Massage After Wisdom Teeth Removal: Ways To Recover

Wisdom teeth usually try to erupt into the mouth between 17 to 21 years of age. We may recommend that they be extracted then or even before age 17 if they:

Are misaligned
Crowd other teeth
Are trapped or partially trapped,
Cause an infection, swelling, cyst, or pain
Erupt at a wrong angle

Unfortunately, many people delay removing their wisdom teeth. However, remember that your wisdom teeth roots grow longer and harden in the jaw as you age. This makes the extraction even more difficult and may take longer to heal. Therefore, it is generally recommended to undergo wisdom teeth extraction before you turn 25 years old.

How Long Will It Take to Heal from Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

It usually takes one week to remove stitches; sometimes, surgery-induced swelling, bruising, and pain will also take a week or two to heal.

The healing process includes the following stages:

In the First 24 Hours – Blood clots will form
After 2 to 3 Days – Swelling of the cheeks and mouth will subside
After One Week – Your dentist will remove the stitches
Within 7 to 10 Days – Jaw stiffness and soreness will subside
After 2 Weeks–Any mild bruising on the face will heal

What Should You Do After Surgery? Tips to Recover Post Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Depending on your condition and overall health, it can take one to two weeks to recover from wisdom teeth extraction. To speed up your healing, follow these wisdom teeth removal recovery tips:

Get plenty of rest.

Some people may be eager to get straight back into work after surgery, but it’s important to allow yourself the necessary recovery time. Arrange time off work or school before your procedure, and use this period to relax and let your body heal.

It’s a good idea, especially in the first few days, to keep your head upright as much as possible so as to not affect blood vessel tone and blood volume near the extraction site. These vessels near the wound increase when you lie flat, making it throb. Even lying flat may be detrimental to recovery. Simply sleep with an extra pillow or two to keep your head at a 45-degree angle. Therefore, keep your head elevated when you sleep to reduce swelling and recover faster.

Keep the surgical site clean.

You should brush and floss your teeth after your surgery but take special care to avoid the surgical site. In some cases, we will prescribe an oral antimicrobial rinse for you to use in the first week or two to limit the risk of infection. If we don’t prescribe an antimicrobial mouthwash, we will instruct you to use a solution that combines one cup of warm water with one teaspoon of salt. Once these ingredients are combined, gently rinse your mouth. Do this several times a day, at least once in the morning, once before bed, and after meals.

If you use an orthodontic appliance like a retainer or a nightguard for teeth grinding or TMJ dysfunction, you can resume wearing it after 24 hours unless otherwise instructed. If it is painful or seems to place unnecessary pressure on the extraction site, forego using the oral appliance and contact your dentist.

Apply an Ice Pack to Your Cheeks.

Consistently applying an ice pack to your cheeks (20 minutes on and 20 minutes off) for the first 36 hours after surgery can help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation.

Prevent Dry Sockets.

A dry socket occurs when the blood clot that forms on the extraction site is dislodged. Though it is most common during 2 to 3 days after extraction, a dry socket can be painful and delay healing.

Immediately after your surgery, gauze will be applied over the extraction site. You’ll need to maintain some pressure over this gauze to reduce bleeding as much as possible. The site will bleed naturally, so you should expect the gauze to get a bit messy.

Remember to keep the gauze in place, and don’t remove it until a blood clot forms and bleeding subsides. This usually takes up to 45 minutes. You might find bleeding starts again later – simply use some clean gauze in the same way.

The following are a few tips that will help prevent a dry socket:

Moistening new gauze pads in water is best before placing them on the extraction site. If you place a dry gauze pad in the mouth, do not remove it while “dry”; it can pull out a blood clot.
Avoid vigorous rinsing, smoking, kissing, drinking through a straw, or any action involving suction.
Eat soft foods
Use prescribed antibiotics
Don’t remove the gauze until you are ready to replace it.

Massage Your Jaw.

During wisdom teeth extraction, your mouth is held wide open for a long time, resulting in a condition called temporary trismus or lockjaw that involves cramped or sore muscles and myofascial pain. The masseter, one of the muscles that help you chew, is prone to soreness after the surgery. Massaging this muscle will release the tension in your jaw, helping you to recover faster.

While it’s important not to agitate the extraction site, moving your jaw gently and regularly can be beneficial. Simply opening and closing your mouth can help to reduce stiffness and exercise the masseter muscle (just before the opening of your ear). Because the oral surgeon had your mouth open for an extended period, this muscle group may be sore or cramped – so gentle movement or massage can help the pain subside.

If you can’t move your jaw, don’t panic – it’s quite normal to experience stiffness or swelling following an extraction procedure. Holding ice packs against the swollen area intermittently (10 minutes on, 20 minutes off) can help this go down.

Reduce Inflammation.

Preventing inflammation is the key to controlling pain in the extraction site. Inflammation might increase after 48 hours, so make sure to take any prescribed anti-inflammatory medications to reduce it.

Stick to easy-to-eat food and drink.

Your molars are the teeth responsible for grinding and chewing your food. After your surgery, you’ll likely find that chewing is painful. In the days following your surgery, you should only eat liquid or soft foods, like yogurt and smoothies, and avoid using your molars. Not only will chewing hurt, but hard foods may also agitate the extraction site, encouraging bleeding and hindering recovery. You should gradually reintroduce solid foods as you recover.

Drinking hot beverages or anything through a straw may also dislodge the blood clot – so be careful, as this can lead to a dry socket. You may consider drinking coconut water; it can nourish and hydrate your body and soothe your gum inflammation. It also helps stabilize your blood sugar level and replenish electrolytes when you are unable to eat solid foods, contributing to faster recovery.

As you maintain your soft foods diet, you may be tempted to drink soups, smoothies, and other liquids through a straw, but doing so could potentially dislodge the blood clot, slowing recovery. Instead of reaching for a straw, use a spoon and drink directly from your cup.

Rinse with Salt Water.

Following wisdom tooth extraction, you may find yourself struggling with dry mouth. This dryness can increase the number of oral bacteria. A greater number of oral bacteria can increase the risk of infection at the extraction site. To avoid dry mouth, you should breathe through your nose as much as possible. After the first 48 hours, rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water a few times daily to keep your wound clean.

Some other tips that you can follow to recover post wisdom tooth extraction are:
Get photobiomodulation therapy to reduce pain, swelling, and trismus
Don’t let your mouth dry out
Get plenty of rest
Avoid overusing medications

At your one-week post-op check, we may dispense an irrigating syringe to use in the extraction sites to keep them clean of food debris until fully healed.

Keep Yourself Entertained (Distracted)

Immediately following surgery, you’ll likely be sleepy, but the last thing you want is too much time to dwell on your discomfort. It may sound silly but staying entertained and distracted from the pain after your procedure can help you feel better. Prepare enough entertainment to keep you comfortable for two to three days. Watch your favourite shows or movies, read good books, or get puzzles like Sudoku or crosswords. Keeping your mind busy while resting your body is a great way to feel better throughout the healing process.