Tips On Pain Control After Wisdom Tooth Surgery
A large number of people have to have wisdom teeth extraction performed. Our wisdom teeth are the last teeth that we "cut", and we do not generally get these teeth until we are adults. A lot of people have trouble with these teeth, wither they come in crooked, or they come in and compromise the person's mouth in other ways. A dentist will often perform wisdom tooth surgery to prevent the mouth of the person from being overcrowded with teeth, but whatever the reason for the wisdom teeth extraction, the one thing that everyone has in common is a fear of the pain they will have to endure after the wisdom teeth extraction procedure is performed.
One way that you can help alleviate some of the pain, and a lot of the bleeding, after a wisdom tooth surgery is to make certain that you do not take aspirin, or NDSAIDS twenty-four hours prior to the procedure. These over the counter pain medications can increase the amount of bleeding you do during, and after the procedure. After the teeth have been extracted a lot of the pain that people experience is caused by swelling. When the tissue swells it causes throbbing pain to ensue. You can make cold compresses, or ice packs and apply them to the outside of your jaw to help reduce swelling and pain.
You should not smoke cigarettes after the procedure. Smoking will cause you to apply pressure to the damaged tissue when you draw on the cigarette. This action can dislodge blood clots that have formed and are protecting nerves from being exposed. Refrain from smoking for at least one day after the procedure. You will be tempted to drink using a straw after the procedure because your mouth will still be numb at first, and you will more than likely spill some of your drink. The action of sucking on a straw is just like the one you do when pulling on a cigarette, and this can cause you to dislodge those protective blood clots.
Try not to get too warm after wisdom tooth surgery. When you get really hot you will increase the blood flow to the area, and you will also increase the pain. Stay indoors, and stay cool for twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the procedure. Do not engage in strenuous activities immediately following the procedure. You want to rest for at least twenty-four hours to control the pain and the bleeding from the surgery. Take the medications that the dentist prescribed to you. The dentist will give you enough pain medication to get you through the few days immediate following the procedure. Take these medications as prescribed for best results.
You can take acetaminophen after the procedure, if the dentist approves, and as long as you do not mix this pain medication with the prescription medication they have written for you. Talk as little as possible for the first twenty four hours following the surgery. You also want to eat foods that require very little chewing for at least twenty four hours.
Resources: http://www.xpressdentalclinic.com http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-On-Pain-ControlAfter-Wisdom-Tooth-Surgery&id=8362698