Wisdom Teeth Removal and Recovery During Orthodontics
It’s common for patients to wonder when is the best time to get braces. Do they have to get them before their wisdom teeth erupt? Do I Have to Remove My Wisdom Teeth for Braces? The answer is much simpler than what you may expect. While wisdom teeth can cause various dental issues, they will not ruin your beautiful smile once they come out, as many people may think. Here are a few answers to the most common wisdom teeth questions and how to deal with their recovery.
Do You Have to Remove Wisdom Teeth for Braces?
No, you don’t have to remove your wisdom teeth for braces, nor do you have to wait until your wisdom teeth develop to start your braces treatment. Firstly, not everyone has wisdom teeth, and everyone who does have them doesn’t always have dental problems because of it. Orthodontists will only recommend wisdom teeth extraction in specific situations.
If your wisdom tooth erupts partially or at an angle and you can’t clean it properly, your orthodontist may recommend extraction. Given that they can cause severe pain and infections, you will need an extraction if they don’t erupt at all. Additionally, your orthodontist will order an extraction if your wisdom teeth are pressing against other teeth and don’t have enough room to grow into.
Even if your wisdom teeth erupt during your braces treatment and represent an orthodontic problem, orthodontists, in conjunction with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, can remove them without affecting your orthodontic treatment.
Some patients who already have had braces fear that once their wisdom teeth start developing, it will push all the other teeth out of position and throw away the progress made. However, there is no concrete connection between wisdom teeth and teeth misalignment. If you still fear that some movement may be happening, regular checkups with your orthodontist will allow them to identify any problem before it affects your teeth severely.
Wisdom Teeth Removal for Retainers
After your braces treatment, your orthodontist will give you a pair of retainers for you to use. As the name implies, the retainers are meant to retain your teeth at their new position. If you don’t follow your orthodontist’s instructions on how long to use your retainers daily, you can lose all the progress made with braces. If you have retainers and have had to remove your wisdom teeth, you will have to wait around 1 to 3 days for your mouth to recover before using your retainers as usual. The healing process can take up to a week, so don’t worry if it’s still painful or uncomfortable to wear.
Most of the time, your aligners will fit even after removing your wisdom teeth. Clear retainers usually don’t include wisdom teeth in their mold, so you are most likely able to wear the same one even after surgery. For Hawley retainers, however, you may need an adjustment or a completely new one. Whichever retainer you have, make sure to consult with your orthodontist about whether you can keep using it or if you need a new one.
How Long to Recover From Wisdom Tooth Removal
Recovery from wisdom tooth removal can take from 3 to 4 days to a whole week for some people to recover completely. Although you can return to some routine daily activities, you have to restrain yourself from doing exercise, smoking, and drinking from a straw. Of course, the cut your oral surgeon made doesn’t close as fast, so you will have to be careful to avoid infection for the next couple of weeks.
After the surgery, there will be some bleeding, pain, and soreness for the first couple of days. If you are bleeding excessively and continuously, or are suffering from severe pain, call your dental care specialist as soon as possible.
Dental Care After Wisdom Teeth Removal
You’ll want to avoid hard foods the following days after your surgery. It’s best to chew as little as possible until you fully recover. Until then, try to stick to liquids and soft foods like soups, pudding, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, smoothies, etc. Given that your mouth will be much more sensitive during this period, you should also stay away from too hot or cold drinks.
On the first day after the surgery, your orthodontist will most likely recommend you don’t brush your teeth. Instead, rinse the area delicately with water and let it fall out to the sink rather than spit it. Healthline magazine recommends rinsing with a mix of water and salt if you feel that water alone is not enough. Remember to take the pills your orthodontist recommended to you and to follow their instruction carefully if you wish for a speedy recovery.
Are Your Wisdom Teeth Coming In?
If you have noticed that your wisdom teeth are starting to erupt or feel constant pain and pressure on your jaw and mouth, don’t wait to contact us here. We’ll schedule an appointment with you as soon as possible to determine if treatment is necessary or not. Additionally, if you have any questions regarding your wisdom teeth removal recovery here at Westwalk Orthodontic Group, we are more than happy to answer them.