Tips for Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery & What to Eat after Wisdom Teeth

My 11-year-old, yes, 11-year-old son recently had all four wisdom teeth pulled.  He is the youngest of my children and the first to have this procedure done. 

Two wisdom teeth were impacting his 12-yr old molars so they had to be removed.  (this post has been sitting in my draft section since April)

I vaguely remember being 17 and getting my done.  What I do recall is that my parents went out of town the second night after.  I guess they figured I would not be getting into any trouble with swollen lips and a lot of pain!   

How Long Will It Take to Recover from Wisdom Teeth Removal?

While everyone has a different and The best way to recover from wisdom teeth surgery is to follow your oral surgeon’s instructions religiously.  Most people fully recover from wisdom teeth surgery in three to four days. If your teeth were impacted or came in at an awkward angle, it could take a full week to recover.

 

These tips Tips for Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery seemed to help my child bounce back and create less stress on this mommy!

Tips for Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery

ICE ICE ICE

Like most surgeries, The most important part is keeping the swelling down.  We found that adding cold packs to soccer socks after tying the bottoms together.  Gel ice packs work the best b/c they stay soft and do not cause extra pain to the patient.   

Simply tie the socks on the patient’s head and put a timer on for 20 minutes.  It was suggested that we practice a 20 minute on 20 minutes off practice.  He also tried peas and corn but he preferred the gel packs.

 

ELEVATE HEAD

Do your best to keep your child’s head elevated.  Especially if they are just napping on the couch during the day.

What Can I EAT after my Wisdom Teeth are Removed? 

We had a lot of the following stocked up and ready to go.  The first day they can only drink cold items so keep that in mind. Make sure food is not HOT!  Nothing crunchy for at least 3 days. 

• 7-Up or Ginger ale  This should be the FIRST thing they eat or drink just to be sure their stomach is settled
• Ice Cream and Milk- Shakes are the were first requests from our guy..  Start off with plain chocolate/ vanilla then move into flavors with texture
• Apple Sauce
• Yogurt
• Scrambled Eggs 
• Jello and Pudding Packs
• Mashed Potatoes
• Mac and Cheese
• Chicken Soup
• Instant Oatmeal

Pain Meds

Like any surgery, you need to get ahead of the pain.  Everyone is different but these are some things that worked for my child.  We did not do the pain medication.  We brought home the prescription for pain meds but started with Tylenol and Advil.

 I was so relieved that this was enough for his pain.  What a trooper. 

 

Easter was no ruined by the removal of his wisdom teeth.