Dental Care

What To Expect When You Get Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

No matter how routine a medical procedure may be, it is reasonable for patients to be a bit nervous beforehand. For many people, a big source of this anxiety may be that they simply don’t know what the experience will be like or how they will feel afterward. Consider a handful of side effects and other changes you may experience while recovering from wisdom teeth extraction Lombard IL.

 

Confusion

 

Depending on the type of anesthesia you receive during the procedure, you may be a bit out of it when you wake up. It is not uncommon for people to feel somewhat confused or upset. You may even say or do strange things. Don’t worry; this feeling will fade away quickly.

 

Numbness

 

Parts of your mouth and chin may remain numb for several hours following the procedure. This may make it difficult to drink water without spilling it. Fortunately, this side effect, too, is only temporary. If the numbness continues longer than your doctor expects, be sure to bring this to his or her attention right away.

 

Soreness

 

As the general and local anesthesia wear off, you may start to experience some pain in the back of your mouth. In many cases, you will be prescribed a pain medication to help with this soreness. Try to talk as little as possible and hold an ice pack to the sides of your face to help with the swelling.

 

Diet Changes

 

Finally, your doctor will likely suggest that you eat only soft foods for a day or more following the surgery. Good options include yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, applesauce, pudding, and mashed potatoes. Within a few days, you should be able to resume a relatively normal diet.

 

Although getting your wisdom teeth removed is not necessarily an enjoyable experience, the recovery proceeds quickly and the side effects are usually not severe. Consider what preparations you can make now so you are as comfortable as possible when you return home on the big day.