Did you know that 64% of Americans went to the dentist at least once last year?

Not every visit is for a bad reason. It’s not always about cavities. You might have to go to a dentist for wisdom tooth removal, for example.

Of course, tooth extraction is only one part of the process. The other half is proper recovery. The good news is we’re here with crucial wisdom teeth recovery tips.

Now you’ll stay on the path of recovery. Read on and find out more:

1. Prevent Dry Socket

This is the most important thing to do to ensure your recovery. A dry socket happens when something dislodges the blood clot forming over the site of the extracted wisdom tooth. It happens in one out of four impacted wisdom teeth surgeries.

When you lose this blood clot, it causes excruciating pain since it reveals the underlying bone. This happens after two or three days of getting a tooth extracted. The good news is that it’s easy to prevent since your dentist will give you a list of things to do at home after the surgery concludes.

To prevent dry socket, you must follow their instructions. Otherwise, you’re increasing your risk of infection. That’s why you must stay in touch with your dentist when a dry socket happens.

2. Elevate Your Head Within the First Three Days

Whenever you sleep, elevate your head using pillows to ensure that your body stays at a 45-degree angle. To make the most out of this, you can get those wedge pillows in the market. It’s because their shape makes them especially effective for this purpose.

If you do this, your wisdom tooth surgery recovery will get faster. It’s because when you lie flat, the volume of blood and the blood vessel tone near the fresh wound increases. This makes the wound throb, inducing discomfort if not outright pain.

Also, elevating your head above your feet helps to decrease your swelling. If you can’t get a wedge pillow, settle for a travel pillow instead. It’s valuable since it keeps your head comfortable and elevated when you’re upright.

3. Ice Your Cheeks for the First 36 Hours

After getting your wisdom tooth extracted, get an ice pack, and apply it on the sides where the dentist got rid of your wisdom tooth. Leave it on for 20 minutes and let it rest for another 20 minutes. Do this cycle as much as you can during the first 36 hours after you get home from the dentist.

The cold compress helps to decrease the swelling and inflammation. With this practice, you can prevent it from happening even before you notice its outward signs. Ice consistently since it will decrease the causes of tooth pain and swelling for the rest of your recovery.

For a more convenient method, use a head wrap ice pack since it leaves your hands free. It’s an especially useful item if you got extractions on both sides.

Never apply heat to your extracted areas until you reach at least 72 hours. It’s because the heat will make the blood flow more to the area. This increases both pain and swelling, making your recovery uncomfortable.

4. Rinse Using Warm Salt Water

Doing this a few times each day helps a lot in keeping your wound sterilized. Take note, you must do it gently or risk bleeding. For best results, get super-saturated saltwater since it helps a lot in keeping your gums free from inflammation.

Are you curious about how wisdom tooth surgeries work? If so, don't hesitate to learn more about wisdom teeth removal here.

5. Reduce Inflammation

To control the pain of wisdom tooth removal, you must reduce inflammation whenever possible. It happens the most after the first 48 hours. That’s why you must take anti-inflammatory medicine even when you feel great immediately after the procedure.

You can use ibuprofen and acetaminophen synchronously. It’s because they interact with inflammation in two varying pathways. You can also use BCQ supplements to further prevent it from happening.

6. Never Let Your Mouth Dry Out

After the wisdom tooth procedure, your mouth will most likely feel sore. In most cases, you might feel tempted to breathe using your mouth, especially if you’re tender. But you must fight this urge and avoid it as much as you can since this will make your mouth drier.

Otherwise, you’re letting the dryness upset your mouth’s pH balance. This will result in the growth of bacteria that cause cavities to increase. This increases your chances of getting pericoronitis, which is the inflammation and infection of your soft tissues around the extracted area.

Sometimes, it’s inevitable for you to breathe using your mouth. If you must do so, use a reputable brand of oral cavity moisturizer. This ensures your mouth’s health during your recovery period.

7. Massage Your Jaw

While the dentist extracts your wisdom tooth, they use tooths to hold your mouth wide open. This means it’s in this position for a long period, which makes it the primary cause of myofascial pain and cramped muscles. Experts call this condition temporary trismus, more commonly known as lockjaw.

One of the muscles in your jaw, the masseter, is the usual suspect since it’s more prone to soreness. It’s responsible for helping you chew. That’s why you must massage this area regularly after you finish the surgery.

If you do, you’re releasing some unneeded tension your jaw holds onto. To do this, you must put your first two fingers before your ears’ openings. Use circular motions with these fingers to gently massage the area.

Usually, the stiffness of the jaw will dissipate about 11 days after the extraction. You’ll see a significant decrease after the first week.

Learn More Wisdom Teeth Recovery Tips Today!

These are some of the best wisdom teeth recovery tips around. Use these to expedite your recovery and experience little to no pain.

Did you find this guide useful? If so, consider reading our other posts and learn more valuable tips and tricks to make your dental health better.