Only people with wisdom teeth can tell you how inconvenient they can be. Sometimes they cause dental problems such as pain, overcrowding, bad breath, and difficulty chewing. These issues can become worse if you do not remove them immediately. Fortunately, museum district wisdom teeth dentists are highly skilled in removing them without causing any further damage.
Once that is done, there are certain tips you should know. Without these tips, you may develop other dental issues, which means you will visit your dentist again. Here are five of them below.
Ensure You Sleep in an Elevated Position
You should adopt this sleeping posture for 2-3 nights. You can achieve this technique by using many pillows to raise your head. This is necessary for reducing swelling and promoting clotting. The sleeping position causes your body to drain fluid away from the extraction site. If you usually lie on your back, you may have to sleep on your side to avoid increasing swellings.
Sometimes, you may assume different sleeping positions, which can slow down healing. If you tend to do this, have someone supervise you from time to time.
Take Some Painkillers
Typically, dentists will prescribe paracetamol or ibuprofen. You can take any of these two every two hours. However, ibuprofen is more effective if you want to reduce swelling while also getting rid of the pain.
In other instances, your dentist may give you opioids. Though effective, they cause side effects such as nausea, hallucinations, dizziness, and constipation. Also, some people become addicted to them. If you are concerned about using them, you can always consult your dentist.
Avoid Smoking or Drinking Alcohol for 10 Days
Smoking causes you to develop a dental condition called dry socket. This condition occurs after a blood clot formed on the extraction site is displaced. Due to the dislodging, healing occurs slowly. Besides slow healing, you will experience severe pain and infections.
Alcohol also causes a dry socket, just like smoking. If you normally take wine with your dinner, you may need to abandon it for some time. The suitable alternative you can use meanwhile is water.
Do Not Use Mouthwash Within 10 Days
Although mouthwash is useful, it does much harm after wisdom tooth removal. Since it contains a high alcohol percentage, it causes a dry socket. Consider swishing with warm salt water instead.
Another substitute to use is tea tree oil. Since it is quite strong, you cannot use it directly on your teeth. You should instead dilute it with coconut oil or other antibacterial agents.
Eat Soft or Liquid Food for Two Weeks
The foods you take should not only be soft but rich in minerals, vitamins, and energy. One of the foods you can consider is blended tomato soup. Ensure it is not too hot, as that can irritate.
Next, you could eat mashed potatoes. They are rich in nutrients and calories, which promote healing.
It is a relief to finally have your wisdom tooth removed. Unfortunately, few people know that your pain can persist after removal if you fail to follow these tips. As a result, you will end up visiting your dentist again, which is costly in the long run.
If the idea of constant pain scares you, it would be best to make these sacrifices. In case you are undisciplined, you can ask your dentist or relatives to supervise your habits. Since they want the best for you, they are likely to cooperate.