Like any other big surgery, a wisdom tooth extraction can leave you sore for a while. Your treatment site will often feel achy, sensitive, or stiff over 3-7 days or so. Given these facts, you may struggle to sleep during recovery if you don’t take precautions. That’s why your local Murphy dentist is here to give you some helpful advice. To smoothly rest and recover post-surgery, use these four tips for sleeping after wisdom tooth extractions.
Sleep in the Right Position
If you didn’t already know, you should be careful of your mouth after wisdom tooth removal. That caution even extends to sleeping in the right position. You’ll heal more quickly when your body is well-positioned during a snooze.
To be specific, make sure to sleep with your head in an elevated position. This elevation will reduce swelling in your mouth and help the blood clotting process. In contrast, failing to elevate your head can delay your healing. As for elevating your noggin, you can just sleep on your side; this approach will prop it up.
Don’t Sleep with Gauze in Your Mouth
After wisdom tooth removal, a dentist will place gauze in your mouth. This fabric applies pressure to the incision site to reduce bleeding. That said, you should remove the gauze before you sleep for the night.
You see, sleeping with gauze in your mouth isn’t a good idea. The material is a choking hazard and will likely cause an incident while you rest. Having wool in your mouth also won’t give you a very good night’s sleep. To correct for these risks, it’s best to remove the gauze some hours after surgery.
Use Pain Medicine & Ice Packs
As stated earlier, mouth pain is common after a wisdom tooth removal. This discomfort may keep you from getting decent sleep if it isn’t addressed. So, use pain medicines and ice packs to sleep more easily for the next few days.
Of course, there are guidelines on how to use these resources properly. You’ll need to follow the instructions for any pain medication you take. Similarly, hold the ice or cold pack against your jaw for ten minutes at a time. That period should be long enough to numb your pain and help you sleep.
Avoid Staying Up Late
You’ll want to get high-quality sleep to recover well from the extraction. Anything less can lead to healing delays or side effects. So, don’t stay up late after your surgery and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
The truth is that your body needs as much rest as it can get during your recovery. However, 10pm – 2am is when your body repairs itself the most. Staying awake during that time deprives you of rejuvenating sleep, which speeds up the healing process.
With these tips for sleeping after wisdom tooth extractions, you should heal and rest more effectively. Remember to use them in the days after your treatment!
About the Practice
Murphy Dental Home is based in Murphy, TX. Led by Dr. Khushboo Gandhi, our practice strongly emphasizes patient comfort and custom dental care. We meet a smile’s needs through preventive, cosmetic, and restorative work, as well as emergency service if needed. Our team is also able to perform wisdom tooth extractions to improve your oral health. For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (972)-532-6506.