How do you feel after wisdom teeth removal?

Table of content

1. An overview of sound dental health without pain

Wisdom teeth “Those who have no teeth, have no pain.“ Hence the problem of dental pains and remedial measures does not arise to them. Because, for experiencing pain, whether in the wisdom teeth or other teeth, having attained teeth in the natural process is a must. For instance, a newborn baby has no teeth and hence has no pain to suffer. Most babies get their 1st tooth during the age (4--7 months). The 1st teeth that poke through the gums are central incisors, which are located on the bottom front. During the age (6--7 years) most kids lose all the teeth attained during babyhood which is replaced by a full set of permanent adult teeth. The process of replacement continues until the early teens. The adults, in general, have more teeth than the kids.

Most of the adults have 32 teeth in all

• Incisors = 8
• Canines = 4
• Pre-molar = 8
• And molar = 12
• Including wisdom teeth = 4

Incisors are primary and permanent teeth in the front upper jaw and are usually the most visible of all teeth in the mouth. Incisors are used to mainly grasp the food before eating. Canines are relatively long pointed teeth and are used to bite off relatively hard foods and fruits. Pre-molars are transitional teeth located between the canines and the molar teeth. Molar teeth are large and flat-lying at the back of the mouth. They are mainly used for grinding and chewing before swallowing food. Wisdom teeth are also molars lying at the farthest and the final position of the molar set). Sound dental health with a complete set of teeth having no pain, must also be based on a strong footing of healthy components of which the teeth are made.

Human teeth are made of 4 different components:

• Pulp: it is the innermost portion of the teeth and consists of connective tissues, nerves, and blood vessels that nourish the teeth.
• Dentin: it is a calcified tissue of the tooth. Fortunately, a broken or decaying tooth can heal itself and as such, automatic healing applies also in the case of dentin, provided healthy food is taken.
• Enamel: it is the cover for the outer layer of the tooth and is the most visible part. Enamel is made up mostly of minerals, primarily hydroxyapatite.
• Cementum: it maintains the integrity of the roof and its position in the gum and bone. It is also deeply involved in the repair and regeneration of teeth.

Various studies reveal the fact that nearly 85% of adults have had their wisdom teeth removed to protect their oral health against the impaction of the wisdom tooth. In this connection, it may be asserted that to relieve dental pain in order to feel better, it is not always possible to go to the dentist immediately. Because most of the sufferers may remain busy with home and job responsibilities or with preparing lessons for the class (in the case of the students). Moreover, a well-reputed dental expert has to be contacted in advance for getting a serial. Additionally, for the patients living in remote and rural areas, often it may not be possible to travel and go to the city and contact the dentist immediately for treatment.

Under such circumstances, Prevention is better than cure. And it is wise to have a dental check-up twice a year, even though apparently no dental problem is felt. In the case of most of the patients, pain and discomfort are felt when the dental problems go extreme, especially with regard to wisdom teeth getting deeply impacted. So regular dental check-up, in addition to meticulously following healthy rules pertaining to brushing and cleaning the teeth, is essential. Over and above, sugary and unhealthy foods and drinks including expensive bad habits, such as alcohol and smoking should be totally avoided in order to attain sound, painless, odorless dental health and as such feel better and happy throughout life.

2. How do you feel after wisdom teeth removal?

You may feel pain for the first 2 days. Generally, it can take up to 6 hours for the pain to subside after the wisdom tooth removal process. When you wake up from surgery you will slowly regain the feeling in your face.

Pain’ is more psychological than a physical phenomenon. Evidence is there that a person, falling a victim to a non-venomous snake bite, in fact, dies absolutely out of fear. Hence fear is more dangerous than biting. How far an infection in the wisdom tooth will be painful depends to a large extent on age, pain tolerance, and courage to face any eventuality. When an impacted wisdom tooth comes in the flap of gums on the top of it, the gum can become infected, red, tender, and swollen. (Swollen gums occur when people do not practice proper dental hygiene pertaining to cleaning, brushing, rubbing, and washing teeth several times a day, especially after taking foods, more importantly, sugary foods and drinks. Lack of adequate dental care pertaining to cleaning teeth leads the bacteria to develop in the mouth, particularly in the impacted tooth and its surroundings.

