How to Prepare for Wisdom Teeth Removal

Every year, right around 5 million Americans have wisdom teeth removal done. Even though getting your wisdom teeth pulled isn’t exactly a day at the beach, it’s a necessary dental procedure for so many people.

If your dentist recently told you that you’ll need to have at least one of your wisdom teeth removed, you might be wondering what to expect. Worse, you might be panicking a little bit over the thought of having your wisdom teeth pulled.

You should aim to prepare for the wisdom teeth removal process so that you don’t get too stressed out about it. By getting ready for it in advance, you can help to put your troubled mind at ease.

Here is how to make the proper preparations for wisdom teeth removal.

Make Sure You Need to Have Wisdom Teeth Removed

Not everyone is going to need to have wisdom teeth removal done. There are some people who are able to go through their entire lives without experiencing any wisdom teeth issues.

With this in mind, it would be worth making sure that you need to have wisdom teeth removed before doing anything else. You should speak with your dentist about it and consider getting a second opinion, too.

By doing this, you’ll be able to make a smart decision when it comes to wisdom teeth removal.

Look For the Right Oral Surgeon to Perform Wisdom Teeth Removal

If you decide that you do, in fact, need to have your wisdom teeth pulled, the next thing you should do is search for the right oral surgeon to take them out. Most regular dentists won’t pull wisdom teeth for people.

Google “oral surgeon in my area” and you should be able to find at least a few good options in your area. It’ll put you in a much better position to find an oral surgeon that you truly trust to tend to your wisdom teeth.

Avoid Eating or Drinking Prior to Wisdom Teeth Removal

Prior to having your wisdom teeth pulled, you should steer clear of eating or drinking anything for at least eight hours. You might experience complications during wisdom teeth removal if you have anything to eat or drink beforehand.

You should be able to take any medications that you need before wisdom teeth removal with a small sip of water. But you should check with your oral surgeon to make sure this will be OK.

Arrange for Someone to Drive You to Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

There are some people who have wisdom teeth removal done without taking anything that is too strong. They won’t get “put under” when they’re having their wisdom teeth pulled.

If you’re going to try and go in this direction, you might be able to drive yourself to and from wisdom teeth removal. But if you plan on getting “put under” for wisdom teeth removal, you’ll need to have someone drive you.

You’re going to feel a little bit loopy after you have your wisdom teeth pulled. Your driver will be able to take good care of you so that you make it home safely.

Obtain the Necessary Medications for the Wisdom Teeth Removal Aftermath

After you’ve had your wisdom teeth pulled, you might think that you’ll be in the clear. But in reality, the pain that will set in following wisdom teeth removal might be even worse than the removal itself.

Because of this, your oral surgeon is likely going to prescribe you medications that will help you to manage the pain. You should pick these up right after your wisdom teeth removal is finished and have them on hand at all times.

Follow the instructions that come along with your prescribed medications. It’ll help you eliminate a lot of the pain that you would usually feel after having your wisdom teeth taken out.

Eat the Right Food Following Wisdom Teeth Removal

You might be tempted to go right back to eating and drinking like usual once your wisdom teeth removal is over and done with. But eating or drinking the wrong things could lead to you experiencing some pain.

For this reason, you’ll want to be careful about what you eat and drink during wisdom teeth removal recovery. Some of your best options will be:

• Soup
• Apple sauce
• Ice cream
• Oatmeal
• Smoothies

Your oral surgeon should provide you with a long list of food and drink options. Go with them so that you don’t have any problems with your wisdom teeth following your oral surgery.

Figure Out How to Pay for Wisdom Teeth Removal

Having four wisdom teeth removed at once can cost a lot of money. It’s not uncommon at all for some people to pay more than $3,000 to have this done, if not more.

You might be able to bring the cost of wisdom teeth removal down if you happen to have dental insurance. You might also be able to lower your wisdom teeth removal cost by shopping around for oral surgeons that will charge good prices.

Get Yourself Ready Before Having Wisdom Teeth Removed

Having wisdom teeth removal done isn’t something that you’ll want to do on a whim. You should put some serious thought into how you’re going to prepare for it.

Utilize the tips found here to make your wisdom teeth removal a complete success. They should prevent you from experiencing too much pain while removing your wisdom teeth and make it easier for you to heal than it would be otherwise.

Get your hands on more useful health-related tips by reading through more of our blog articles.