How To Get Rid of Swelling From Wisdom Teeth Removal?

Wisdom teeth are your third molars and are the last permanent teeth to erupt between 17 and 25 when you might not have sufficient space in your jawbone to accommodate them. Wisdom teeth emerge at the very back of your mouth and are problematic because they are challenging to clean.

Often wisdom teeth remain impacted below your gumline, developing horizontally instead of straight and damaging the neighboring teeth. As a result, dentists usually recommend removing wisdom teeth as a preventive measure to avoid infections like tooth decay and gum disease harming your dental and overall health.

Wisdom teeth removal is a relatively standard procedure performed on teenagers and adults by the dentist in Murrieta in a surgical procedure that doesn’t require you to remain hospitalized and is completed on the same day of your appointment.

Why Are My Cheeks Swelling after Wisdom Teeth Removal?

The surgery for wisdom teeth removal is performed under sedation and local anesthesia unless you are strong-hearted and permit the dentist to perform the surgery under local anesthesia. Depending on the number of teeth you want removed, the process can last approximately 90 minutes for each tooth.

The dentist must cut open your gums to expose the wisdom tooth and surrounding bone and cut it before eventually getting to the tooth. If your tooth is challenging to remove, the dentist cuts the tooth into pieces for extraction.

After you return home from the surgical process, you can expect to see swelling develop following the procedure after 12 to 18 hours. Swelling is common after simple tooth extraction. Still, if you are undergoing a surgical process to extract one or more wisdom teeth or an impacted wisdom tooth, you can expect significant swelling on your cheeks, gums, and the surrounding area. However, the swelling is not a cause for concern and will subside shortly.

How Can I Reduce Wisdom Teeth Removal Swelling?

When you notice wisdom teeth removal swelling after your surgical procedure, remove them. You can use the tips mentioned below for comfort.

Use Ice Packs

You can help alleviate the swelling on your cheeks by intermittently using ice packs over your cheeks for 15 minutes on and off. You can repeat the ice packs as long as you want, so long as you do so after every 15 minutes.

Keep Your Head Elevated

Use extra pillows to keep your head elevated and prevent blood from rushing to your mouth when lying down. The rush of additional blood to your mouth will aggravate the swelling. However, if you keep it elevated, you can minimize it.

Take Painkillers

Our dentist recommends a prescription or over-the-counter painkillers to help alleviate the pain in your mouth. Take the pain relievers as recommended without exceeding the dosage. Painkillers also function as anti-inflammatory medicines to help reduce swelling.

Saltwater Rinses

You will find brushing and flossing around the extraction site challenging and must avoid the area. However, you cannot allow mouth bacteria to create infections in your mouth. In addition, you must not use mouth rinses available over-the-counter because they contain alcohol. Instead, you can make a saltwater rinse and use it three to four times daily to eliminate harmful bacteria and prevent infections while minimizing swelling.

Avoid Smoking and Alcohol

Tobacco is detrimental to your overall health and also your mouth. The sucking action of smoking can dislodge the blood clot at the extraction site and also delay healing. Therefore you must avoid smoking for at least 48 hours after wisdom teeth removal. Alcohol can interact with the painkillers recommended by your dentist and is better avoided to prevent complications.

The swelling and discomfort from the surgical procedure will last for some time but begins to subside after 48 or 72 hours. You will likely feel more comfortable after the surgery from day three.

When to Get Hold of Your Dentist?

If you experience complications like excessive bleeding from the extraction site or severe pain that doesn’t improve after taking the painkillers, you help by contacting your dentist for advice. The bleeding and discomfort might indicate infections at the extraction site need attention from the dental professional. Besides the above, so long as you follow your dentist’s instructions, you will likely not confront any challenges following wisdom tooth removal.

StarWhite Dental frequently performs wisdom teeth removal procedures at their office on teenagers and adults. If you must have your wisdom teeth extracted, please schedule an appointment with this practice to have your problematic teeth removed using a minimally invasive procedure.