Your wisdom teeth may need to be removed if they are growing in sideways, causing you pain, or creating other problems inside your mouth. Wisdom teeth extraction surgery can be performed to remove these teeth, but it's important to remember that every surgery comes with its own complication risks. If you want to minimize your chances of complications that could arise from wisdom teeth removal, you should keep the following tips in mind:

Avoid Eating or Drinking Immediately Before Surgery

Eating or drinking anything right before surgery could cause you to feel nauseous from the anesthesia or the procedure itself. Your feelings of nausea could cause you to vomit or experience breathing difficulties, which could complicate the surgery and prolong your healing time. It's best to avoid eating or drinking anything at least eight hours before your scheduled surgery time.

Refrain from Drinking Through a Straw or Smoking After Surgery

If you try to suck a beverage or soft food item through a straw, the force from the suction could dislodge a clot that has formed while a wisdom tooth extraction site is healing and cause a painful condition known as dry socket. Suction from smoking can also cause this problem, and your body won't be able to process the same amount of oxygen and nutrients that are needed for optimum healing if you smoke.

Eat Soft Foods While You're Recovering

Soft foods will be easier to chew and won't require you to exert a lot of the force that could cause you pain and other problems. Soft foods will also be less likely to cause irritation if they come into contact with the surgical sites that are trying to heal. Your dentist will likely give you a list of recommended soft foods to eat after wisdom teeth extraction, and this list may include foods like:

• Mashed potatoes
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal
• Pancakes
• Soup
• Pasta
• Ice cream

Don't Exercise Immediately After Surgery

One thing that you can look forward to after surgery is plenty of rest, but you might have difficulty sitting around if you're used to working out regularly. You shouldn't exercise at all the day of your surgery, as doing so could cause extra bleeding. Exercising too soon after surgery could also result in a dry socket if any blood clot at a surgical site gets dislodged due to physical activity. If you're feeling good and your recovery is going well two to three days after your surgery, you can resume light exercise but should still avoid any strenuous workouts. You may be able to resume your normal workouts four days after surgery, but you should talk to your dentist first to get advice.

After your wisdom teeth extraction procedure, you'll want your recovery to go as smoothly as possible. You'll have a much easier time healing and getting back to your regular life if you remember to follow these tips, along with the other advice that you receive from your dentist. Contact a local dental clinic, such as Conestoga Oral Surgery, to learn more about wisdom teeth extraction services.