WisdomTeethFilter: How do i NOT play around with the holes?! Its been 14 hours since the operation and i cant sleep.

June 12, 2008 5:50 PM

WisdomTeethFilter: How do i NOT play around with the holes?! Its been 14 hours since the operation and i cant sleep.

I have to admit that i used a straw to drink (my doctor didnt say anything about that).
I always have a lot of saliva floating around in my mouth (which STILL contains blood - is that normal?) and im scared of accidentally removing these things they put in the holes to stop the blooding.
And are there possible negative consequences if i swallow the blood?

posted by freddymetz to health & fitness (22 comments total)

also, should i bite down on the holes to secure them in place or should i leave it open?
posted by freddymetz at 5:59 PM on June 12, 2008

Don't use a straw. Sucking through a straw creates suction, which can cause the forming blood clots (the healing clots in the holes where you teeth were) to come out, which will cause the dreaded "dry socket". You don't want dry socket. It hurts like a mother. Don't gargle or swish liquids around in your mouth, which will also disturb or dissolve the growing clots. After 14 hours, there will still be some slowly oozing blood (that's how the clots form) - just dab your tongue and gums with tissue or gauze. Don't dab the empty sockets. If you have too much saliva, either dab it or very gently spit it out. It won't harm you but it's not pleasant to swallow. Read this. Didn't your oral surgeon give you a post-operative care pamphlet? You'll be ok - if you're still concerned, give him/her a call - that's what they're there for.

On preview - don't bite down. I know...it's so hard to resist biting, or exploring with your tongue. The best thing you can do is try to get some sleep to get that healing process started. Try to think about something else if you can.
posted by iconomy at 6:05 PM on June 12, 2008

Yeah, definitely no straws. When I had mine out, I just stuffed gauze in there and changed it once an hour or so. That helped with the urge to poke at them, mostly because I physically couldn't.

The blood is normal, yeah. Gross, but normal.
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:10 PM on June 12, 2008

the thing is, im scared the things they put in the holes (in place of stitching them) will come out if i leave it open.
The Surgeon gave me a leaflet that said (summed up):
-dont drive etc
- cool your face (not with an ice pack - can cause ice burn) but with a cool face towel
- keep changing the guages (not sure what theyre called in english, but i think thats it)
-no sweet drinks
-no smoking or alcohol
-careful brushing, leaving out the holes
posted by freddymetz at 6:10 PM on June 12, 2008

oh, and does the healing process only start when you sleep? or does it just accelerate then?
posted by freddymetz at 6:12 PM on June 12, 2008

Your mouth will be constantly healing, but all sorts of healing and brain activity accelerates when you sleep, because you're not burning energy moving around and talking. It also helps that you're asleep so that you're not worrying yourself sick over it.

Just get gauze and put it in there, changing every hour or so. I did this and was eating solid foods the day after I had my wisdom teeth taken out, but YMMV, so don't be an idiot like I was.
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:16 PM on June 12, 2008

oh, and does the healing process only start when you sleep? or does it just accelerate then?

You're healing now, but it will go better and be more comfortable for you if you can sleep, and just let everything ooze and form, etc.

On preview, what InsanePenguin said.
posted by iconomy at 6:19 PM on June 12, 2008

A lot of the urge to play with the holes is due to the pain. Take a painkiller, it will help you to ignore the holes.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 6:19 PM on June 12, 2008

You were probably given some pain medication and possibly also some anti-nausea medication to counter the side effects of the pain medication. If you are in pain, change the gauze and then take both medications. You will almost certainly sleep long and soundly. You should have someone wake you occasionally (or set an alarm) so that you can make sure your mouth stays moist.

Don't worry, everything will get much better after the first day or two.
posted by jedicus at 6:21 PM on June 12, 2008

My husband just had two wisdom teeth out (top and bottom on one side) and what soothed him was putting a warm, wetted tea bag in between. Don't bite down hard on it, but it might be more comfortable (and possibly tasty?) than gauze.
posted by stefnet at 6:23 PM on June 12, 2008

putting a warm, wetted tea bag in between

Damn, that is a good idea, I wish I had thought of it.
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:26 PM on June 12, 2008

i only got ibuprofen, which hasnt really had any noticeable soothing effects
ill try the teabag option now
posted by freddymetz at 6:40 PM on June 12, 2008

My husband had his wisdom teeth out last month. He was told to take the gauze out after 30 minutes, but was a little loopy when the told him so he didn't remember to do so. After continuing to have blood in his mouth and spitting out clots for 4 hours, I finally called the dentist's office and they told me he needed to take out the gauze! They suggested the warm water tea bag, but only for a few minutes to help a clot form. Then leave it alone!. I'm pretty sure that if you still have gauze in your mouth then you're doing it wrong.
posted by ellenaim at 6:41 PM on June 12, 2008

i stopped putting a gauze in as soon as soon as there was some saliva in the blood i was spitting out (approx 2 hours after operation)
posted by freddymetz at 6:46 PM on June 12, 2008

Got mine coming out on Monday. Some good tips here, thanks.
posted by uk_giffo at 7:25 PM on June 12, 2008

putting a warm, wetted tea bag in between

This is what I did with mine, though a cold tea badg might be good if you're sore. Also you can get tea bags that are tasty [mint preferred] which will help your mouth not taste so much like blood. A little blood mixed in with saliva is totally okay, a LOT of blod or clots coming out may be a good reason to call your dentist. No more straws. Swallowing blood is okay, there's a small chancce it may upset your stomach but it's not bad for you.
posted by jessamyn at 7:33 PM on June 12, 2008

When I had mine out (all 4 at once, and 2 were badly impacted) a friend -- a Professor of Dental Medicine -- gave me some good advice: Take the maximum recommended dose of painkillers at the earliest recommended time. Don't wait for it to hurt. They'll help you sleep.

I also found salvation in nouriche-brand yogurt smoothies & instant mashed potatoes.

You'll be feeling much better in another day. I had mine out after work on Thursday, and was back on Monday. And like I said, they were bad.
posted by meta_eli at 7:35 PM on June 12, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Taking a bath makes the pain go away, but i read saunas should be avoided. Are baths also bad?
And also, is it bad to drink orange juice (because of the acid)? because i have such a craving for that right now!
posted by freddymetz at 12:12 AM on June 13, 2008

If you weren't given any pain medication, call your oral surgeon's office and ask for some.
posted by Carol Anne at 5:51 AM on June 13, 2008

Also remember for the 1st week or so after healing, when the wounds are fully closed, to thoroughly rinse the holes after eating. It's amazing the amount of crud that gets in there. (A dentist suggested a salt-water dilution to rinse/garlgle with to encourage healing, but I couldn't stand the taste.). For me, the worst part was the little tendrils of loose skin that remained for about 2-3 weeks around the site. I could NOT stop playing with those lil fuckers. I was worried I'd have them for the rest of my life, but they went away after awhile.
posted by Debaser626 at 8:31 AM on June 13, 2008

thanks for all the answers!
what do i do when food gets stuck in the holes? do i just brush them lightly with my toothbrush?
posted by freddymetz at 12:21 PM on June 15, 2008

Freddy - when I had mine out they gave me a long, curved, needle-less syringe to gently flush out anything that got stuck in the holes.

I got dry socket without using a straw and it HURTS. They put shredded stuff soaked in clove oil in them and it slowly fell out over the next week. I don't ever want to taste or smell clove again. :(
posted by IndigoRain at 6:57 PM on June 15, 2008