Do not drive or engage in strenuous activities for at least 24 hours. You may return to work or school when you feel you are recovered. We can supply a doctor's note if necessary. If you have undergone general anesthesia, you should go home immediately and rest for the remainder of the day.
You Should Not Drive Immediately After Surgery
That is because the drugs used in anesthesia are powerful and can take up to 24 – 48 hours to wear off. Even if you feel normal after your surgery, you may still have slowed reflexes and a delayed thought process. In some cases, the anesthesia can even cause amnesia.
Some patients who undergo tooth extraction may want to take a day off from work just to make sure they can rest well and address the immediate side effects of the procedure. Other patients may not need to spend a day recovering and will be able to return to work the next day so long as it is not physically demanding.
(First 24 hours post-op) Avoid eating or drinking for the first hour after your surgery (with the exception of liquids needed as an aid with taking medication). Over the following 24 hours, drink plenty of fluids so you stay properly hydrated.
Sleeping Must Be Done Elevated
Following any type of oral surgery, including a tooth extraction, you should sleep elevated for the first 2-3 nights. This allows your body to drain more of the fluid away from the extraction site.
For at least 24 hours after your tooth extraction, you should consume only soft foods and liquids. You can ease into a more normal diet when you feel comfortable doing so. Try to stick with easy-to-chew foods for a few days. Initially, choose cool foods like yogurt, pudding, Jell-O, and ice cream.
What to eat the first 24 hours after tooth extraction: It is usually safest to eat only liquids or soft foods for the first 24 hours. This might include items like yogurt, pudding, soup, applesauce, gelatin, and ice cream without any crunchy pieces.
A common question we get is how long one should wait to have an alcoholic beverage after having had oral surgery done. It is recommended to wait at least 48 hours before resuming alcohol consumption. After surgery, especially for the first 24 hours, it is advised that you take this opportunity to relax and recover.
It is recommended that you abstain from physical activity for the first 24 hours following wisdom tooth removal, whether or not you had a simple procedure and no matter how many teeth you had removed.
Within the first 24 hours after tooth removal surgery, you should avoid consuming anything that involves chewing. Try to limit yourself to liquids exclusively. If they don't fill you up and you want to consume solid food, go for soft meals that don't need much chewing, like pudding or oatmeal.
We do not recommend dairy products such as yogurt, ice cream, or milkshakes on the day of surgery as nausea and vomiting may develop in conjunction with the anesthetic and pain medication.
While every patient heals at a slightly different pace, most people can begin drinking small amounts of coffee around 5 days after an extraction. If all goes well, within two weeks any swelling should subside and your mouth should be mostly healed. At that point, you can return to drinking your normal amount of coffee.
Keep gauze on the surgical area with some pressure (biting) for 30–45 minutes. Remove the gauze after 30–45 minutes and replace it with a new piece of gauze if you are still bleeding. It is important to make sure the gauze is directly on the surgical site.
Aside from applying ice packs on your face and cheeks after the surgery, you should also drink ice cold water. Ice does not just reduce swelling, but the coldness is also a great pain reliever, numbing the area of your mouth that is affected.
Mashed potatoes are a great food option for eating after tooth extraction surgery. Not only is it soft, but it's rich in nutrients that could help with recovery. Plus, potatoes are a hearty root vegetable that fills you up quickly.
Many oral surgery specialists recommend eating bananas after the surgery. The soft texture is easy to chew and doesn't irritate your gums. Bananas are loaded with minerals and vitamins, including folate, manganese, vitamin B6, and potassium, which are good for your oral health.
Avoid tough or crunchy foods, such as pizza, rice, popcorn, and hamburger. Avoid spicy and acidic foods. Most patients may resume their normal diet 7 days after surgery.
The purpose of gauze is to help your body clot the wound by applying light pressure against your wound. You should never sleep with gauze in your mouth because it's a potential choking hazard.
Your body is using energy to heal itself, so you may feel more tired than usual – this is perfectly normal.
Bread is typically tough to chew after wisdom tooth removal and you are generally recommended to avoid any foods that could get stuck to your surgery site. Crackers and breads are notorious for getting stuck on teeth and stuck in the mouth and that can only cause trouble post oral surgery.
No Eating Before the Surgery
Let the dental provider know if you have a condition that doesn't allow you to fast, such as diabetes. It is also important to remember that you cannot smoke for 12 hours before the surgery and 24 hours after. In fact, this would be an ideal time to quit smoking for good.