What you should know about wisdom teeth

The name of wisdom teeth comes from wisdom and judgment, because these molars appear until we are 17-18 years old and that is when we say that we have more "judgment", they are two lower and two higher; one on each side of the mouth.

Not all people should remove their wisdom teeth, that is a myth, according to Luciana Asprino, professor in the area of ​​oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Piracicaba School of Dentistry at the State University of Campinas, comments that there are a minority of patients in which the tooth manages to come out and occlusion occurs, which is when the teeth of the upper arch touch the lower ones when biting, in those cases, surgery is not necessary. If recommended in the case of orthodontic treatment, prevent the teeth from moving again when they come out.

What about pain and swelling? The more experience your dental surgeon has with wisdom tooth extraction, the less traumatic the surgery will be. Next, Dr. Aliza at Life and Health recommends us about the recovery process:

Bleeding: it can be abundant during the first hours. It is recommended that you put a clean, damp gauze into the cavity and bite down firmly. Apply constant pressure for at least 45 minutes. A good alternative is to use a wet tea bag. The tannic acid in the tea helps in the formation of clots to heal the wound. Do not drink anything with a straw, avoid hot drinks, and if bleeding continues profusely and does not stop, call your surgeon immediately.

Inflammation (swelling): To decrease the swelling, apply a piece of ice wrapped in a cloth on the swollen part for a period of 10 minutes. Remove it for 20 minutes and repeat (several times).

Pain medications: Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) can help relieve pain. Your dentist or surgeon will prescribe antibiotics before removing your wisdom teeth to treat or prevent infection. You should continue taking them until you are told otherwise.

You should limit your diet to liquids only until the anesthesia has worn off.

Brush your teeth, but avoid touching those that are very close to the teeth that were extracted. Don't use mouthwashes because they can irritate you. Instead, use warm water and salt rinse 24 hours after surgery.

Before the surgery you should prepare, schedule your appointment for a weekend so you can rest, or on a Monday holiday, make sure you have soft foods ready to eat at home, such as applesauce, jelly or soups. Ask a friend or family member to drive you to surgery because you will feel dizzy as you leave.

When sleeping, avoid lying at 90 degrees, sleep with two pillows under your head to avoid swelling. Take care in this process to avoid complications and obtain a speedy recovery.