How will I feel after the surgery?

Patients will feel groggy and tired upon waking form the anesthesia. The time it takes to wake up and be completely alert varies with each individual. It all depends on how quickly that particular person's biological components can metabolize the medications. Some people have a higher tolerance level than others making the effects of the medications not last very long. This will require the doctor to give a higher dose of the medications during the surgery. This is also a sign that the patient will wake up fairly quickly after surgery.

Some other common feelings reported by patients after surgery consist of dry mouth and numbness. Having the gauze in the mouth causes the dry mouth. As it is meant to soak up the blood, inevitably, it will also soak up the saliva. A tip to help with this is to wet a separate piece of gauze or cloth and have the patient gently close their jaw on it to squeeze the water over the tongue. Once the tongue and back of the throat is moistened, the patient will feel better. The numbness is caused by the local anesthetic. This can last anywhere fro 2-8 hours. The numbness will wear off progressively over time.

What to do and what not to do...

Post-operative instructions are always given after the removal of wisdom teeth.

Gauze will be placed in the location of the extraction sites. The patient should bite down on the gauze to apply firm but gentle pressure. This will help stop the bleeding. The gauze should be checked every half hour to forty-five minutes. If the sites are still bleeding new gauze should be placed at the sites. Continue until the sites stop bleeding.

Ice packs can be placed on the outside oh the cheek 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off for the first 24 hours as much as possible. The more it’s done, the less swelling will be seen. After the first 24 hours, the ice can be switched to a warm moist compress on the outside of the cheek, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. This will help the swelling that has accumulated to reduce at a faster rate.

Diet should consist of softer foods such as mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, jello, pudding etc.

Elevation of the head will also help. Use pillows to prop the head up or relax in a recliner to keep the head above the level of the heart.

No forceful rinsing of the mouth, no spitting, and no using a straw/sucking/smoking. These actions will create pressure in the mouth and cause the blood clot in the extraction sites to dislodge and expose the bone. This is called a dry socket and can be extremely painful and will need to be treated by the doctor.

Lastly, stay on a scheduled dose of ibuprofen (if medically able to) to help with inflammation and pain management. If there is break through pain, a prescription pain medication prescribed by the doctor can be taken as prescribed and instructed by the doctor. 

How is the surgery completed?

First, precautions are made by screening off the back of the throat to ensure nothing falls or leaks down into the airway.

The lowers are extracted by making a release incision in the gum tissue. This tissue is peeled back. The bone encasing the teeth is also removed. The teeth are then either removed whole or sectioned in 2 to 4 pieces depending on the tooth’s position. Each section is removed and the socket is irrigated and cleaned out. A stich or two will close the tissue back together.

The uppers are removed making a release incision in the gum tissue. This tissue is peeled back and the layer of bone covering the teeth is removed. The tooth is then elevated out of the upper jaw. A stich is not typically necessary to close the site. This is due to the way the human anatomy allows the tissue to fall together.

After cleaning everything up, gauze is placed on both sides of the oral cavity over the surgical sites.

Check out the animated video below!