Facial swelling in the
area of the tooth extraction should be treated with heat after the first 24
hours of ice. Apply a moist warm towel to the area on a 20-minute on,
20-minute off schedule. Repeat as necessary.
Rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) after meals and
before bed. Do not use commercial mouth rinses.
Stitches, if used and if
not of the self-dissolving type, need to be removed by your oral health care
provider in about 1 week. If you do require stitches, ask what type you have
been given.
Watch for signs of dry socket (described below). This condition requires treatment by your oral
health care provider.
Complete healing doesn't occur for a few weeks to a few
months following the extraction. However, usually within the first
week or two, enough healing has taken place for use of your mouth to
be reasonably comfortable in the area of the extraction. Your dentist will explain what to expect in your specific case.
What Are Potential Complications of Wisdom
Tooth Removal?
Two of the more important complications after having your wisdom teeth removed include:
Dry socket. Dry socket is a common complication that occurs when either a blood clot has failed to form in the extracted tooth socket or else the blood clot that did form has been dislodged. Without clot formation, healing will be delayed. When it happens, dry socket typically occurs 3 or 4 days following the extraction and is accompanied by pain (ranging from "dull" to moderate to severe) and a foul mouth odor. Your dentist or oral surgeon will treat the dry socket by placing medication in the socket.
Paresthesia. Paresthesia is a less frequently occurring
complication. Wisdom teeth entrapped in the jawbone are often close to
nerves. Sometimes these nerves can be bruised or damaged during the
tooth removal process. The result is a numbness (called a paresthesia)
of the tongue, lip or chin that can last a few days, weeks, months, or
may even be permanent.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
Blood clots can occur in the venous and arterial vascular system. Blood clots can form in the heart, legs, arteries, veins, bladder, urinary tract and uterus. Risk factors for blood clots include high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history. Symptoms of a blood clot depend on the location of the clot. Some blood clots are a medical emergency. Blood clots are treated depending upon the cause of the clot. Blood clots can be prevented by lowering the risk factors for developing blood clots.
Toothache usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint (TMJ), or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. A toothache can also be caused by a problem that does not originate from a tooth or the jaw, like diseases of the heart (angina or heart attack), ear infections, and sinus infections. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine the cause.
Gum disease is caused by plaque and may result in tooth loss without proper treatment. Symptoms and signs of gum disease (gingivitis or periodontal disease) include receding gums, bad breath and pocket formation between the teeth and gums. Treatment depends upon the stage of the gum disease, how you responded to earlier treatments, and your overall health.
Dry socket is a painful condition that sometimes occurs after a tooth has been pulled. Dry socket can occur if the blood clot protecting the bone and nerves in the hole in the bone where the tooth was pulled becomes dislodged after extraction. In addition to pain, symptoms include bad breath and a bad taste in your mouth. People who smoke, have poor oral hygiene, and those who use birth control pills have a greater likelihood of developing dry socket. This condition may be treated with aspirin, ibuprofen, a nerve block, or medication prescribed by your dentist.
Find out more about how orthodontic braces and retainers can provide proper alignment to crooked teeth. Get answers to all your braces questions about care, clear braces, and color bands.
The most common taste disorder is phantom taste perception; that is, a lingering, often unpleasant taste even though you have nothing in your mouth. We also can experience a reduced ability to taste sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami, a condition called hypogeusia. Some people cannot detect any tastes, which is called ageusia.
Teenagers recognize that they are developmentally between child and adult. Teen health prevention includes maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, preventing injuries and screening annually for potential health conditions that could adversely affect teenage health.
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