Last week I got four of my wisdom teeth removed and boy was it not a fun first two days. Personally, I thought it was going to be way worse than it really was. Truth is, getting the IV put in was probably the worst part of it. If you are getting your wisdom teeth out soon or know someone who is, send them this list to make their life a little easier!
Ice, Ice, baby.
One of the things that saved my face from looking like a chipmunk was a cold compress! More than likely you will be given reusable icepacks that you will need to use on your cheeks. During my recovery, I made sure to apply them regularly not only to reduce the pain but to also keep down the swelling.
Sleep with your head elevated.
The first couple days after surgery you will not be able to sleep on your sides. If your bed cant incline, stack some pillows up so your head remains elevated and you aren't putting pressure on the wounds. This was hard for me because I aways either sleep on my side or on my stomach. Having pillows propped up really helped me stay in place and helped me get as comfortable as possible.
Take your medicine.
You will be prescribed some medicine(s) to help with the pain post-op. Make sure you take them as directed! If you take them as directed I guarantee you will not feel any pain. I can'y promise you won't have discomfort but at least you won't be in pain! This was one of my biggest worried but thankfully I didn't have to deal with sleepless nights due to pain.
Stick to liquids and soft foods.
The first two days you definitely want to stick to just liquids. It will get old but you don't want to risk getting any foods to mess with the stitches and you also don't want to hurt yourself. Treat yourself to your favorite milkshakes but just remember, no straws! Negative pressure is a big no-no after a procedure like this. As you begin to feel better you;'ll be able to know what foods you're able to eat without trouble.
Enjoy being babied for a bit.
Recovery from wisdom teeth extraction thankfully doesn't really take more than a week before you're feeling like it never happened (assuming you took all precautions that were mentioned to you by your Dr.). Enjoy the fact that you're going to be babied for the next several days. Yes, getting 4 teeth pulled/drilled out of your mouth is a sucky situation but when your mom makes you your favorite soups it doesn't feel so bad.
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