North Las Vegas Wisdom Teeth Extractions

If you opt for general anesthesia or sedation, you’ll need someone to drive you home. It can take 12 hours or more for the effects of anesthesia to wear off, so plan to stay home and relax after the extraction.

Other symptoms you may experience after the procedure include the following:

• Bruising
• Sore jaw
• Swollen cheeks

Your gums are stitched back together after your dentist removes your wisdom teeth, so you must eat foods that won’t damage the stitches. You’ll also benefit from sticking to soft foods to avoid exacerbating any jaw pain you’re experiencing.

After your wisdom teeth removal, you can eat soft foods, including the following:

• Mashed potatoes
• Rice
• Soup
• Yogurt

Semi-soft foods can be added to your diet 24 hours after your wisdom teeth extraction. Semi-soft foods include the following:

• Boiled chicken
• Boiled vegetables
• Eggs
• Pasta

You should avoid the following hard foods:

• Hard candy
• Nuts
• Raw carrots and hard vegetables

You should also avoid acidic foods that irritate your gums, delaying healing.

You should wait 14 days after any tooth extraction before using a straw. After the incisions in your gums, your body forms blood clots that protect your nerves and jawbone while you heal. When you pull fluids with a straw, this motion can damage or remove the blood clot, causing a condition known as a dry socket.

A dry socket exposes your nerves and jawbone, causing pain and bad breath. You may need to see your dentist to flush the area and receive treatment for your pain.