Wisdom teeth - what to eat and do after they are removed

I had my dentist pull the remaining 3 wisdom teeth I had. It was an interesting experience and I learned a couple of things...

What to do Before your wisdom teeth are removed:

1. Buy the smallest kid's toothbrush you can find. You won't be able to open your mouth very wide the first couple of days, this smaller toothbrush will help you to brush your teeth and avoid bad breath.
2. Buy a squirt-top water bottle. Squeeze the bottle to squirt water into your mouth to rinse it. You cannot spit for the first couple of days because your blood needs to clog at the areas were the wisdom teeth were. Squirt some water in your mouth and tilt your head from side to side to move the water around keeping your mouth open. Then let the water literally drool out into the sink. Do not close your mouth and force the water around, this will create suction in your mouth unclogging the toothless areas and you will start to bleed.
3. Buy a small hand towel. Place this over your pillow when you go to sleep or take a nap. You might drool a little blood onto your pillow overnight; the towel will be easier to wash and reuse.
4. Buy baby food. Get about 6-8 jars of whatever baby food you want (I got some of the bigger ones for about $1 a jar). I suggest to get at least 3 fruit to eat first. These are completely soft and will be the easiest to swallow on your first day of your wisdom teeth removal. The other flavors can be chicken dinner or beef stew- these have some soft solids in them. Don't buy a lot though, they are pretty bland in flavor and you will want to eat regular food as soon as you can.
5. Have a nice breakfast or lunch before your dental appointment. You won't be able to eat much afterwards. And do brush and floss before you go into your dental appointment.
6. Take the day off and the next day off. After your wisdom teeth are removed you will be given medication for pain, which will make you very sleepy. Plan to rest at least for two days. By the third day you will feel much better.

What to expect During wisdom teeth removal:

1. Heat in your mouth. I had local anesthesia in my mouth and it felt like my mouth was heating up from the inside. Very strange feeling, but no pain.
2. You will hear your own tooth cracking. If the tooth cannot be pulled out easily the dentist will crack your tooth and take it out in chunks. You will hear the tooth crack, but you will not feel pain.
3. Gauze in your mouth. Right after the teeth removal, the dentist will give you some gauze to bite on to keep the blood from flowing out of the toothless areas. You will constantly change the gauze every 15-20 minutes with fresh one. This helps the blood to clog in the toothless areas and close the gums. You will do this for the first two days or so until there is no more bleeding.

What to expect After wisdom teeth are removed:

• Your lips will feel like they are huuuuge. I had local anesthesia and this is how I felt.  Don't worry about your mouth, it doesn't physically change, you just FEEL your lips are huge.
• Your jaw may feel a little tired and weak. After all, you've had the dentist pushing and pulling on it for more than 30 minutes, it will be OK.
• You will feel physically fine after leaving the office. Yay! I can do my stuff now, right? Nope. The anesthesia that you got at the beginning of the procedure will soon wear off. Go straight to the drug store after you leave the dental office and get the prescription drugs you will need. By the time you get back to your home you can take the medication and continue to be pain-free.
• Your drugs will make you feel very sleepy. Go ahead and take lots of naps, and remember to place that small hand towel on your pillow just in case you drool some blood.
• Your body will feel weak. Since you haven't had solid food for a couple of hours and you are taking naps because of the medication, your body will feel weak and shaky. Eat the super soft baby food whenever you get a chance between naps. Use a small spoon and swallow carefully avoiding the toothless areas. Don't use straws, the suction will unclog the toothless areas and you will start to bleed.

What to eat after you have your wisdom teeth removed:

• Baby food. Easiest food to swallow, different flavors, stick to the soft fruits on the first day.
• Soup. Canned chicken soup is great, all of the vegetables and noodles are very soft.
• Mashed potatoes. I bought a box of instant mashed potatoes, added water and cooked them in the microwave.

Good luck!