Wisdom Teeth Recovery Time

Everyone dreads getting a tooth extraction done. More so, if it is the wisdom teeth that needs to be removed. However, besides the dental treatment and the cost, what the affected people often tend to worry about is the wisdom teeth recovery time.

There are so many thoughts swirling in their mind, like how long will it take and will it affect what they eat. Here are the factors that affect the recovery after wisdom teeth extraction along with details on what is the recovery time.

The overall health of the person has a huge role to play in the recovery time. This is because the presence of a systemic disease, especially if it is in the blood, can lead to delayed wound healing. Also, if he/she has diabetes mellitus or deficiency of vitamin C, then this could also further delay the wound healing.

It would also depend on the type of extraction that was done. If it is a case of partially exposed wisdom teeth, that is, where a part of the tooth is visible and only a fraction of the crown is embedded in the bone, then with minimal bone drilling, it is possible to remove the tooth.

However, if it is a case of impacted wisdom teeth, then there may be a need for a minor surgical procedure, where the bone is drilled and the tooth is extracted. In this case, due to the resultant larger wound and larger incision, the recovery time will be longer.

The extent of tooth decay will also dictate the recovery time. If the tooth was very badly carious, due to which it was grossly destructed, then it may be more difficult to extract the tooth. The dentist may end up breaking the tooth in pieces and then extracting it. In such cases, the extraction would be more traumatic due to which the socket may take longer to heal.

If a person does not take proper care, then there is a possibility that he/she may land up with an infection which could contaminate the healing socket, like a dry socket. This would further delay the wisdom teeth removal recovery time.

The fact is that taking into consideration all the above given factors, one must have realized that it is not possible to give a fixed recovery time. However, on an average, it takes around six weeks for a wisdom tooth extraction socket to heal completely, that is, for the entire socket wound to close completely, it may take up to six weeks.

So, if one is planning to get a prosthesis fitted in this region, it is best to wait for at least two months, so as to prevent any complications.

Furthermore, if a person has multiple wisdom teeth extracted in one sitting, then it is possible that it may take longer for the extraction socket to heal. When a person gets a wisdom tooth removed on one side, he/she is advised to use the other side of his mouth to chew.

This is because chewing from the other side prevents continuous force on the socket and does not impede its healing. But, if a person has wisdom teeth of both sides extracted, it would take longer for the wounds to heal because no matter which side he/she chews from, there will be slight trauma to the wound and so, it would take longer to completely heal.

Ideally, if a person religiously follows all the instructions given to him/her by the dentist, as a part of the aftercare regime, then he/she need not worry about the recovery time.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.