From the day of to weeks later, here’s a general timeline you can expect for your wisdom tooth
extraction sites to heal.

Immediately After: 1-3 Days of Soreness

After the procedure, blood clots will form over the surgical site and protect your wisdom teeth
sockets until they heal. Many people choose to have their wisdom tooth extractions done on a Friday so that they can
rest the weekend. This is sound logic, as most people can generally expect about 1-3 days of
soreness following the procedure. The pain is usually controlled with medication that you’ll
receive from your dentist.

You should ideally plan at least 2 days to rest without working or any intense activity after the
procedure. This includes any moderate to intense exercise. Your oral surgeon can let you know
more about what to expect based on your particular case.

Weeks Later: On Your Way to Healing

You still need to take it easy when it comes to brushing and chewing even after the soreness
subsides and you resume your regular activities.

It could take up to 3 weeks for the softer tissues to completely heal and for your mouth to feel
close to normal again. This will vary from person to person, based on factors such as your
health, age, and if your dentist needed to remove more bone or tissue than normal during your
procedure based on the position of your wisdom teeth.

Some people may still experience soreness a week after the procedure, so don’t be alarmed. Be
sure to speak with your oral surgeon about what you should expect. There will also be signs to
look out for, such as if your pain or swelling gets worse or if you notice any signs of infection.
Always call your dentist or oral surgeon with any questions you may have!

Months Later: Bone and Tissue Rebuild

Finally, once your discomfort is gone and you can eat, drink, and brush normally, your mouth
will heal itself from the inside. Now that your surgical site is mostly healed and your sutures are
dissolved, the bone and tissue will rebuild itself and your mouth will be completely healed. This
usually takes a minimum of 6 weeks and up to 6 months.

Don’t worry—you won’t feel a thing while your body ensures that your jaw bone is totally
healed and you can enjoy life without the worry of wisdom teeth!

To sum up, you can expect roughly 3 days of mild discomfort after your procedure, with up to
2-3 weeks being normal for the inner tissues to heal. You can expect your bone and deep
tissues to completely heal after a few weeks and up to a few months. Your wisdom teeth
recovery will be much faster than you think, and you’ll be back to normal again before you
know it!

The post How Long Will My Wisdom Tooth Removal Take to Heal? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

They Were Essential to Our Ancestors

Wisdom teeth likely became part of the human jaw on account of our distant ancestors. These people ate a diet that consisted of lots of raw, crunchy foods such as roots, plants, and nuts. Even meat could be difficult to consume for people who lacked the proper utensils! These third molars were present in people who had larger jaws than we did. Over thousands of years, our jaws and our faces have actually gotten smaller. We no longer have the need for huge jaws with lots of teeth. Although our ancestors likely found wisdom teeth to be a great help when chewing their food and preventing their teeth from wearing down too much, today, wisdom teeth are really no longer needed.

Evolution Has Rendered Them Unnecessary

On account of our smaller jaws, there’s no longer room for an additional four large molars in our jaws. Although wisdom teeth come in at a time when the jaw is fully developed, there still just isn’t much use for them today. Our foods have also gotten easier to eat. No longer do we need to crunch on raw roots and plants when we have the ability to cook meals and cut up our meat for easy consumption. Today, wisdom teeth do more harm than good to the majority of people. Wisdom teeth often become impacted in modern humans. Impacted wisdom teeth do not have enough room to erupt through the jaw and end up crowding the other teeth or causing pain. In fact, impacted wisdom teeth have been happening to humans for centuries. The oldest case dates back to the skeleton of a woman found in France who lived 15,000 years ago! Her remains showed severely impacted third molars.

Wisdom Teeth Today

35% of people never even develop wisdom teeth. The possible cause of this is because evolution may be phasing them out again, as modern humans no longer need wisdom teeth. Some people may develop less than four wisdom teeth. It’s rare to have more than four, however. Wisdom teeth cause of host of problems to people today. They can cause infection if they don’t erupt through the gumline all the way. They are difficult to brush, can cause jaw pain, crowded teeth, and ruin orthodontic work.

It’s no wonder that many people find removing their wisdom teeth is a simple solution to experiencing pain, discomfort, or crooked teeth from impaction. Although wisdom teeth were certainly helpful at one point, wisdom teeth are commonly removed today. Our ancestors used their third molars to help them consume foods that were essential to their health. Now, we have smaller jaws and less room for wisdom teeth than our descendants did!

The post Why We Have Wisdom Teeth: Explained! appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.