Wisdom Teeth Recovery Time

Everyone dreads getting a tooth extraction done! More so, if it is the wisdom teeth that need to be removed. However, besides the dental treatment (and the cost!) what patients often worry about is the wisdom teeth recovery time. There are so many thoughts swirling in their mind, like how long will it take and will it affect what a person can eat. Given below are factors that affect recovery after wisdom teeth extraction along with details on what is the wisdom teeth extraction recovery time.

Factors Affecting Recovery

• Health of the patient: The overall health of the patient has a huge role to play in the wisdom teeth recovery time. This is because the presence of a systemic disease, especially if it is in the blood, can lead to delayed wound healing. Also, if he has diabetes mellitus or deficiency of vitamin C, then this could also further delay wound healing.
• Type of procedure: The wisdom teeth extraction recovery time will also depend on the type of extraction that was done. If it is a case of partially exposed wisdom teeth, that is, where a part of the tooth is visible and only a fraction of the crown is embedded in the bone, then with minimal bone drilling, it is possible to remove the wisdom tooth. However, if it is a case of impacted wisdom teeth, then there may be need for a minor surgical procedure, where the bone is drilled and the tooth is extracted. In this case, due to the resultant larger wound and larger incision, the wisdom tooth removal recovery time will be longer.
• Condition of the tooth: The extent of tooth decay will also dictate the recovery time. If the tooth was very badly carious, due to which it was grossly destructed, then it may be more difficult to extract the tooth. The dentist may end up breaking the tooth in pieces and then extracting it. In such cases, the extraction will be more traumatic due to which the socket may take longer to heal.
• Presence of superinfection: If a person does not take proper tooth extraction care, then there is a possibility that he may land up with an infection which could contaminate the healing socket, like a dry socket. This will further delay the wisdom teeth removal recovery time.

What is the Wisdom Teeth Recovery Time?

The fact is that taking into consideration all the above given factors, you must have realized that it is not possible to give a fixed recovery time. However, on an average, it takes around six weeks for a wisdom tooth extraction socket to heal completely, that is, for the entire socket wound to close completely, it may take up to six weeks. So, if you are planning to get a prosthesis fitted in this region, it is best to wait for at least two months, so as to prevent any complications. Furthermore, if a person has multiple wisdom teeth extracted in one sitting, then it may be possible for it to take longer for the extraction socket to heal. This is because when a person gets a wisdom tooth extracted on one side, he is advised to use the other side of his mouth to chew. This is because chewing from the other side prevents continuous force on the socket and so does not impede its healing. However, if a person has wisdom teeth of both sides extracted, then it will take longer for the wounds to heal because no matter which side he chews from, there will be slight trauma to the wound and so, it will take longer to completely heal.

This was all about the recovery time after wisdom teeth extraction and factors affecting it. Ideally, if a person religiously follows all the instructions given to him as part of the aftercare regime, then he needn't worry about the recovery time because he'll be up and at it in no time!