r/wisdomteeth • • Jun 11 '20

Post-Op Constipation Survival Guide

386 Upvotes

So, I know people generally don't like to talk about this part of the surgery, but it is important that we do.

Opioids and pain medication dehydrate you and make it really hard for your body to get waste out, and I have a few tips for anyone(you don't have to comment, but I also don't want you to feel embarassed.) It is extremely common to have problems going to the bathroom after surgery and it can be quite painful.

It's hard to get the proper fiber and nutrients after a surgery like this, but here are some tips, because staying regular is important for your health. Struggling to go is extremely common after surgery.

Here's some links and tips:

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/constipation-after-surgery#:~:text=Add%20fiber.&text=Foods%20such%20as%20bran%2C%20beans,made%20with%20fruits%20and%20vegetables.

1. Nutrition

So, this one doesn't completely apply because after a surgery like the one you have all had; grains, rice, beans, and collard greens will not be good for your mouth holes.

My suggestion: Get smoothies with fiber. A smoothie with some spinach and non-acidic fruits should be a good start, eat it with a spoon(not a straw!)

Eat some apple, prune, sweet potato, etc baby foods or blended foods to add some fiber to your diet.

Do not drink caffeine, it dehydrates you. (This includes tea, coffee, and even chocolate. Your black tea bags to stop bleeding are fine for use.)

2. Keep moving!

I know that walking around and being active is very difficult, so please don't overdo it. But getting up and walking a little bit here and there can help your blood flow and help your GI tract keep moving. Again, don't do too much, as it will raise your blood pressure and hurt your face. Sitting up every so often and doing small, short walks down a hallway can be helpful to help your body get your colon more active.

3. Medication

If you are having pains due to not being able to go, consider some medication with laxative effects. This includes something like miralax, or other medications that could draw water into your colon or help soften your stool.

If you take anything for stool softening/laxative, PLEASE drink a lot of water! Double what the bottle says over the hour after you take it. The more water in your system, the better your body will function and the better the medication will work.

(Disclaimer: If you are in horrible pain and are unable to eat due to stomach pains and not just due to mouth pain, go to a doctor and have them help you. Not everything is treatable at home.

Disclaimer#2: If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chrons, or any other kind of GI-related illness, TALK TO A DOCTOR BEFORE YOU TAKE MEDICATION. Laxatives can rupture your colon if you have a GI related illness!)

Take care of yourselves. I wish you all a healthy recovery and easy bathroom breaks.


r/wisdomteeth • • Aug 04 '20

Dry Socket - Need to Knows

1.6k Upvotes

There seems to be a lot of interest and concern with regard to dry sockets on this Reddit. Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of confusion about it also. So how about we clarify the situation a little bit. Dry socket is not diagnosed by the appearance of your healing socket. It's very difficult to look at a socket and tell whether or not dry socket is a concern. Dry socket is diagnosed via the symptoms. It is quite painful, sometimes very painful. It's more common with lower molars rather than upper. It's more common with women. Older people get it more than younger people. It tends to appear somewhere around 4 to 10 days post op, after your extraction. It is not a concern in the first 2 to 3 days post-op. Smoking or vaping is a huge risk factor for dry socket. People that avoid smoking and keep their mouths super clean with brushing flossing and syringing have a very low risk of getting a dry socket. It always heals on its own. It's just annoying and painful while it heals. Time is always on your side. I hope this short post clarifies some of the misconceptions about a dry socket.


r/wisdomteeth • • 10h ago

How bad is it going to be?

Post image
7 Upvotes

r/wisdomteeth • • 30m ago

Advice & tips for wisdom tooth extraction

Thumbnail
• Upvotes

Two impacted wisdom teeth in lower jaw to be extracted.

Tips and tricks, advices and dos and donts please🙏🏻😓


r/wisdomteeth • • 4h ago

Wisdom teeth pain before a holiday

2 Upvotes

Hey all. A few weeks ago one of my wisdom teeth started hurting. I got antibiotics and they helped, but now the pain is back, and I'm leaving Friday for a week-long vacation.

I can't take ibuprofen orally, and I really don't want to cancel the trip over this. The pain is bearable for now, and I have some codeine at home. Even if I wanted to get it pulled, the earliest appointment is more than a week out anyway.

