Note: All art in this post has been generated with AI.
I recently read a blog post that offered a tip on how to write better blog posts. The post said:
Quote:
Do the research. Blogging is about spending time to save your audience’s time.One way to do this is by conducting careful research so that your audience doesn’t have to.
Link to blog post
So, I’d say that going through a wisdom teeth extraction was pretty intense field research, and in this post, I want to share my experience—before, during, and after the operation.
Note: There won’t be any pictures in this post, and I don’t intend to write horribly descriptive or gruesome details. However, I also won’t sugarcoat everything, and I will mention words like “blood” and “pain.” If you find these topics triggering, I advise you not to continue reading.
Before the Procedure
In 35 years, I had never had an operation on my teeth—a fact I’m quite proud of. I’ve never had cavities or needed a filling. I brush my teeth twice a day and have been flossing for a year (I know, I’m a little late to the game).
However, my wisdom teeth had been a topic of discussion for a few years, with various dentists commenting on how they were growing at odd angles and could impact my other teeth.
Finally, at my last visit, the dentist recommended that three be removed.
I visited the orthodontist. She confirmed my fate.
When she started describing the operation, I had to ask her to stop because I was squirming in my seat. I mentioned that I’m highly sensitive and have a horribly active imagination, so I couldn’t listen to the details.
She then told me I would be given a sedative during the operation to keep me calm, and I could listen to music during the procedure.
She did give me one warning: Don’t Google anything. I wish I had listened.
I asked her about the cost, as this was something that worried me a bit.
She said it would be about 1,500 CHF (approximately 1,733 USD), but my health insurance should cover some of the costs.
We scheduled my appointment, and she gave me an information brochure as well as an antibiotic to take an hour before the procedure.
My Preparations
I knew that after the operation, I wouldn’t be allowed to eat solid food and would probably need to stick to soft foods.
So, I meal-prepped a couple of soups packed with vegetables and protein. I made sure to blend them well so that they were really smooth.
Foods you should have prepped for after your wisdom tooth extraction:
- ✔️ Soups (well-blended) and cooled
- ✔️ Greek yogurt (make sure it doesn’t have small seeds)
- ✔️ Smoothies—well-blended
- ✔️ Broths—cooled
I also downloaded a playlist for the operating room since there wouldn’t be any internet reception there.
The Operation (Tuesday)
My operation was scheduled for 8:15 am, and I was instructed to eat breakfast as usual and arrange for someone to pick me up afterward.
I made my way to the appointment, feeling the nerves starting to build. I was scared, but I hadn’t Googled anything (yet).
I was greeted by a friendly dental assistant who led me to a room. She instructed me to take off my clothes, except for my underwear, and put on a hairnet and blue booties over my feet. She gave me a smock, and I took my phone and headphones and followed her into the next room.
I lay on the dentist’s chair, and stared up at the lights.
The assistant tried to make small talk, but I was too nervous to engage. She tried to calm my nerves by saying, “After the injection, it’ll all be fine,” but as soon as she mentioned “injection,” I tensed up.
The orthodontist came in—she was…very Swiss: friendly but straight to business.
She gave me a nose spray, which was the sedative, and told me it might start to burn, which was normal.
After about a minute, I felt a burn at the top of my nose (similar to the sensation of eating too much wasabi), and I started to tear up, which I wiped away.
It wasn’t a sudden reaction, but I did feel calmer and more apathetic. I knew what was happening, but I didn’t really care.
Satisfied, she then proceeded to give me injections in my gums to numb my entire mouth area.
I felt them, but I didn’t react much. When I felt the pressure, I rolled my feet in a circle and focused on my breathing (finally, my meditation practice was useful for something!).
She then told me I could wear my headphones.
I started listening to my relaxing playlist.
At this point, I wish I could tell you that I drifted into a dreamland and didn’t feel a thing—unfortunately, I can’t.
- I felt the pulling.
- I heard and felt the drilling.
- I felt the stitching.
However, thanks to the sedative, I didn’t care about any of it. I just lay back and let it all happen.
The whole procedure took about 35 minutes.
When it was done, the orthodontist asked if I was okay. I nodded.