The bacteria cause the gum to be inflamed and bleeding with a bad odor). The swollen gum can make one feel pain even in the neighboring teeth or neighboring part of the face. Additionally, an impacted wisdom tooth can push into the neighboring molar also. Initially, on account of the impaction in the wisdom tooth, pains and discomforts are felt while opening the mouth to eat, drink or talk. The impacted wisdom tooth may cause pain and inflammation in the cheek along the sidelines where the tooth has erupted. Over and above, it can give rise to excruciating pain in the jaw and the mouth and also an ulcer that adds fuel to the flame multiplying the pains and sufferings. Additionally, pus secretion from the gum with the feeling of irritation, nausea, rise in body temperature and weakness, further worsen and aggravate the dental afflictions. This is all about the pains and sufferings staying until the impacted teeth are removed.

In fact, the pains and sufferings with respect to the wisdom teeth are absolutely the outcomes of unnecessary negligence and tensions prevailing prior to the extraction of the impacted wisdom teeth, which, however, could have been avoided. Post-removal pain can easily be overcome by timely and proper dental treatment under a dental expert. It needs to be asserted that pain is not at all felt while removing the wisdom teeth. Because the area covered by the impacted wisdom teeth will be anesthetic and hence turned into numb with no feeling at all. Pain will be felt only after the anesthetic part becomes normal with the flow of blood. A dental surgeon can extract or remove the wisdom teeth within an hour. However, most of the time is spent preparing the patient eligible for dental surgery. Whatsoever, healing takes around 2 weeks if everything goes well. Doctors normally advise no work for 3—4 days after the wisdom tooth extraction.

3. Remedial measures

3.1) Home Remedies for Wisdom Teeth Pain (before extraction)

3.1.1) Warm salt water rinse:

This is a stop-gap arrangement or temporary relief from pain. On account of impacted wisdom teeth until one is able to visit a dentist for treatment. It needs to pour 8 ounces of warm water as well as 2 tablespoons of salt into a glass and stir properly until the salt in the water is completely dissolved. One then needs to rinse with water for several minutes as long as one can stand the warm salty taste. After a rinse, one needs to spit it out. The process needs to be repeated every few hours. Thus at least a temporary relief will be provided.

3.1.2) Applying ice:

If the wisdom tooth pain is the result of swelling, applying an ice pack will be able to relieve pain. The ice may be put in a plastic baggie and wrapped with a towel and then it should be applied to the swollen area. It will both pacify pain as well as reduce inflammation.

3.1.3) Use of clove:

Surprisingly enough, pain is numbed and infection is prevented because of antibacterial and antiseptic qualities. One needs to take some clove oil and put it on the cotton ball. Then one needs to hold the cotton ball (soaked in clove oil) which needs to be applied directly on the affected tooth as well as the surrounding gum until the pain subsides. For some people, the flavor may be too strong. In such a case it is better to mix it with olive oil and apply it several times a day.

3.1.4) Use of onion:

Throughout the period of early stages of human civilization, onion was greatly used in relieving pain and inflammation. Onion is effective because it contains chemicals that fight the germs responsible for the infection. For relieving pain one needs to chew onion. In this connection, it needs to be mentioned that, more an onion is pungent, the stronger and more effective it is to mitigate pain. Red or yellow onion is better for relieving pain. While chewing onion juice, it is better to keep it close to the impacted wisdom tooth. If the pain is too intense to chew onion, then a better option is to hold the onion directly against the impacted wisdom tooth and press on it with a finger.

3.1.5) Use of cucumber slices:

One needs to cut the cucumber into pieces and place the pieces into the refrigerator. When the impacted wisdom tooth starts aching, then it needs to tale a piece of frozen cucumber to be placed on the infected part of the mouth. The coolness from the cucumber piece will soothe the ache and mitigate the pain.

