How Long Does Wisdom Teeth Removal Take To Heal?

Are you struggling with pesky wisdom teeth that are causing unbearable pain? When wisdom teeth become impacted, extraction is often necessary. However, many patients wonder about the healing time after wisdom tooth removal.

The good news is that wisdom tooth extraction is a minimally invasive procedure, and the recovery time is relatively short. However, this timeline can vary depending on your specific dental situation. Our team of qualified dentists at My Wisdom Tooth Dentist can guide you through the recovery process after your wisdom teeth have been removed.

To prepare for the procedure, it’s helpful to know what to expect. Keep reading this article for more information on wisdom tooth extraction healing, including what to expect before, during, and after the procedure.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

After wisdom tooth extraction, it’s natural to wonder about the recovery time and what to expect. Typically, it takes 3-4 days to recover, but for more impacted teeth, it could take up to a week. However, it’s important to note that the wound won’t fully heal for several months, and there is a risk of infection even after the surgery has been completed.

To avoid any complications, pay close attention to your body and contact your dentist if you notice any signs of trouble. While you can resume your daily activities the day after the surgery, you should avoid strenuous activities that may shift the blood clots or disturb the stitches on your wound.

During the healing process, it’s also important to maintain good oral hygiene and follow your dentist’s instructions for caring for the wound. This may include rinsing with salt water or using special mouthwashes to keep the area clean.

You, however, want to avoid strenuous activities that may shift the blood clots or disturb the stitches on your wound. This includes:

• Drinking from a straw
• Smoking 
• Spitting

You will experience some mild swelling, bleeding and pain after the surgery, but it should ease up after some days. If you notice excessive bleeding, immediately call your dentist.

You’ll also want to look out for signs of possible complications or infection. Some of these are:

• Fever
• Swelling that gets worse with time
• Medication not dulling the pain
• Trouble swallowing or breathing
• Pus or blood coming out of your nose
• Numbness
• Excessive bleeding that doesn’t stop even with the application of a gauze

Wisdom Tooth Extraction Healing Timeline

There is an estimated timeline for the healing process after a wisdom tooth extraction. In most cases, a patient’s recovery will follow this path.

However, if your level of impaction is severe, it may take a little longer. Just don’t hesitate to give My Wisdom Tooth Dentist if you have any concerns during your wisdom teeth recovery.

Below are some of the effects you can expect after your surgery.

The First 24 Hours

The most crucial part of your surgery is the first 24 hours afterwards. At My Wisdom Tooth, we make sure to give you personalized aftercare instructions to help you get through the healing process and be back to your normal life in no time.

Regardless of where you got your wisdom teeth pulled out, you want to follow every instruction your dentist gives you strictly for the first day. This will help blood clots form in the surgical area, which will stop the bleeding and pain.

Some instructions that you can expect are

• Bite on gauze for an hour after the surgery
• Avoid applying pressure on your teeth; this includes spitting, drinking from a straw or sucking on candy.
• Don’t rinse your mouth.
• Avoid the surgical area, which means no brushing or flossing around the extraction site.

2–3 Days

If it is comfortable for you, you should be able to resume normal eating after 24 hours. However, you should stay away from crunchy foods for a little while longer so that your extraction sites get adequate time to heal without disturbance.

Gently include the extraction site in your brushing and flossing routine once more. Just make sure to use a very soft brush and be careful around that area.

Continue to take your antibiotics or medications as directed. You should also notice visible signs of swelling going down after the first 48 hours. You can as well use a saltwater rinse to relieve the soreness and swelling, but do this by swaying your head from side to side.

7–10 Days

You can expect to be fully back to your daily activities by this time. However, this may not be the case if you are experiencing a dry socket.

If your blood clot dislodges or forms too quickly, you are likely to develop a dry socket in that area. This can be very painful and drastically slow down the healing process by as much as two weeks.

If you’re still experiencing any severe pain, swelling, or soreness, call your dental office for steps on what to do.

Long-Term Recovery

Likely, the extraction site will not heal completely for a few months after the wisdom tooth extraction. As a result, an infection in that area is very likely even after the pain and swelling have subsided.

As previously stated, make sure to properly care for your teeth and report any suspicious signs to your dentist for further instructions.

Dos And Don’ts For Quick Wisdom Tooth Extraction Healing

Some general wisdom teeth removal aftercare instructions have already been addressed, but below are some more to make your recovery process seamless. Remember that these instructions are general, and our exceptional dentists can give you a more personalised one after performing the surgery at our office.

Dos

• Use ice packs 20 minutes off and 20 minutes on to relieve discomfort.
• Get lots of rest, making sure to elevate your head instead of laying flat.
• Keep the extraction site clean by rinsing your mouth with saltwater or antimicrobial rinse. 
• Continue all your medications as prescribed.
• Brush and floss the rest of your teeth normally.
• Eat solely soft, nutritious foods for some days after the surgery.

Don’ts

• Avoid smoking for at least 72 hours after your procedure.
• Don’t swish the rinse in your cheeks rather sway your head from side to side.
• Avoid strenuous activity like cardio for at least 48 hours after surgery.
• Try not to cough or sneeze. Talk to your dentist beforehand about any allergies you may have.
• Stay away from spicy, hot or crunchy foods for the first few days after the extraction.
• Avoid alcohol and hot beverages.

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