In my mouth, there were two pieces of gauze to soak up the blood at the back of my mouth and two towards the front. She told me to bite on them to stop the bleeding.
She might have told me how long I needed to keep them in, but honestly, I can’t remember.
She then had a concerned look on her face and told me not to bite my lip because I could damage it.
I didn’t know I was biting my lip. I couldn’t feel anything.
This is when I started to panic, and this panic turned into paranoia that followed me for the entire day.
She gave me a prescription for strong painkillers and a special mouthwash and scheduled a post-op check-up for two days later.
I went downstairs, and my partner took me home.
After the Operation
I still felt apathetic when I got home and made my way to the sofa. My boyfriend immediately gave me a cold press for my face, which I kept on for the entire day.
I still couldn’t feel my lips, and I was paranoid that I was biting them, so I kept checking myself using the selfie camera on my phone.
I still didn’t feel any pain but was aware of the cotton in my mouth.
My partner was at home, but he was cleaning up in the cellar and didn’t always have internet reception.
At one point, when he was down there, I was checking my lips on the phone when suddenly my mouth filled with blood. I quickly made my way to the bathroom and spat out a lot of blood. I started to panic.
My partner wasn’t around, and I could feel myself starting to faint. My vision was starting to go white, and I had to lie down.
Luckily, my partner came in, and I feel so sorry for what he had to see—his girlfriend, crying on the floor, covered in blood.
I still couldn’t feel my lips, but I knew I had to replace the cotton balls in my mouth.
Slowly, I started to feel the pain and decided it was time to take my first strong painkiller. Easier said than done.
Due to the numbness, it was very difficult to drink. I had to take a few practice sips before attempting the pill.
The first attempt failed, and I spat out the pill. We decided to split it in two, and finally, success!
I then removed the completely saturated gauzes and replaced them.
After cleaning myself up, I went outside and sat on the balcony.
I put on a film on my laptop and tried to veg out with a cold press against my face.
After about an hour, I started spitting up blood again, so I had to replace the gauzes. This was very uncomfortable.
I then made the horrible mistake of Googling “What happens after wisdom teeth extraction.”
Basically, I read that you should not spit, eat solid foods, or do anything that might prevent the blood clot from forming on the wound. If the blood clot didn’t form, you could get a dry socket, which would be very painful.
I thought about earlier in the day when I was spitting up a lot of blood and immediately thought, “Oh no!”—so I was pretty paranoid for the rest of the day until my check-up.
(Spoiler alert: I didn’t get a dry socket, and spitting up a lot of blood is normal.)
To Prevent Dry Socket:
- ❌ Don’t smoke.
- ❌ Don’t drink alcohol.
- ❌ Don’t eat or drink anything hot.
- ❌ Don’t brush the wound.
- ❌ Don’t eat popcorn or seeds.
The rest of the day passed similarly, and I was able to eat some cold soup.
The whole day, I was panicking about my lips, but finally, toward the evening, the numbness went away, and I could feel them again. Luckily, I hadn’t damaged them at all.
Before bed, I replaced the gauzes in my mouth, took a pill, and used the prescription mouthwash. I didn’t brush my teeth that night. I climbed into bed. I needed to sleep with my head slightly raised, as this would allow the blood to flow down and not pool in my mouth.
I fell asleep, head raised, and a cold press against my face.
Day 1 After Operation (Wednesday)
I slept surprisingly well but woke up with pain in my mouth.
I wasn’t allowed to drink any hot drinks (no coffee 😦 ), so I took the first tablet and replaced the cotton balls in my mouth. They showed less blood, but it was painful whenever I took them out.
I decided to very carefully brush my teeth. After using the mouthwash, I put my toothbrush on the “sensitive” setting and focused on the front of my mouth.
I was still spitting up a lot of blood, and the dry socket thought was in my head, but the pain wasn’t too bad.
I was definitely feeling a lot better but still took it easy for the day.
After lunchtime, I decided it was time to remove the gauzes for good, and while it was uncomfortable for the first hour or so, I eventually got used to it.
I tried to avoid touching the back of my mouth with my tongue, but I could feel the wound.
