Remember what it was like to have your wisdom teeth pulled?
Chipmunk-city. If the swollen mouth, teasing siblings, and new-found appreciation of what it’s like to have a tooth knocked out aren’t enough… there is the blood. Ah, yes, the blood. You wish you could stop reading now, right? It’s really not that bad. Gross, maybe, but it becomes a passing memory fast. If your dentist has suggested your teenager have their wisdom teeth extracted, here’s what you can expect as you prepare for the day of surgery and immediately thereafter.
Oh, and before we get started, it might be fun to bring along your video camera, or camera phone. For some, exposure to the anesthesia used during surgery takes a while to wear off, and a bit of post-surgery hilarity can ensue that you might want to record for posterity. Some teens have even made successes of themselves on YouTube as a result! So, with no further ado here are the guidelines.
Pre-op:
- Your teen should wear loose, comfortable clothing with short sleeves, and remove all jewelry.
- Have your child leave their contact lenses at home.
- Your doctor will have specific guidelines with regard to eating and drinking prior to surgery, but, in general, your teen should be prepared to go without food or drink for at least six hours prior to surgery.
- Ensure your child has a ride to and from the surgery center.
- Inform your surgeon the dosages and types of medications your teen may take regularly.
Post-op:
- Do not allow the consumption of alcohol of any kind. Doing so can lethally interact with anesthesia medicine lingering in your child’s system. This is very important.
- Be sure your teen avoids rinsing or spitting for 24 hours after surgery to prevent the premature release of the blood clot that lodges in the surgical pocket. This clot is necessary for healing and prevents a painful side effect called “dry socket.”
- A moistened tea bag can help aid in clotting because the tannic acid in tea helps clots form. This process can be repeated if a small degree of bleeding continues; if heavy bleeding continues to occur, contact your dentist or oral surgeon.
- Have your teen refrain from brushing for the first 24 hours for the same reason above.
- Your teen should avoid inserting their fingers in their mouth after surgery, and should also refrain from using their tongue to “feel-around” the surgical wound. This will help prevent the loosening of any stitches as well as ensure the blood clot that helps prevent dry socket stays in place.
- Feel free to use ice packs on the side of the face for the first 24 hours. Do so in 20 minute increments, with a 10 minute rest in-between applications.
- Pain medication like Tylenol or Ibuprofen is okay to take as recommended for mild pain, if your child can tolerate these medicines.
- In anticipation of severe pain, your doctor may provide a stronger medication.
- Ensure your teen remains hydrated, but avoid the use of straws so as not to accidentally “stab” the surgical wound, or allow for the “sucking” out of that all-too-important blood clot.
- Avoid hot liquids like soup, coffee and tea. Each can dissolve the healing clot.
- AFTER the first post-operative day, and through the first week, your teen should begin using a warm salt-water rinse following meals to flush out particles of food and debris, which may get stuck in the surgical area.
- Your teen should eat soft foods that won’t irritate the wound, and avoid foods that can get stuck in the wound sites like nuts, rice and seeds.
- Smoking should be avoided for at least five to seven days, because nicotine can break down the blood clot. Maybe this five-day break could be used as a launching pad to quitting as well?!
Some dentists and surgeons recommend doing these extractions during high school or college break times to avoid “chipmunk face,” and to avoid interrupting their coursework. Enjoy this rite of passage with your child … and don’t forget the camera!
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