How to reduce swelling after tooth extraction

It’s not uncommon for teenagers to have their wisdom teeth removed as they come in, especially if they’re getting impacted or crowding other teeth and causing misalignment issues. However, there are also plenty of adults who elect to have their wisdom teeth removed later on.

For some, removing them is unnecessary if they grow fine and have no impact on other teeth. That said, the fact that they’re in the back of your mouth can make them hard to clean, leading to issues like cavities. At some point, it may be in your best interest to have them removed.

Whether you go under general anesthesia for this process or the extractions are simple enough that your wisdom teeth can be pulled like normal teeth with little more than Novocain, you will experience some downtime following the procedure. It generally takes at least two weeks for your mouth to fully heal, and you’ll have some swelling for the first 2-4 days following the extraction.

How can you reduce swelling and speed the healing process after tooth removal? You can take several steps to facilitate recovery and keep pain and swelling to a minimum.

Rest and Recover

This is very important – you must plan to rest for at least a few days following wisdom tooth extraction. It’s best to avoid strenuous activity and give yourself adequate time to heal. First and foremost, you need to make sure the bleeding subsides, and blood clots form so the sockets can start to heal.

If you’re up and at them the same day or the day after, you could reopen wounds and increase bleeding, healing time, and risk of infection. Spending a couple of days on the couch, packing your mouth with gauze, and taking other precautions is the best way to ensure proper healing and minimize swelling and potential discomfort.

Anti-Inflammatory Medication

After any surgery, pain symptoms are to be expected. With proper treatment, you can avoid the onset of pain. Anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen will help reduce swelling and alleviate discomfort, but depending on your threshold for pain, you may also want to take the painkillers your dentist prescribes.

Often, you can take them simultaneously or trade them off to maximize benefits. Some patients don’t need painkillers, and ibuprofen does the trick. You’ll want to ensure you start taking it before the anesthesia completely wears off and continue taking it at regular intervals after that. In other words, get ahead of the pain if you want to control it.

Icing

Swelling is a normal bodily response to trauma, such as tooth removal, but you can help control it in various ways. One of the best options is using ice packs, which will not only address the swelling but also help to numb the area if you’re experiencing some pain.

You never want to put ice directly on your skin, so wrap your ice pack in a thin towel. You can apply it for about 20 minutes if it’s comfortable and then remove it for about 20 minutes before reapplying. This could help immensely during the first couple of days after surgery.

Stick to Soft Foods

The last thing you want to do is stab your healing sockets with something hard or sticky, so eating only soft foods in the days following the removal of wisdom teeth is best. Cold, soft foods like ice cream, Jell-O, pudding, and yogurt can be especially soothing during the first couple of days, after which you can start adding mashed potatoes, pasta, eggs, and other soft foods that are more filling and nourishing.

Sipping milkshakes might be a good idea, but you must avoid using straws for at least a few days. Using a straw’s suction could damage blood clots in the sockets, causing them to come loose and set off bleeding again.

Clean Carefully

Cleaning can be tough for several days following oral surgery, so you’ll want to follow your dentist’s instructions to a tee. For the first few days, you’ll use saltwater rinses, after which you can probably begin brushing, as long as you’re careful to avoid the sockets. Your dentist may provide you with a small syringe that you can use to gently flush the area around the sockets to remove food and bacteria until they are fully healed.

The speed of your recovery after surgery depends on how difficult it was to extract the teeth. Was it a simple extraction or was the tooth impacted into the jawbone? Either way, because of the surgical trauma, there will be post-operative tissue swelling. How severe it will be again depends on the ease of the extraction.

Reducing the swelling: the first 24 hours you need cold

The aim here is to minimize the total amount of swelling. To do this, you need to apply cold packs to the outside of your face where the extraction was. You can start doing this pretty much as soon as the surgery is done.

