22 Tips For When You Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

I got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday, and needless to say, I was extremely nervous about the procedure. I have never liked needles and to this day I still cringe when I have to get a shot. So finding out I had to have an IV made me very uneasy. However, the entire procedure took a little over half an hour and I was unconscious for 90% of it. It went so much smoother than I thought it would and made me realize I had nothing to worry about.

22 Tips for when you have your wisdom teeth removed:

#1. Have a hearty, filling dinner the night before. 
         You aren't allowed to eat after dinner the night before the procedure, so eat something that will fill you up and fulfill any last minute cravings you won't be able to eat over the next few days.

#2. Drink a lot of water between dinner time and midnight the night before.
         You aren't allowed to drink anything after midnight the night before your procedure, so drink up so you won't be thirsty later.

#3. Wear comfy pajamas to your procedure.
          You will be tired and want to go to sleep or rest after your procedure, so wearing comfy pajamas lets you immediately get right to relaxing when you get home, rather than forcing whoever brought you home to attempt to help you get into pajamas while you are still numb and high on Novocain.

#4. Stock up on plenty of foods you don't need to chew.
         Due to the stitches, you won't be able to chew any food for about 2 days, so stock up on non-chewing foods, such as: yogurt, pudding, sorbet, ice cream, applesauce, popsicles, drinkable soups, smoothies (eat them with a SPOON), and Ensure or Special K drinks.

#5. Drink LOTS of water after the procedure.
         The antibiotic and painkillers will make you dehydrated, so drink a lot of water. It will also help sooth your gums.

#6. Create a chart to track when you take your pills.
         You have to take your pain medication every 4 hours and you have to take your antibiotic 4 times a day. So create a chart where you can track what time you take each pill to help keep you on track and remind you when to take your next pill. Note: Do NOT take your antibiotic every 4 hours like your pain medication, it will make you nauseous. Take it when you wake up, around lunch time, around dinner time, and before bed.

#7. AVOID straws!!
         Especially while you're still puffy from the Novocain, the temptation to use a straw will be strong, but you can't. Any sucking runs the risk of damaging or removing the stitches, as well as giving you dry mouth. Use a spoon instead.

#8. Stock up on soft foods.
         By dinner time of your second day or breakfast of your third day, you'll be able to start having solid foods again. But only soft foods, such as: mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, soup, scrambled eggs, mashed or refried beans and guacamole on a soft tortilla, vegetable purees, miso soup, tofu, and banana slices with honey (my favorite).

#9. NO FOOD NETWORK!
         Don't torture yourself by looking at food you can't have. Plus it'll make you more hungry.

#10. Take probiotics.
         This will prevent you from becoming constipated due to the antibiotics you're taking.

#11. No hot foods until 24 hours after the procedure.
         You can have lukewarm foods, but no hot foods until your second day.

#12. Give yourself a first real meal to look forward to.
       Decide upon what you want your first meal you can chew will be to give yourself something to look forward to during your recovery. My meal of choice is Chick-fil-A nuggets with fries and a lemonade. I also made plans with my family to go to Applebee's the following week so I could get their Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad and their Clubhouse Grill Sandwich.

#13. ICE!!
     You should get an ice head wrap from your dentist or oral surgeon to wear after your surgery. There should be multiple ice packs that you place in the wrap, but also extras that you keep in the freezer. Whenever you notice your ice packs getting close to room temperature, make sure to swap them out for the cold packs from the freezer. Changing your ice regularly will help with the pain and swelling and will help you stop looking like a puffy chipmunk in less time.

#14. Find a comfy spot to rest.

     The Novocain and painkillers will probably make you sleepy, so find a quiet, comfy place where you can rest for a few days in peace.

#15. Find things you can do in bed to keep yourself busy.

     When you aren't sleeping, you still need to rest and not move around a lot, so find things you can do in bed. I found a few easy crafts I could do from bed, a few books to read, my laptop, my Nintendo 64, and some movies and television shows I wanted to watch to help keep me entertained in bed. 

#16. Get some sleep.
      The best thing to do is lay down and try to get some rest. Take a few naps and try to sleep through the majority of the recovery.

#17. Don't take any medication before your procedure or while taking the painkillers.
      Do not take any medications that haven't been specifically been approved ahead of time by your oral surgeon on the day of your procedure. In addition, unless specified by your oral surgeon, do not take any other medications other than your prescribed painkiller and antibiotic during your recovery. Not even birth control. Talk to both your doctor and your oral surgeon about any daily medications you take prior to the surgery to discuss whether or not you should continue to take them while on painkillers.

#18. Keep that tongue away from the stitches!! 
      The temptation will be high, but leave the stitches alone if you want them to heal.

19. Gargle with salt water.
      Starting your second day of recovery, gargle with salt water periodically throughout the day. About 4 times a day, gargle a glass of water with about a tablespoon of salt stirred in. This will help with the pain, swelling, and keeping your stitches clean.

#20. Try to keep all talking to a minimum. 
      Keep a notepad and pen or pencil close by to avoid having to talk a lot. Talking increases the odds of loosening the stitches.

#21. Remember to thank whoever is taking care of you.

      Remember that this person is taking time away from their day to drive you to and from your procedure, taking care of you, getting you food and/or water, changing your ice, helping with your gauze, etc. Take the time to thank them and let them know their help is appreciated. 

#22. Don't panic and remember the pain will end soon.

      This isn't the worse experience of your life and should be over soon. Keep that in mind and you should be fine. :)