3.1.6) Use of tea bags:

If wisdom teeth pain results from swollen gums around the infected area, then teabags are an excellent remedy. One needs to brew a cup of tea which should be put in the refrigerator leaving the tea bag inside the cup. When the tea bag gets cold then one can put the bag inside the mouth on the affected area directly against the aching gum. This will instantly reduce the swelling as well as mitigate the pain.

3.2.7) Use of peppermint:

It is very rich in anesthetic elements that will greatly reduce pain as well as remove bacteria causing infection. Peppermint has a natural fragrance. While applying peppermint on the affected part there are 2 options: One option is to take fresh leaves and pack them to apply on the affected area at least for 20 minutes when the pain will subside. Another option is to take a few drops of peppermint extract and drop them on a cotton swab and apply them on the impacted tooth for a few minutes when the pain will subside.

3.1.8) Use of vanilla extract:

It is very rich in antioxidants (it is a substance that inhibits oxidation. For instance, vitamins—C and E can potentially damage oxidizing agents in a living organism) and helps in numbing the gums around the affected area. One needs to put a few vanilla extracts on the fingertip and rub them against the impacted tooth. Alternatively, one can also take a cotton ball and get it soaked in vanilla extract and rub it on the affected area leaving it in the mouth for a few minutes

3.1.9) Use of guava leaves:

The guava leaves contain anti-spasm (it is effectible in preventing or arresting spasm occurring in the smooth muscular functions) antibacterial (it has the power to destroy bacteria and suppress their growth or their ability to reproduce, Heat, chemicals, and antibiotic drugs—all have the antibacterial properties) and disinfecting properties. Guava leaves can be used by simply chewing slowly into the mouth. The released juice will then get into the teeth and calm the pain within a few minutes.

3.1.10) Baking soda paste:

Using baking soda paste can help both ease the swelling of the tooth gum as well as the pain. Additionally, home remedies can be applied also by taking some toothpaste and then mixing it with baking soda to be applied on the affected tooth. Within a few minutes, the pain will subside.

3.2) Home Remedies for Wisdom Teeth Pain (after extraction)

Extraction of the impacted wisdom teeth is the permanent remedy to feel better. Most wisdom teeth are extracted, either they do not fully erupt from the gums, or they do not erupt at all. A partially erupted dental tooth can lead to a bacterial infection inviting complications. If one or more of the wisdom teeth need to be taken out, the procedure can vary from a simple extraction to full surgery under anesthesia when no pain will be felt at all, until the anesthetic impact ceases to exist well after the completion of surgery. But if the impacted wisdom tooth is fully visible and completely erupted through the gum, a general dentist can quickly and easily remove it without surgery. Initially, a dentist would prescribe pain killer and antibiotics to mitigate the pain. Removal without sugary along with preparations takes only a few minutes, But surgery takes around an hour.

However, complete healing (after removal of the impacted wisdom tooth) along with the disappearance of pains as well as discomfort in eating and drinking would take around 2 weeks if everything goes well.

4. Remarks:

A face that cannot smile is never good—runs the old adage. For a pretty attractive smile, a set of properly aligned, healthy clean teeth is essential. Although, it is often argued that for an attractive and pleasing smile only 6 upper front teeth (with the left and the right sides having mirror images of each other) need to be visible up to the gum line. But still, the fact remains that the whole set of 32 teeth, including 4 wisdom teeth are indispensable for a man to stay alive well before displaying a pretty smile.

For example; wisdom teeth are mostly needed for a hungry man to grind hard food and fruits before swallowing. (Which is not possible to perform by rest of the teeth including the grand 6 for creating a smile). Veritably, the 6 beautiful upper front teeth will fail to gift a pleasing smile if the rest of the teeth including 4 wisdom teeth remain displeased, aching, impacted, and inactive. Survey result reveals the truth that in the underdeveloped and developing countries school-going children suffer from poor oral health.

To deal with the problem, a school-based “Oral Health Education Program” was launched in many countries (for example, the program was launched in Nigeria during 2011--2014).

Conclusively, each and everybody, irrespective of gender and age should stay healthy and live till death without losing and removing a single tooth. Because a single tooth extracted from the mouth will sadly lead to a ‘pearl of smiles’ lost from the face.