Healing Tips

When I had my wisdom teeth taken out I couldn't find much information on the web about helping your body heal after having your wisdom teeth out. I checked out gum health (since getting your wisdom teeth out primarily affects your gums) all I could find was that flossing and brushing your teeth and getting adequate vitamin C is best for gum health. Well, that's fine for before your surgery, but after your surgery your dentist may not even want you to brush your teeth for the first day or two and orange juice is too acidic so it may irritate your gums! Below are some healing tips for body and mind.

• I read that green and peppermint teas (at room temperature) help gums heal from periodontitis. Brew the tea and then run cold water over the tea bags. Place in mouth. It can help soothe aches, pains, and to stop bleeding.
• Don't forget your vitamin supplement! You may not be able to eat well-balanced meals for the first day or so. Break it in half if it seems too big.
• Do laundry before your surgery. You'll be spilling food on yourself and other things as you eat so you'll need lots of clean, comfortable clothes and towels.
• Make sure you have a ride to and from your surgery. It's best if they can wait for you during the surgery as you may be too out of it to use a phone afterward. Your doctor will probably not let you take a taxi home.
• Have someone stay with you the day of your surgery or at least check on you often throughout the day.
• Find out about parking before you go if your doctor doesn't have free parking. Metered parking may be a problem for the person waiting for you because your surgery/recovery room time fluctuates based on your needs. If you have to use metered parking, it's better to put in money for the maximum time and get out in half an hour than for your ride to run out to the car to put more money in or be concerned about running out of change.
• Don't work out until your doctor says it's okay and even then start slowly and build up, gaging how you feel; aerobic exercise can increase swelling; muscle strengthening takes the energy you need to heal your gums.
• If you're planning on renting a lot of movies to keep yourself amused during your convalescence, only rent ones that don't have to be returned for several days. You'll probably be sleeping a lot more than you think and won't have the stamina to sit through a 2-hour movie without stopping it. Plus, you'll be up often switching ice packs and gauze, etc.

Most doctors say only use ice in the first 24 hours and then use it only for 20 minutes at a time. It's impossible to guess how bad your swelling will be, but I have some suggestions for maximum benefits:

• Have about six ice packs ready before your surgery. You'll have two pairs freezing while you use one. Ice in plastic bags works fine if you don't want to buy ice packs, but keep extra plastic bags handy to avoid leaks.
• Make sure you have three or four clean, soft towels to put between your skin and the ice packs. This avoids skin irritation. Kitchen towels are a great size for this. You may find it tedious to hold your ice with your hands all day long, so I devised a sling for this:
  1. Keep one or two long-sleeved t-shirts handy and a timer.
  2. It's easiest to do this while propped up on the couch or bed. Unfold the towel and cover your cheeks. If you can tie it at the top of your head, that makes it easier.
  3. Fold the torso of the long-sleeved t-shirt until it's a little wider than the sleeves.
  4. Bring the torso of the t-shirt against your chin. Tie the sleeves over your head, but don't tighten completely.
  5. Position the ice packs.
  6. Alternately reposition the ice packs and tighten the t-shirt until everything is snug.
  7. Set the timer for 20 minutes. This way you can watch TV, read or even sleep somewhat comfortably without making your arms ache by holding up your ice packs. When the timer goes off, remove the ice packs for another 20 minutes.
  8. You can leave your ice packs out for 1-2 hours, depending on how cold they stay. Re-using them keeps you from having to get up and go to the freezer too often.

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