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Wisdom teeth removal is a fact of life for most young adults. Today, I am going to share with you the real deal on wisdom teeth removal, plus a few tips!
First things first, I am not a trained medical professional. Our story and tips are not be be construed as medical advice or serve as an example of exactly what will happen to you or your child. Ok, onto our story! 🙂

If you or your child are on the cusp of wisdom teeth extraction – this article is for YOU! If your children are teesny, you can skip this article and read something more interesting, like our trip to China. WARNING: This post is a little nitty gritty….it’s called our real life. 

Wisdom Teeth Removal:
Our Story

When my daughter was told she needed to have her wisdom teeth removed, I scoured the web for stories of real life experiences. How long would recovery really be? How do we prevent dry sockets? Would she be down for the count a few days? A week? Do they really eat jello for 5 days straight? How about smoothies?!?

These things….they were on my mind.

The result of my research yielded a little clinical advice, but no real life “this is what happened to us” stories.

So, I turned to our dentist and a dear friend for guidance.

Our dentist and his outstanding team provided step by step instructions and spot on clinical advice. My sweet friend Katelyn has two daughters who had their wisdom teeth removed a few years ago, and she provided great insight. So, between Katelyn and our dentist, my daughter (and her worried mama!) felt ready for the procedure.

Tip: Your first stop for advice regarding wisdom teeth removal should ALWAYS be your dentist and/or a member of his or her team!

During my daughter’s recovery, I began jotting down notes about her progress, etc. I wanted others to benefit from our brief (but intense) journey and the “real time” timeline for recovery. 

The most popular times for wisdom teeth removal for college students are Christmas break and summer vacation.

My daughter opted for a summer extraction as she did not want to miss seeing friends over Christmas break. Most of her friends had their wisdom teeth removed during Christmas break, but a summer date allowed us to plan for a longer recovery period, if needed. Turns out, she could have done this over a Thanksgiving break – she recovered quickly and easily. That said, I tell my friends to plan for 7-10 days…just in case.

A friend of mine’s daughter took a full 12 days due to dry sockets and an infection, so it varies from person to person.

Wisdom Teeth Removal – Let’s Do This!

Before extraction day, our dentist gave us handouts and a prescription for a Valium tablet for her to take before we left home the day of the procedure. The tablet would relax her prior to arriving at their office. TIP: Your son or daughter will need a reliable parent, friend or relative to provide transportation to and from the dentist’s office. I read the instructions, and so did she. We were both on the same page as to how to maximize a full recovery by following our dentist’s recommendations.

Katelyn provided me with GREAT tips and advice, too. Mainly, buy a Face Caddy at least a week before extraction day so you have it on hand. How right she was! Her youngest daughter, Savannah, had her wisdom teeth removed on a Tuesday and was at Disney’s Animal Kingdom the following Sunday. BOOM. (Granted, Savannah did not ride any rides and was only there for a few short hours…but still….she did it!) Katelyn’s family uses the same dentist we do (we all met at church many years ago). Cee Cee was ready to set the date. 

Wisdom Teeth Removal: Our Timeline

July 6 was the big day.

6:30 a.m   She took half of a Valium tablet prescribed by her dentist with a glass of water. She did not take the full dose.

6:50 a.m.  Boy, that Valium kicked in quickly! She was giggly and loopy!

6:59 a.m.   I talked her into one bite of a banana before we jumped in the car.

7:30 a.m.  We arrived at the dentist office. Our dentist is nothing short of AMAZING. The dentists in the practice are some of the best in Orlando – and the staff is personable & knowledgeable.

Here’s a picture of my husband, Copa, in the waiting room. He stayed until the extraction was finished, then headed to work. He’s super camera shy, so this pic was as good as it got that morning!

The wisdom teeth removal was surprisingly fast. In no time, our dentist called me back to see her and to go over additional instructions for her care. My daughter had all four wisdom teeth , which were impacted, removed at once. Two of the four were impacted, two were above surface. He explained how they had to crack the teeth for a smooth extraction: Bonus night for the tooth fairy! 🙂 Yep, I know. This is a little nitty gritty!

