If you had your wisdom teeth removed, then and are wondering how long you need to wait before eating something then you came to the right place. Having an ingrown wisdom tooth may have prevented you from properly biting anything for a long time, so you might be tempted to chomp down on something right after you are done with the removal process. But before you do that, let’s dive into all the precautions you need to take after you’ve got your wisdom teeth removed.
What is a Wisdom Tooth?
A wisdom tooth is called a wisdom tooth because you usually have that tooth when you are supposed to be wiser and older than the rest of your teeth, not because having the wisdom tooth somehow makes you smarter.
You might already know that when we are born we only have 28 teeth in our mouths. But as adults, we end up with 32 teeth in our mouth in total. Have you ever wondered where these extra four teeth come from?
These four are the extra teeth that we develop over our years on this earth which are otherwise known as wisdom teeth. These are the teeth that help us finely grind down all the food we consume.
Why is The Removal of Wisdom Teeth Done?
Wisdom teeth are the part of almost every adult’s mouth. Not all people have all four wisdom teeth; some might have wisdom teeth that are missing or ingrown.
Normally, having wisdom teeth is no reason to be worried. But in some cases, the wisdom teeth create real problems in one’s mouth.
In some cases, the wisdom teeth may be out of line. In this case, they should be fixed. There also might be situations where the wisdom teeth are just causing pain to your mouth and damage to other teeth because they are pushing your other good teeth around.
The out-of-line cases of wisdom teeth can be detected when you get an X-ray of your mouth. Otherwise, if you have any pain in your mouth or any problem while biting due to the teeth at the ends of your jaw, it might be an indication that you need to get your wisdom teeth removed.
Does it Hurt to Get Wisdom Teeth Removed?
If you’ve never got a wisdom tooth removed before, it might seem scary for you to go through the process for the first time. But the pain that may be caused during the process depends on a variety of reasons.
The main thing comes down to the condition your wisdom teeth are in. In some cases, the tooth removal process might be easy and completely pain-free. But in some other cases, you might run into some complications.
Depending upon how ingrown the teeth are, there might be a need for a small cut on the gum or the removal of bone that might be blocking the way to get the removal process done safely. Dentists also tend to go through the removal process by cutting the tooth into small manageable pieces.
But no matter whatever the process is, you won’t have to feel a lot of pain during the removal process as it is done only after you are provided with anesthesia. That numbs your whole gum and you should not feel any pain throughout the process. You may feel some pressure as the removal process is going on, but that whole experience should at most be a little uncomfortable, not painful.
But if you do feel any pain during the process, tell your dentist immediately. It may be caused due to the anesthesia not being properly administered.
How long After Wisdom Teeth Removal can I eat?
It is not a great idea to chew on anything hard right after the removal process is done. You may require keeping a piece of gauge sponge for about an hour after the removal process is done. Chewing anything during this period should be out of the question.
After an hour, if you are hungry you can eat food that does not require a lot of chewing. It would be in your best interest to eat food that is way too hot or way too cold. Use a straw to drink. Try to avoid the food touching the area from where the tooth was removed.
To be safe you should keep up the process of eating like this for about 24 hours after the removal. This will help the healing process accelerate. After 24 hours try not to strain the area from where the tooth was removed too much until it is properly healed.
When Can You Eat Solid Food?
Eating solid food might be the hardest part about the whole wisdom teeth removal process for you. As solid food require a lot of chewing, it might be too hard for you to eat until the removal wound is properly healed.
Normally the removal process takes about 7 days, but it greatly depends upon person to person. Usually, after about three days, you will be able to eat soft foods like oatmeal or scrambled eggs. You’ll have to wait for 7 days before chewing your favorite crunchy food.
If you do experience pain while chewing something even after 7 days of the removal process, then it is a sign that you need to give your wound more time to heal. Go back to eating food that does not require a lot of effort to chew. If you can go on a liquid diet that is even better, as that gives your wound the best chance to heal.
Conclusion
As long as you take all the medication and necessary precautions suggested by your dentist, wisdom teeth removal is a fairly easy process to go through. You may have to suffer from discomfort and some pain for a week or so, but then the discomfort you felt before the removal process will completely disappear. So, it is in your best interest to schedule a dentist appointment for the wisdom teeth removal process.