Wisdom teeth extraction at a dentist in Ipswich or elsewhere is not uncommon. With so many people having them removed, you have to wonder what post-procedure care is? Thankfully, wisdom teeth are not essential for everyday eating and talking. One of the leading theories of why wisdom teeth exist at all is that they are replacements and that in previous generations by the age of 30 ish, most people would have lost a few permanent teeth, freeing up space for the wisdom teeth and making it a valuable addition.
So it’s a little bit funny that with excellent modern hygiene and good oral care, the chances of losing teeth before 30 are pretty low. This means that wisdom teeth force their way into a mouth that is overcrowded, often causing more pain and disruption than they are worth.
In the long term, there isn’t any negative impact or additional considerations but immediately after removal, there are some precautions to minimise complications and increase healing and recovery. Here, this article looks at how wisdom tooth extraction can impact your lifestyle.
Comfort foods
The good news is that post-operative care should not focus on a calorie-restricted diet. You can get back to your eating plan in a few days but for now… ice cream! Sweet, comforting with a coolness that will help soothe any swelling or inflammation. Try to stay away from cones and flakes as well as any brands of ice cream with small hard fragments like nuts, chocolate chips or sprinkles.
Soup is another great option if served at a tepid temperature And gives a more nutritious, savoury option to ice cream.
Meal options
Foods that minimise chewing should be the priority. Mashed potatoes and gravies and sour cream can all go very well. Boiling vegetables makes them softer and long slow-cooked meats like pulled pork can give a very satisfying meal whilst minimising stress on healing tissues. Well-blended smoothies are another excellent option, incorporate whichever fruit or vegetables you enjoy most!
Possible Complications
It can be tempting to use a straw during the recovery, but the biggest risk of long term complications is due to ‘’dry socket.” This is a disruption to the newly formed blood clot. In the first stage of healing, there is a migratory period where cells move under the socket and establish a raft of protein strands for later cell growth. Thus creating a clot. If these net protein strands are disrupted rather than allowing the socket to heal from the bottom-up, this can leave a permanently exposed portion of the jawbone at the bottom of a healed but hollow socket. Exposed jawbone experiences the swings of temperature that come from food and drink, while also just being exceedingly uncomfortable.
As the blood clot forms at the bottom of the socket, the chances of dislodging it are quite low but sucking is the most hazardous activity with the highest likelihood of dislodging the blood clot. Hence why you should not drink with a straw. Many clinics will opt to stitch over the extraction socket in order to minimise the chances of dry socket, particularly if there is a genetic history of it, as it greatly increases the risks.