The orthodontist had said I could start eating normally today, but I have no idea if she ever had her wisdom teeth out because there was no chance I was eating normally.
My jaw was stiff, and I couldn’t chew.
I ate the soups and drank a lot of water.
✔️ Tip: Drinking cool water helps the healing process.
On Day 1, the swelling really started, and I made my hamster transformation.
By the end of Day 1, I was starting to feel pretty good again. I was able to speak, and while I did have pain, the painkillers took care of it quite fast.
Day 2 (Thursday)
I again slept with my head raised but this time with no cotton gauzes.
The pain was still there, but I could feel the wound starting to heal.
I was able to brush my teeth more confidently but was still spitting up blood.
✔️ Note: THIS IS NORMAL. You can be spitting up blood for up to a week after the operation.
I took the pain pill and was able to do some work. I couldn’t stress too much because I was still feeling a bit weak, but I managed to get some things done.
I then decided to play some video games before my check-up.
I headed to my check-up, quite aware of some of the funny glances I was getting—I was now in my fully evolved hamster state.
The check-up went well, and the only issue was that there was a bit too much blood on the wound. I told the doctor my concerns about dry socket, and she said everything was healing well and I had nothing to worry about.
We scheduled the appointment to get my stitches out.
I asked her a very important question:
Can I drink coffee?
Yes, of course.
And my day was saved.
I still could only eat soups, but I tried a grape… and it was painful to chew.
I was still spitting up blood, but it was definitely reducing.
Day 3 (Friday)
I suppose I could say I was starting to feel a bit more “normal.”
I was able to have my lovely coffee in the morning—although I did make sure it cooled down a bit—and I was able to do more work.
I was still spitting up blood, and I was still taking three pain tablets a day—however, the pain was definitely lessening.
I was becoming more confident in brushing my teeth and had started flossing again.
I tried a grape. Still painful.
I still looked like a hamster.
Eating was still uncomfortable—I still had the image that food was getting stuck in the wound (Spoiler: it wasn’t) but it was a good day.
I was able to remove the extra pillow and start sleeping normally again.
Day 4 (Saturday)
The swelling had reduced, and I now had a beautiful bruise on my jaw. However, I was able to start my day as normal.
I decided to make a smoothie and moved on to more “chewable” foods.
I made myself tofu scramble for dinner—which was delicious, yet there was still the sensation of possibly having food stuck behind the wound.
However, towards the end of the evening, the wound was starting to feel smooth.
Do you remember as a child when you lost your baby teeth and kept playing with the empty space with your tongue?
I had forgotten that sensation and was surprised at the nostalgia I felt when I did it!
Day 5 (Sunday)
I started my day with some yoga.
I am really looking forward to being able to work out again!
There is still a bit of pain. I’ve reduced my tablets to one a day, and I can brush my teeth as normal.
I can also eat a grape.
It’s still not as comfortable as before, but I’m getting less of the sensation that food is stuck in the wound.
The five days have been difficult, but I got through it.
My face is still showing a bruise, but I think that’s normal.
Stitches will come out on Thursday!
What I Learned
I learned that breath work really does work. When I felt myself panicking, I started focusing on my inhales and exhales. This really helped me to calm down.
I also communicated my paranoia to my boyfriend, and talking about my fears meant I wasn’t keeping them in my head—and this released some pressure off me.
TL;DR:
My Top Tips for Surviving the Week After Having Wisdom Teeth Extracted:
- ✔️ Meal prep soft foods (soups, smoothies) for the week. You won’t feel like cooking at all.
- ✔️ Keep a cool pad on your jaw as much as you can. This definitely helps with the swelling.
- ❌ Don’t drink hot drinks or eat hot food.
- ✔️ Sleep with your head elevated.
- ✔️ Bleeding is normal!
- ❌ Don’t panic.
- ❌ Don’t Google too much!
- ✔️ Listen to your body.
- ✔️ Use the time to relax. Honestly—you deserve it.
- ✔️ Ice cream is your friend
Thanks for reading!
Laura
xoxoxo
Lessons I've Learnt being me 