Wisdom Teeth Treatment Guide
Removing wisdom teeth comfortably, and healing well afterward. Here's what the next week looks like.
The Full Guide
Wisdom teeth (third molars) are the last teeth to develop, usually coming in during the late teens or early twenties. There is often not enough room for them, so they can stay buried, come in at an angle or only partly break through the gum. When there is a reason to remove them, it is a surgical procedure: the gum is gently opened, a little bone is sometimes removed and the tooth may be sectioned so it comes out in smaller pieces.
Wisdom teeth are hard to keep clean and can trap food and bacteria, leading to infection, decay, gum problems or damage to the second molar next to them. Dr. Han recommends removal when there is a clinical reason, and for younger patients it is often easier to do it earlier, since healing is typically quicker.
Not sure whether yours need to come out? Book a Consultation and we'll tell you what is actually needed.
If you choose sedation, follow the fasting instructions our office gives you, typically no food for about six hours beforehand, and arrange for a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you. Wear loose, comfortable clothing with short sleeves, and tell us about every medication and supplement you take.
Sedation is available for this procedure, and it is often the most comfortable way to have surgery. You can be relaxed and comfortable from start to finish, and it is a popular choice for wisdom teeth, including having all four removed in one visit. We also place local anesthetic at the surgical site to keep the area numb.
Each tooth is removed, the sockets are cleaned and stitches are placed. Stitches are often dissolvable. Lower wisdom teeth sit close to a nerve in the jaw, so Dr. Han plans around your imaging, including 3D imaging when it is clinically needed.
Bite firmly on the gauze for 30 to 45 minutes, changing it as needed. You will be numb for several hours, so take care not to bite your lip, cheek or tongue. Take your first dose of pain medication before the numbness wears off. If you had sedation, go straight home and rest for the day with your adult. For at least 24 hours, do not drive, drink alcohol, use machinery or make important decisions.
Rest with your head elevated. Ice the outside of your face, 20 minutes on and 20 off while awake, for the first 24 to 36 hours. Do not rinse, spit, use a straw or smoke, since suction and pressure can dislodge the clot and cause dry socket. Eat soft, cool foods like yogurt, applesauce and smoothies eaten with a spoon, and avoid anything hot while you are numb.
Rinse gently with warm salt water after meals (about half a teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water), letting it fall out rather than spitting. Brush gently, avoiding the surgical sites. Stay with soft foods for the first several days and avoid nuts, seeds, chips and popcorn, which can lodge in the sockets. Skip straws and smoking for at least 72 hours, and longer is better. Avoid strenuous activity and sports for the first few days.
If an upper tooth sat close to the sinus, avoid forceful nose-blowing and sneeze with your mouth open for the first week or two, or as Dr. Han advises.
Take pain medication and any antibiotics exactly as directed. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are common choices when they are right for you; we will tell you what is best.
Some oozing and pink saliva are normal. If bleeding picks up, bite on fresh gauze (or a moist tea bag) for 30 minutes without checking it.
Swelling, bruising and jaw stiffness typically peak around now, and opening wide may be uncomfortable for the first week or so. After the first 36 hours, switch from ice to moist heat on the outside of your face if swelling or bruising lingers.
Swelling and soreness steadily improve. This is also the window for dry socket: severe, throbbing pain that begins around days 3 to 5, sometimes with a bad taste or visible bone, and that medication does not relieve. It is more common after lower wisdom teeth and is easy to treat, so call us. Stitches that do not dissolve are removed at your follow-up visit.
Most people return to school or work within a few days, and to sports and strenuous exercise after about a week, once you feel ready and Dr. Han clears you. The sockets close over in a few weeks, and bone fills in quietly for several months. A whitish or yellowish look in the socket is healthy new tissue, not infection.
bleeding that does not slow after 30 minutes of firm gauze pressure, severe pain that starts or worsens around days 3 to 5 (a sign of dry socket), swelling that keeps growing after day 3, fever, pus or a bad taste that does not clear, numbness in the lip, chin or tongue that is slow to resolve, or jaw stiffness that is getting worse.
rapidly spreading facial swelling, trouble breathing or swallowing, or signs of a severe allergic reaction. These are rare, but go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 rather than waiting for a callback.
A note on this guide: this is general guidance. Your treating doctor's specific instructions for your individual case always take priority over anything written here. If something feels off or you're unsure, call us. Don't wait it out.
Oral Surgery & Extraction Care
Questions About Your Treatment?
We're always happy to talk through anything that feels uncertain. Never hesitate to call.