Wisdom teeth removal is one of the most commonly performed dental treatments performed at River Run Dental. By getting your wisdom teeth removed, you may be able to prevent a variety of oral health problems including pain in the jaw, swelling in the jaw, bleeding gums, irritated and inflamed gums, bad breath, and even loss of bone or gums.
After you get your wisdom teeth removed, there are specific aftercare instructions you’ll need to follow.
Some of these important instructions are as follows:
Additionally, it is important to remember that you are not to rinse heavily or forcibly spit as this could disrupt the blood clot that forms in the extraction site, which is essential to the healing process.
We encourage patients to brush their teeth as they normally would the first day after their surgery, but to avoid the extraction site. You can begin brushing and flossing 24 hours after your surgery as long as you avoid the surgical site for at least three days. When you are brushing and flossing your other teeth, do so very slowly and carefully. Instead of spitting toothpaste out the first few days following the wisdom teeth removal, use a saltwater rinse or mouthwash to rinse your mouth gently.
In addition to following these brushing and flossing guidelines, we strongly suggest a soft food diet and chewing away from the sites where the procedure was conducted. Recommended soft foods that may work best are pureed soups, mashed potatoes, yogurt, ice cream, pudding, or Jell-O.
With 2020 quickly approaching, wisdom teeth surgery may be best scheduled for college kids over winter break when the kids are off of school. If you would like to schedule a wisdom tooth removal or would like more information on brushing and flossing after wisdom teeth removal, call us at 804-886-3157 to schedule an appointment at our Richmond, Virginia dental office.