Whether it involves removing a decayed tooth to prepare for an implant or clearing out your wisdom teeth, you will need to avoid sleeping on your side while recovering. These steps are also essential for cases where the extraction is on the top part of the mouth.
Depending on your recovery time, you will need to sleep on your back for around three to seven days. It is not recommended to sleep on your side or your stomach because it can squish your cheeks, adding extra pressure to the area. It will also direct more blood to the area via gravity.
By sleeping with your head elevated, you can help to minimize the risk of developing a dry socket and promote faster healing after your wisdom tooth extraction.
Why does tooth extraction pain hurt more at night? It's normal to feel more dental pain of any kind at night. When we lie down, more blood and other fluids travel to our heads. This can increase swelling in a sensitive, healing area like an extraction socket, creating more pain.
If you feel comfortable enough after the first day, then you can choose to lay on your side, but continue to keep your body elevated, with your neck still above heart level.
Following oral surgery, we recommend that you sleep with your head and shoulders propped up above your heart level. Add an extra pillow or two to your bed or to the place where you will be resting. If you have a recliner, this is also an excellent way to keep your head elevated.
It is recommended to sleep with an elevated head for at least the first 72 hours after surgery, especially since swelling is predicted to peak after 48 hours.
Always sleep with your head elevated for the first few nights after the wisdom tooth extraction surgery. If you struggle to put yourself in that position, get support from a few pillows. Keeping your head elevated at a 45-deg angle while sleeping ensures faster recovery. It also minimizes swelling in the surgical area.
Normal healing pain typically becomes noticeable after the oral anesthetic wears off. It tends to worsen over the next several hours. After peaking sometime within the first 24 hours, you'll notice it gradually improving. Most people feel mostly pain-free by the third or fourth day.
3 Days Post Extraction
After about 3 days, the empty tooth socket will have mostly healed. There should be no more bleeding present, and swelling should be minimal at this point. You may still experience some tenderness or soreness, but you should no longer feel pain or discomfort.
Rinse Your Mouth With Salt Water
In a study published in Evidence-Based Dentistry, researchers discovered that patients who didn't rinse their mouth with salt water after their surgery were more likely to develop dry sockets as opposed to those that did. Doing this will also help speed up your recovery.
Drink lots of water after the surgery. Avoid alcoholic, caffeinated, carbonated or hot beverages for as long as your dentist or oral surgeon recommends. Don't drink with a straw for at least a week because the sucking action may dislodge the blood clot in the socket. Food.
Dry socket may be caused by a range of factors, such as an underlying infection in the mouth, trauma from the tooth extraction or problems with the jawbone. The condition occurs more often with wisdom teeth in the lower jaw than with other teeth. You are also more likely than others to develop dry socket if you: smoke.
Choose the Right Position
During the initial stages of healing, the tooth extraction site may ooze. Because of this, sleeping on your side is best, at least for the first night. Plus, if you lie flat on your back, you might experience more swelling.
Dairy contains proteins that can encourage the growth of bacteria and increase the risk of infection. This is because dairy provides an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive, which can lead to swelling and discomfort in the gums and surrounding area.
Throbbing pain during the first 24 hours post-extraction is a sign that your body is healing. Headaches, pain around the temples, neck or jaw and a sore throat may result from swelling and should subside within 1-3 days. Some temporary side effects of tooth extraction include: Bleeding.
The pain and swelling should subside more and more each day following surgery. The second day following surgery is usually the worst day for swelling. If your post-operative pain or swelling worsens or unusual symptoms occur call my office for instructions. There will be a cavity where the tooth was removed.
By day 3, your gum swelling should subside and your open wound from extraction will begin to close. In 7 days, your gums should be very close to being completely healed with minimal sensitivity or pain. These are all signs that your gums are healing nicely and in the expected time frame.
Dislodge the food by gently rinsing your mouth with warm salt water (saline) solution. Avoid swishing the water around and don't spit—this can lead to painful dry sockets. If you received a syringe from your clinician, you can use warm water or salt water to gently flush the socket clean.
Opt for soft food.
You can eat soft fruits like avocado, mashed or blended bananas, applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and blended soup. You can ask your dentist about the best diet during the recovery period.
Your body is using energy to heal itself, so you may feel more tired than usual – this is perfectly normal.
After a tooth extraction, eat only soft or liquid form foods for at least the first 24 hours following the surgery. Do not vigorously chew anything. Avoid hard or crunchy foods that can further traumatize the extraction site and cause further bleeding. Do not consume hot liquids as they will dissolve the blood clot.
Don't drink with a straw, suck on candy or ice pops, slurp soups or other liquids, rinse your mouth vigorously, or smoke for 24 hours. These things create suction in the mouth. This may dislodge the blood clot. Don't drink alcohol or use mouthwash containing alcohol for 24 hours.