How to know if wisdom teeth are healing properly

How Long for Wisdom Teeth Holes to Close After Wisdom Tooth Extraction

The ideal way to treat a severely damaged tooth is to extract it. Whether it’s due to cavities or trauma, a damaged permanent tooth can be extracted and restored in another way. It’s often easier for orthodontists to refer you to a general dentist to remove any other tooth but the wisdom tooth. These are the third set of molars found in the back of the mouth. Each jaw has 2 wisdom teeth stages and they naturally erupt at the age of 17 years going forward. It takes a professional who is knowledgeable about oral and maxillofacial surgery to save the situation. There are times when the removal of this last molar is simple and quick. It depends on whether your wisdom teeth have fully erupted or not. If you have the so-called impacted teeth, you might endure dental surgery. It is a wonderful thing that wisdom tooth pain can be controlled with anesthesia. The only thing you need is a dental expert who has been practicing for years and has seen different cases of wisdom teeth surgeries. After having a consultation with your local orthodontist, he can determine if the wisdom teeth will interfere and to which doctor to send you to.

How Long Does It Take For Wisdom Teeth Holes To Heal

The wisdom teeth healing timeline process is faster when wisdom teeth removal surgery is between ages 15 and 25 or when third molar roots are 2/3 developed. Wisdom teeth recovery timeline is less because:

• bone is softer and easier to remove
• roots ends are straight, incomplete, and not curved
• 4 stages of the healing process are faster and more predictable in a younger person
• less chance for nerve damage roots are farther from the inferior alveolar nerve
• less chance of having a systemic disease and more wisdom teeth health complications like wisdom tooth holes, not closing.

How long should wisdom tooth pain last?

Recovery after the extraction of a wisdom tooth can be differently related to each person. Some patients after extraction may experience discomfort for a longer duration than others. Other side effects after the surgery may comprise swollen mouth and cheeks, mild apparent bruising, stiffness, dullness, or prickling in the mouth.

The healing process as per timeline:

• After the extraction, in the initial twenty-four hours, patients may experience blood clots around the treated area. This will act as a protective shield over the exposed bone and nerve endings and a base for the development of new soft tissue as well.
• After two or three days of the procedure, patients may experience diminished swelling in the mouth and cheeks.
• In any case, if the procedure needs stitches, your dentist will remove them within 10 to 14 days. After two weeks of the treatment, you will be able to feel normal as the bruising will go away.
• The level of discomfort after wisdom tooth extraction healing stages typically lasts from two to seven days but most patients resume their normal routines within two or three days.

Why is there wisdom tooth pain?

Some people experience pain in the back of their mouths and might be wondering what is causing this issue. There can be any number of things that might be causing this pain, and one big one that you need to consider and talk over with your dentist or orthodontic office is the possibility that it could be your wisdom teeth.

You can have wisdom teeth pain for a whole myriad of reasons such as a cavity or wisdom tooth hole is causing pain exposing a nerve. There may have been an improper eruption and even infections in the gums. This all leads many people to ask a very simple question – how long does wisdom tooth pain last?

How Long Does It Take for Wisdom Teeth to Heal

If you need to have them extracted, you may also wonder what is your wisdom teeth recovery time? How long does it take for wisdom teeth to heal? And is wisdom teeth healing a possibility for you?

After the procedure is concluded, you may need to consider other questions like how long does pain after wisdom tooth extraction last? What is the wisdom teeth removal recovery time after your extraction? And is there anything you can do to affect how long does the pain last after tooth extraction?

What causes wisdom tooth pain?

All of these are absolutely excellent questions that need to be discussed with your dental or orthodontic office. Let’s tackle the first subject first – what can be causing your wisdom tooth pain?

As mentioned before, the pain can be caused by any number of things such as disease or exposed nerves, but it is especially likely if you have impacted wisdom teeth. The Mayo Clinic describes impacted wisdom teeth as the following:

Many people develop impacted wisdom teeth — teeth that don’t have enough room to erupt into the mouth or develop normally. Impacted wisdom teeth may erupt only partially or not at all.

An impacted wisdom tooth may:

Grow at an angle toward the next tooth (second molar)

Grow at an angle toward the back of the mouth

Grow at a right angle to the other teeth, as if the wisdom tooth is “lying down” within the jawbone

Grow straight up or down like other teeth but stay trapped within the jawbone. (Mayo, 2018)

Needless to say, when teeth are impacted in this manner, it makes it far more likely that you will experience minor or significant to wisdom tooth pain. This is because the angle can be grinding against other teeth, could be pressing on a nerve, could be crowding against other teeth, and potentially can open up avenues to infection since wisdom teeth are notoriously difficult to brush and floss properly due to their isolated location in the back of the mouth.

Care of wisdom teeth

It’s the lack of brushing and flossing that can often lead to plaque build-up, cavities, and inflamed gums which can make the teeth and surrounding area feel sore and puffy. Not only that, but teeth coming in at wrong angles can also cause problems further down the line.

While your wisdom teeth might be impacted and painful themselves, if left untreated, they can very easily lead to significant pain for other parts of your teeth as some are shoved and ground against each other, leading to problems for the surrounding areas as well. This can also impact your ability to bite correctly which can further compound the problem.

Do I need to have my wisdom teeth pulled?