8:43 a.m.   My daughter and I were in the car and heading home. One of the front desk associates actually walked out and started my car for me so she could go straight into air conditioning. SO NICE! This allowed me to  support her as she walked out, even though she said she could walk on her own. 🙂

9:00 a.m.  We were  home! She still had gauze in her mouth – we took it out briefly for her ibuprofen dose and she had some water. The Face Caddy was immediately in play, too! NOTE: The Face Caddy came with 2 reusable hot/cold gel packs. I recommend purchasing a second set of Hot & Cold Therapy Packs  so you always have two cold & ready to go when needed. Otherwise, your “patient” will have to wait an hour or so for them to reset in the freezer prior to use. 

10:00 a.m.    She had her first dose of prescription medication and went straight to sleep. Her pillows were propped up to help avoid dry sockets. The slight elevation didn’t both her.

12:43  p.m.   She’s up and HUNGRY. Ok, cue the milkshakes, jello & applesauce! She was fully awake!

3:30 p.m.     She’s still awake, and has another milkshake. The Novocaine is wearing off: she has feeling back in her cheeks, lips and gums.

6:42 p.m.     Asleep!

8:11  p.m.     She’s wide awake again and eats applesauce. We binge watch Netflix shows and rest.

Midnight-7:30 a.m.  She sleeps soundly in a semi-reclined position. Upon waking, she’s very hungry and opts for vanilla pudding.

Day 2 lends to lots of Netflix!:) By 6:45 p.m. she showered (including washing her hair) and used the salt water mouth rinse. She wanted to be up during the day and about and claimed to feel just fine; it was hard to keep her on the couch watching tv. However, I was terrified that overdoing it early on could lead to dry sockets, so on the couch she remained! (From what we heard, days 1-5 are the most critical for recovery to avoid dry sockets.) Her appetite fully returns on day 2, and she integrates soft pasta and rolls into the jello and pudding schedule.

On Day 3 she was in a little more pain, and we’d heard the third day can be the roughest. Even though she wasn’t miserable (she has a high tolerance for pain) she kept on track with her ibuprofen / pain medication rotation. That said, she slept a full night on day 3 and woke up refreshed and feeling much better. Her last prescription pain medication was at 10 p.m. on day 3; she did not need prescription medication after this day.

Days 4 and 5 were much better. She was up and about, but rested a lot on the couch and stayed indoors. By noon on day 4, she was eating my classic macaroni and cheese! Once we cleared day 5, we were out of the woods for the dry socket scare! Whoo hoo! She only needed periodic ibuprofen on these days. Her pain was minimal.

Cee Cee stayed at home a full seven days, just to be on the safe side. Each day she ate more and felt better and better. I’d read somewhere that it takes several months for soft gum tissue to fully heal, so she took advantage of the down time to rest and recover. Three weeks later, she was back on her college campus for sorority recruitment and party rounds!

I can’t tell you enough what life safer the Face Caddy was those first two days. It stayed in position even when she got up without feeling too tight or uncomfortable. It was soooo worth it for her!

More tips: Make your jello the day before the extraction! It will need time to set. And, stock your fridge with milk and ice cream for milkshakes. 🙂 she was on semi-solid foods much earlier than expected, but summertime in Orlando means lots of cold ice cream, so the overflow was welcomed!

If you have questions or what to tell me about your son or daughter’s experience, leave me a message!

This post is not medical advice, and should not be construed as such. Have a conversation with your dentist or oral surgeon for patient specific details and post surgery care. Our story is uniquely our own, and may not be indicative of your experience. OH – and visiting a major theme park after ANY surgical procedure is a decision for you and your medical professional to make   – we are not recommending or endorsing this as part of your recovery! 🙂 

Thanks for stopping by Totally Tailgates….the home of Southern Sideline Hospitality. Join me for the best game day foods, fashions and stops along the way! Want to know all about sorority recruitment? I have a series on rush tips for PNMs and their mamas – it’s never too early to plan for rush!

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