1. Fill a surgical glove with ice, or use a cold pack bought from your pharmacy. A frozen bag of peas works really well too. Whatever the source of the cold, wrap it in a dishtowel.
2. Hold it firmly against the outside of your face for 15 minutes. Then leave it off for 15 minutes, and so on. Repeat for the first 18 to 24 hours after the surgery.
3. How it works: the cold causes the blood vessels in the area to constrict, thereby reducing the total volume of fluids that can be transported around the tissue and therefore reducing the amount of swelling.

NB: Remember you’ll still be feeling numb from the anesthetic, so don’t fall asleep with the ice pack pressed to your cheek.

Reducing the swelling: after 48-72 hours you need heat

You’re unlikely to completely prevent swelling with the cold compress described above, but you can help bring it down more quickly – this time using warm compresses. Swelling is generally considered to reach its peak 48-72 hours after surgery and that’s when you start the process, not before. Check with your dentist what they recommend.

1. Buy a heat pack from the pharmacy, or use a hot water bottle or wet towel. But take care: you want to warm the swollen area, not burn it. Minimize irritation to your skin by wrapping your heat source in a moistened dishtowel.
2. Hold the heat compress against the swelling. Leave it in place for 20 minutes; leave it off for the next 20. Repeat.
3. How it works: the heat causes the blood vessels to dilate, which enables them to carry away the fluids that caused the swelling more efficiently.

NB: If your swelling hasn’t subsided by day four, report this to your dentist. While complications are rare, they are possible, so call your dentist right away if you notice any pus discharge or severe pain, or you develop a fever.

Top tip

Keep your head elevated – even when sleeping – to further help reduce swelling.

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Wisdom teeth are the final set of molars. People get them during their teens or early twenties. Wisdom teeth can do great when they are correctly aligned and healthy. However, these teeth usually break through the gums only partially, or they are often misaligned. That’s when your dentist would suggest wisdom teeth removal Sydney to avoid further complications. Wisdom teeth extraction is a simple procedure carried out on the dentist office. There is no risk or pain you will feel with it. If your dentist suggests you wisdom teeth removal, go for it. Here are some tips to take care of yourself during the recovery phase.

Recovery Phase:

The recovery speed after wisdom teeth removal depends on how the extraction was. Was the tooth impacted in the jaw bone, or was the extraction simple? In both the cases, there will be some post-operative swelling as a result of surgical trauma. How severe the swelling is, will again depend on the complexity of the extraction.

To Reduce Swelling – First 24 Hours:

In the first 24 hours after wisdom teeth removal Sydney, the aim is to minimise the amount of swelling. For this, you should apply cold packs on the area of your cheeks where the tooth was extracted. You can start keeping ice packs as soon as the surgery is done.

• You can use a cold pack available at pharmacies, or even a frozen bag of peas will work. Whatever the source you have chosen, wrap it in a dishtowel.
• Hold it against the outside of your face firmly for 15 minutes, leave it for another 15 minutes, and repeat.
• The cold will cause blood vessels in the surgical area to constrict, reducing the volume of fluids that are transported around the tissues and thus reduce the amount of swelling.

Remember, you will be feeling numb from the anaesthesia, so don’t fall asleep with the ice pack pressed on your cheek.

To Reduce Swelling – 48 To 72 Hours:

You cannot prevent swelling entirely with the cold compress however, you can bring it down quickly with a warm compress.

Generally, swelling is considered to reach its peak 48 to 72 hours after cheap wisdom teeth removal Sydney, and that is when you should start using a warm compress, not before. Follow what your dentist recommends.

• Get a heat pack or a wet towel. You should warm the swollen area and not burn it.
• Hold it against the swelling area at every 20 minutes gap.
• The heat from the compress will cause your blood vessels to dilate, enabling them to carry over the fluids that cause swelling.

If your swelling hasn’t subsided by the fourth day, you should talk to your dentist. Although complications are rare, they are possible. So talk to your dentist right away when you notice severe pain, pus, or develop a fever.

An additional tip after affordable wisdom teeth removal cost Sydney while sleeping, keep your head elevated to reduce further swelling.

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