
Ibuprofen generally comes in 200mg tablets and may be taken in a 600mg dosage every 6 hours, or an 800mg dosage every 8 hours.įor more severe pain, take narcotic pain medications if prescribed by your surgeon and use them as directed. Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) may also be taken to help control not only pain, but also swelling and inflammation. If you experience mild to moderate pain, you may take 1-2 tablets of Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol every 6 hours. It is recommended to begin any prescribed pain medications prior to your numbing medicine wearing off. It is not uncommon to require 3-4 weeks of exercising before you begin to feel back to normal.
#AFTER WISDOM TEETH REMOVAL DO I SLEEP WITH GAUZE FULL#
Once the swelling begins to decline, you may begin daily mouth opening exercises to regain full mouth opening. This is a normal response to surgery and is nothing to worry about. At this point, moist heat (e.g., a warm compress) with gentle cheek massage 3-4 times per day will help the swelling to subside over the next week.Īlso, be aware that your jaw may become stiff following surgery, especially during the second and third days of your recovery.

Note that, after 36-48 hours, ice will no longer provide as much benefit. Place them against the outside of the face where surgery was performed, and keep them there continuously while you are awake. You can control swelling with the use of ice packs. Usually, swelling does not become evident until the day after surgery and will reach its peak on day two or three. This is the body’s normal response to surgery. Swellingįollowing wisdom teeth removal, you can expect some swelling around the mouth, cheeks, and even underneath the eyes. Finally, you can minimize bleeding by resting, head elevation, and avoiding physical exercise or excitement. Additionally, you may try biting down on a moist tea bag for half an hour. These steps may need to be repeated multiple times. Next, place a folded gauze pad over the wound area, and bite down on it with firm pressure for at least half an hour, or until the gauze becomes fully saturated. If you experience excessive bleeding, you may be able to control it by first rinsing away any old blood clots in your mouth. Some slight bleeding, or red saliva, is nothing to worry about and may continue off and on for 12-24 hours.

After 48-72 hours, it is recommended to switch to heat therapy on the cheeks with a gentle massage 3-4 times per day to facilitate the reduction of any swelling and soreness that you experienced.įollowing surgery, a little bit of bleeding is normal and can be anticipated. These are important ways to minimize swelling.

When possible, it is also beneficial to keep your head elevated during this time.

Keep this gauze pad in place for half an hour after surgery, or until it becomes fully saturated, whichever happens first. There will be a gauze pad placed over the incision sites intraorally.Following these aftercare instructions can significantly minimize your risk of ongoing discomfort or infection. With that said, it is a surgery and requires care during the recovery process. Wisdom teeth removal is very common and safe.