This often leads many people to wonder if wisdom teeth extraction is necessary. While only your orthodontic office could let you know for sure, there is still debate about whether all cases of wisdom teeth need to be removed or not. Some dentists and orthodontists operate on the philosophy that if they are removed it will also resolve a potential chance of any problems in the future even if currently you do not have wisdom tooth pain or any issues.

Other doctors believe that if something is not causing a problem then it should be left until it begins to cause one. While there is merit to both sides of the conversation, if you are an individual who is definitely having pain and issues with your wisdom teeth, you should absolutely schedule a session with your local dentist or orthodontic office and have a discussion with them about your particular needs and whether wisdom teeth extraction might be needed for you.

If you are thinking about wisdom teeth extraction, the Mayo Clinic also recommends you ask a wide variety of questions so you can understand the process better, know what you can expect, and know when you can get back to your normal life.

These questions should include:

• How many teeth will need to be pulled?
• Have they damaged the neighboring teeth?
• Have my nerves been damaged?
• How long will the procedure take?
• Can I use local or general anesthesia?
• How long will the results of the extraction last?
• What happens if the wisdom tooth hole never closed?
• What else will I need to do?
• When can I get back to my usual activities?

How Long Until Wisdom Teeth Holes Close

Getting answers to these questions and many more will help you have a better grasp on the process and help you make an informed decision about your orthodontic needs. The last thing anybody wants is to have continued wisdom teeth pain.

If you are wondering how long does pain last after tooth extraction and if you are having issues then you should definitely schedule a meeting with your dentist or orthodontic office to learn more.  Each case is different, as you may one wisdom tooth that is completely impacted while the one below it never even developed.

You will also want to find out from your dental professional when you can return to normal life, as what “normal” is varies from person to person.  You should avoid strenuous activity for a few days, but you can go back to most jobs right away as long as you feel up to it.  Unless you are a fitness instructor, then you should wait as you do not want to loosen the clot that has formed and possibly damage the stitches.

When you see your dental professional, you can find out what is the root cause of the problem, what treatments are available, and what you can do personally to help alleviate any future issues. It may be something as simple as additional brushing or flossing are needed or perhaps it will require more intense treatment. The sooner you meet with a local orthodontic office, the sooner you will know and the sooner you can prevent any long-term issues from happening.

Diagnosis of Third Molars and Dental Pain

Commonly, the patient with orofacial pain is referred by the general dentist for removal of wisdom teeth to a specialist. Often the dentist is unable to diagnose the dental pain and negative clinical findings. Patients can be referred for extractions of wisdom teeth rule out the third molars as a cause of the pain and possibly monitor wisdom tooth healing stages after tooth extraction and pain levels. If there are obvious aggravating factors such as purulence, pericoronitis, extensive caries, or other pathologic conditions then most likely the extraction of the third molars will make wisdom teeth pain after removal to be less. However, if the wisdom teeth appear normal and there is dental pain, the extraction of the third molars may make the pain after the removal of the wisdom teeth worse. The oro-facial pain may be due to TMD. So removal of third molars will further aggravate the symptoms of the TMD and induce more pain from the wisdom teeth removal surgery procedure.

What to do before surgery?

The right thing to do before enduring an oral and maxillofacial surgery is to meet a specialist. A clinic offering orthodontic services is the best pick. During your appointment, make sure you answer each question truthfully to get the right diagnosis. Expect your dentist to ask about your existing health problems and to provide the names of any drugs you could be using on a regular basis.

If the orthodontist gives you any additional instructions, you will have to adhere to them. Anything they say will be for your own safety. This could be with regards to what you do over the next few days, or if there seem to be problems with the teeth.

It is vital that you meet with your orthodontist before the decision to undergo surgery is finalized. It will not be just to discuss your teeth, but the chance to pass on any other details you think they will need. You will also get the chance to ask questions that may be troubling you. If you have any health issues, they will want to know as this could alter they way the removal is carried out. Any drugs that you are on will have to be declared and failure to do this could be serious. You also then ask what will happen before, during and after the surgery. You are bound to be most interested in the anesthesia that will be given. Some people may want to be numbed and kept being awake, while others will not want to see what is happening and prefer to be put under anesthesia before anything is done.

How long does it take for wisdom tooth holes to recover?

A wisdom tooth hole takes anywhere from 3 to 7 days to recover completely from the aftereffects of extraction. In case you have been through extensive procedures, it might take an additional couple of days. During that time, you may feel some bleeding and swelling.

What are the common side effects of extracting wisdom teeth?

After the wisdom tooth is extracted, you may experience:

• Pain and swelling in your gums and sudden ache around the wisdom tooth hole.
• Bleeding for around 24 hours but if bleeding doesn’t stop from the wisdom tooth hole consult the dentist immediately.
• Trismus.
• Slow-healing gums.
• Damage to current dental work, such as issues with the adjacent tooth.
• Painful inflammation is named as the dry socket, because of loss of protective blood clots.
• Inflammation and ache in wisdom tooth hole.

When do wisdom teeth holes close?

The wisdom teeth hole not closing closes within six weeks.  In the coming months, the sockets are filled with bone. It is important to keep the area clean during these six weeks.

What does normal healing look like wisdom teeth?

How do you know if your wisdom teeth extraction site is infected?

How long do wisdom teeth holes take to heal?