Tips for Managing Oral Hygiene After Wisdom Tooth Extractions

When you have a severe tooth infection, you do not have to think twice when a dentist recommends tooth removal. However, this does not always happen. Sometimes they need to remove a tooth that has nothing to do with an underlying infection.

What Do Tooth Extractions Entail?

In dentistry, tooth extractions involve pulling out a natural tooth from its roots. Even though dentistry is focused on preserving oral health by protecting natural teeth, sometimes it is necessary to remove a tooth. In many cases, patients who have their teeth removed typically suffer from severe dental decay. Others have their teeth removed because of traumatic injuries or advanced gum infections.

However, there are situations where a dentist near you would have to remove a perfectly healthy tooth for other dental reasons. Such is a common practice when it comes to wisdom tooth removal.

Understanding the Reason Behind Wisdom Teeth Extraction

It is the art of permanently removing wisdom teeth. wisdom tooth extractions are only done on a need basis. Wisdom teeth at the last set of molars to grow in a human body. They usually come up after a certain period, typically between the ages of 16 and 25 years. Ideally, wisdom teeth should grow without any complications as is the case with all other types of teeth. However, it is not always the case that wisdom teeth grow without any problems. For several patients, these last types of molars are always problematic.

For a dentist to recommend removing your wisdom teeth, it is usually because they are impacted. This means that the teeth have not erupted from the gum correctly. Ideally, part of the tooth is still stuck underneath the gum tissue. In other occurrences, wisdom teeth can prove problematic when they grow in the incorrect direction. This implies that the wisdom teeth put unnecessary pressure on the adjacent teeth, which presents orthodontic problems. As such, wisdom tooth extractions are common during orthodontic procedures.

Caring for Your Mouth After Wisdom Tooth Extraction

The process of removing an adult tooth can cause significant soreness and inflammation. This happens because the dental procedure is rather invasive. Therefore, how you care for your mouth after your treatment is important for your healing and recovery. Your dentist in Union, NJ, 07083 will prepare you enough for this part of the treatment before you leave his/her office. Some of the important tips you must observe immediately after your procedure, to care for your wound include the following:

• Keep a gauze on the extraction site – a gauze helps stop the bleeding by allowing a blood clot to form. This is a crucial tip to follow immediately after your treatment.
• Cold compress – to help with the swelling and the soreness in your wound.
• Keep your tongue away from the extraction site – resist the need to dislodge the blood clot forming on the wound.
• Eat soft foods – they are less likely to disrupt the healing of your wound. Hard foods will keep dislodging the blood clot and might make everything worse, even forcing you to visit an emergency dentist near you.

Managing Oral Hygiene After Wisdom Tooth Extraction

After a few days, your mouth should start to heal and you should begin to feel better. However, you cannot neglect your oral hygiene until you are fully healed. Instead, here are tips to help you navigate proper oral hygiene after an extraction procedure:

• Use mouthwash – you do not want harmful bacteria to stay in your mouth. It can cause an infection, especially at the extraction site. Therefore, rinse your mouth with mouthwash to kill any bacteria present in your mouth.
• Only rinse your mouth during the first 24 hours. Be careful when swishing water in your mouth so you do not dislodge the clot.
• Change your toothbrush – get one with soft bristles, that will not be too abrasive to hurt your now tender gums. You should be okay to resume brushing your teeth after 24 hours of your extraction procedure.
• Don’t skip flossing – wisdom teeth are the furthest teeth in your mouth. Extraction of these teeth, therefore, is not a reason for you to skip flossing. The rest of your teeth still need proper hygiene.