Do’s & Don’ts After Getting Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

It’s important to be well informed about how to take care of your mouth after getting your wisdom teeth removed. The better you know how to take care of your mouth, the sooner you will recover.

Here is a list of tips to help you through your wisdom teeth journey:

Start taking painkillers immediately after your procedure. You may feel like you don’t need any if the freezing is still in, but you will. It’s better to be proactive than wait until you are in a lot of pain. Your dentist or dental surgeon will tell you what to take or you may be provided with a prescription.
Take antibiotics as directed, and be sure to finish the whole prescription.
Take it easy! All you should be doing is resting. Everything else in your life can wait. You need to put yourself first!
When sleeping, keep your head propped up with pillows.
Don’t exercise for at least 24 hours. (You likely won’t feel like exercising anyways.)
No heavy lifting for 2 to 3 days. Ask someone else to help you if you need something moved.
Control bleeding as per the instructions from your dentist or dental surgeon. If you are unsure of anything, call them! They are there to help you get through this.
Don’t rinse your mouth for 24 hours. After 24 hours have passed, you should rinse your mouth very gently four times a day with warm salt water. This will help remove pieces of food and keep your mouth clean.
Refrain from spitting out with any type of force. Again, always think “gentle”.
Be extra careful when brushing near where your tooth was removed. You want to ensure you don’t disturb the blood clot. Instead, wipe the area with a fresh, wet gauze pad.
Keep your fingers away from where the tooth was extracted. You need to keep this area as clean as possible.
Liquids and soft foods are your friends for the first couple of days. Think milkshakes, soup, yogurt, mashed potatoes.
Stay away from anything spicy, hot, carbonated, or alcoholic for 3 to 4 days, as this can really irritate the area.
Don’t suck anything through a straw – the pressure could end up dislodging the blood clot.
If you smoke, try your best not to…AT LEAST for the first 24 hours, but ideally for several days. Again, this can dislodge the blood clot and interrupt the healing process. (Maybe this is even the ideal time to quit completely! Read more: Top Reasons to Quit Smoking for Oral Health.)
Apply ice packs as per the instructions given by your dentist or surgeon to keep swelling at bay.
Gently stretch your mouth (without over-exerting it) from time to time so that it doesn’t get stiff.