After a few years of my children being at college and in the workforce, I finally got to "mother" again this past week. My son returned from Auburn University on May 5th and May 6th he had all 4 wisdom teeth removed. This surgery had initially been scheduled during his Christmas break but due to a respiratory illness it had to be postponed. Thus we had been anticipating this surgery long enough to create extra dread. Fortunately, now day 8 post extraction, he has recovered smoothly and with zero complaints! Here are a few tips and links to products that seemed to aid in his recovery.
1. Select a professional with excellent reviews. As is customary, I reached out to the world of social media for personal recommendations. One practice was repeatedly praised, The Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery Associates from Waukesha with a location in Slinger, Wisconsin. This practice has eight doctors who are seasoned professionals. Dr. Caroline Brookes, a native of Shorewood, WI was assigned to Trey and we met with her last summer to review the plan of care. Dr. Brookes training is impressive. She received her DMD summa cum laude from Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine and her MD with distinction from the University of North Carolina, Chapel-Hill, where she also completed her oral and maxillofacial surgery training. Her fellowship training was in pediatric maxillofacial surgery/cleft and craniofacial surgery in Melbourne, Australia. You can read more about this outstanding practice and physician here: www.omsawaukesha.com/meet-us/carolyn-c-brookes-dmh-md/
2. Fill all prescriptions in advance. We were provided with scripts for 600 mg of ibuprofen plus an antibiotic mouthwash. I actually had these filled in November since we were anticipating a December extraction but fortunately the shelf-life was good until July 2024. In addition, Dr. Brookes prescribed 1 xanax to be taken by the patient (not mom) one hour before the procedure. After the first 36 hours, Trey no longer needed either Advil nor Tylenol. Pain was never more than a 3/10 throughout his entire recovery. The day of surgery he was provided with a script for Tramadol, a stronger pain med, but fortunately it was completely unnecessary and never needed to be filled.
3. Invest in a velcro-styled ice-pack that wraps around the head, cheeks and chin. We purchased this one which included 4 icepacks. This worked great and Trey could relax and play video games or scroll through his phone without holding ice to his cheeks. We used the ice-pack conscientiously the first few hours after surgery, on/off every 20 minutes, and then gradually reduced its use over 24 hours.
4. Dr. Brookes administered a light IV sedation plus local anesthetic and he had no pain nor recollection of the process. While the doctor said he sang a few songs and was somewhat talkative, that was a surprise to him! The entire process took less than 45 minutes in which I was in the waiting room creating a menu from Pinterest of nutritious smoothie ideas. When we left the surgical office, he was completely conscious and alert, able to walk independently. Gauze pads with "tails" conveniently hanging out of his mouth were in place upon his departure from the clinic with instructions to remove them in about 45 minutes. These 45 minutes are necessary to allow the early blood clot formation over the extraction sites. When he left the office the gauze tails were white, by the time we were home they were quite red. This is normal as the saliva is blood tinged and saturates the gauze. I was probably most nervous at this point as I was praying that the clots had formed and would not be disrupted by the removal of the gauze. In addition, it is tempting to "spit" because of the oral secretions but spitting and rinsing are discouraged as these actions could potentially dislodge the clot. Trey simply held his head over the sink and let the fluid gently drain from his mouth until it was time to remove the gauze. Fortunately the gauze came out easily, the clots undisturbed, and the bleeding essentially ceased.
5. Once the gauze was removed, Trey was ready for small sips of water followed by fresh apple and grape juice which I juiced in my 20 year old Breville blender. I don't use it often but found it particularly helpful this past week. About 2 weeks before his surgery, I mailed to his fraternity house residence through Amazon a 24 pack of 10 ounce Dole Pineapple Juice cans, 100% juice with no sugar added. We had heard from many friends that anecdotally the enzyme bromelain contained in pineapple was particularly effective at reducing swelling. He drank this juice for about 10 days prior to surgery (hopefully not in pina coladas). In addition, I had fresh pineapple upon his arrival home. Day 3 was his "worst" swelling and to the casual observer, including mom, it was practically undetectable. He felt the swelling in his jaw but it was minimal compared to some of the photos on social media. I do believe the pineapple juice was of significant support to his recovery.
6. Trey preferred foods at room temperature or slightly warmed these first few days. Although I had ice cream and popsicles he preferred mashed potatoes and even some homemade cream of celery and cream of broccoli soups I made from scratch in my Vitamix. This was a surprise as usually my kids roll their eyes when I suggest nutritious, hearty soups but in this unusual case the soups were appealing. It helps too that in Wisconsin it was 50 degrees and rainy, "soup weather!" This was my first time using a Vitamix and it definitely emulsified and pulverized the vegetables completely. Just to be safe, I ran the soups through a strainer to ensure there were no celery strings or seeds that would potentially irritate the surgical sites. I made many fruit smoothies from frozen blueberries and bananas and included Bubs Collagen Powder, Jarrow Protein Powder, coconut kefir for extra probiotics, plus Greek yogurt.
7. He continues 2x/day with the antibiotic mouth rinse plus brushing his teeth as thoroughly as possible without irritating the surgical sites. Originally he used a small, baby tooth brush but now he has returned to his electric toothbrush but still being careful to avoid the surgical sites. He was golfing by Saturday with friends, so approximately 5 days after his surgery his physical activity had returned to normal. As I recall, the doctor encouraged him to rest for 72 hours.
General Takeaways: I still have my wisdom teeth and they have not bothered my over the years (although I was only born with 2) so I was a bit hesitant to encourage my own kids to undergo the procedure. Ron had his taken out around the age of 30 when they began to cause him pain. Trey was already complaining about tooth pain as the teeth emerged and one was impacted. It made sense to not delay and instead proceed with extraction in his case.
Pineapple juice, icing, fresh whole foods that can be easily blended served him well. Following the surgeon's directions as closely as possible and calling if questions is a necessity. Although Trey had the tough job of patiently adhering to the recovery protocols, overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the extraction and healing process. I hope sharing our experience helps you or your children prepare for this process.
* Please note, I have included a few amazon links and being a member of their "Stripes" program I may receive a small commission should you purchase from these links. I wish you well on your health journey!
General Takeaways: I still have my wisdom teeth and they have not bothered my over the years (although I was only born with 2) so I was a bit hesitant to encourage my own kids to undergo the procedure. Ron had his taken out around the age of 30 when they began to cause him pain. Trey was already complaining about tooth pain as the teeth emerged and one was impacted. It made sense to not delay and instead proceed with extraction in his case.
Pineapple juice, icing, fresh whole foods that can be easily blended served him well. Following the surgeon's directions as closely as possible and calling if questions is a necessity. Although Trey had the tough job of patiently adhering to the recovery protocols, overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the extraction and healing process. I hope sharing our experience helps you or your children prepare for this process.
* Please note, I have included a few amazon links and being a member of their "Stripes" program I may receive a small commission should you purchase from these links. I wish you well on your health journey!
This was the Vitamix I purchased. My Hamilton Beach mixer did not have the capacity to emulsify foods enough for my comfort. It's expensive but friends report the brand can last for decades. It was particularly important to ensure that the soft foods the first few days following extraction would not pose a risk to the gums and clot around the tender surgical sites.
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