Wisdom Teeth Removal: What should I expect during the recovery process?

The extraction of wisdom teeth is a common dental procedure normally performed by an oral surgeon. Because these teeth are unnecessary to oral function and erupt the gums much later in life than other teeth, they often require removal. Although this procedure requires minor oral surgery, patients typically enjoy fast recovery times when they follow post-operative care instructions properly.

Why should wisdom teeth be removed?

Wisdom teeth may require removal for a variety of reasons. The most common issue with wisdom tooth eruption is that this process can compromise the health of existing teeth. Most of the time wisdom teeth do not have enough room to erupt through the gum tissue in their proper position, and instead crowd neighboring teeth. Patients commonly experience facial pain and frequent headaches when wisdom erupt as well.

Will I be comfortable during the procedure?

Our team and our oral surgeon take great care to ensure that our patients have a pleasant experience at our practice. During your procedure, we will provide local anesthetics that promote comfort and reduce the sensation of pain. In addition to anesthetic medicine, mild sedatives are also available.

What are things I should do to promote recovery after my procedure?

The best thing a patient can do to promote a speedy and healthy recovery after wisdom teeth removal is to follow post-operative instructions carefully. After your surgery, you will receive a packet of information and instructions that will help you keep the surgical site clean along with recommendations regarding foods and drinks that will not negatively affect your recovery. Small amounts of bleeding are expected and can be controlled by placing sterile gauze pads over the extraction site. Sometimes patients experience “dry socket”, a minor occurrence that causes some discomfort. Dry socket is caused when a blood clot, which is necessary for healing, is dislodged from the empty tooth socket. If this occurs, it is easily treated by our oral surgeon with a prescription ointment. Patients may apply ice and heat to their face (to ease discomfort) the day after surgery.

During recovery, we encourage patients to call our Charlottesville office at 434-295-0911 and speak to a member of our team if they have any questions.  Contact us today to schedule an appointment.