentist about scheduling your wisdom tooth extraction, call us today for an appointment.