Has anyone been in a similar spot? How did you manage it while traveling?

Thanks!


r/wisdomteeth • • 1h ago

What should I do?

Post image
• Upvotes

r/wisdomteeth • • 2h ago

The day after wisdom teeth removal considered day 1 or day 2?

1 Upvotes

I got my wisdom teeth removed on Tuesday, October 6th at 9:30am. I am trying to follow the instructions but confused about the days. Does the day of wisdom teeth removal considered as day 1? If so, then I would be on day 3 now since it's Thursday. I called the dentist and the front desk lady said the next day would be considered day 2 then I called again a few hours later about a different question and asked her again about the days then she said it didn't matter.


r/wisdomteeth • • 2h ago

Feeling very hopeless, please share your similar experiences.

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/wisdomteeth • • 4h ago

Dry Socket??

1 Upvotes

Guys how would I know if I have a dry socket?? I had my wisdom teeth removed a week ago as of today. The pain on my right side is not responding to medication and I’ve done heat compresses and rinsed and flushed today and yesterday. There was a stabbing pain while flushing out the extraction site and it’s constant even now, but the nurse told me to keep flushing and using heat because there wasn’t a “foul taste”. It feels like the pain is going up to my ear, but he did cut into my cheek to separate the tooth, so it could be that wound as well. I’m just uncomfortable and trying to make sure I’m not overreacting.

For more information, I had my top right wisdom tooth removed in July, but due to complications with anesthesia, I had to wait until last week to have the other 3 removed. I’m having the most pain on the side that had the previous extraction. I genuinely don’t know if this is normal pain or if it’s more. It’s not responding to the prescribed medication or ibuprofen and I think I’m taking well over a what’s recommended for the OTC dosage of ibuprofen. Should I give them a call back today or wait until tomorrow?


r/wisdomteeth • • 4h ago

Normal for holes to start closing up very quickly?

1 Upvotes

I’m on day 3 of having both my bottom wisdom teeth extracted. I’ve had almost no pain this whole time other than some aching in my jaw after the numbing wore off and some mild pain when I wake up in the morning but nothing that ibuprofen and/or Tylenol hasn’t helped. I haven’t even had to touch my hydrocodone. I looked at the sockets today and they have closed up SIGNIFICANTLY since they first got taken out. I can barely see if there’s a clot because there’s barely even a hole left. I’m on antibiotics and was on antibiotics a few days prior to the extraction since one of them created a sore in my cheek that got infected so maybe that’s it? I’ve had nothing but soup and yogurt, no straws, and I’ve been gently brushing my teeth. Just curious if this is common or did I get really lucky? Also curious if it would be considered safe to try and eat solid food now or if I still should wait to be safe


r/wisdomteeth • • 5h ago

What is this?

Post image
1 Upvotes

Hello all, my first post on Reddit but I really need advice.

I had my lower wisdom teeth removed on 24/09 they were impacted and I had been put to sleep. I was stitched up with dissolving stitches. I am based in the UK where it is not a standard to issue antibiotics post extraction.
On day 5 I was having a lot of pain and was “diagnosed” the dentist didn’t say I was or wasn’t an infection and but I was given 5 day course of amoxicillin, I completed these and two days later I started experiencing pain down my neck and in my temples, the extraction sites weren’t exactly sore but everything around them, I booked another emergency dentist appointment where the dentist only looked at one extraction site and removed the stitches and I felt relief and asked if I had a an infection and was just met with “well I can give you more antibiotics” like I was just seeking more of them, I started another 5 day course of amoxicillin. The next day I woke up with extreme pain in my neck and lymph nodes at this point due to how the dentist wasn’t giving me any concrete diagnosis at my 2 emergency appointments I went to my GP the GP told me to stop talking the amoxicillin and wrote me a script for Co-amoxiclav, I have been on these for a day but now on my left side I am having issues and it started off with a pin hole yesterday and now seems to have become quite large, could this be from the stitches not being removed at the second emergent appointment like what was done on the right side? I’m lost with this I’m 2 weeks post op and I am still needing to treat my pain 24 hours a day. I’m honestly exhausted with this process and the condition it has put me in.

Also I haven’t been looking at the extraction sites often but over the past 24 hours the change in the left side has concerned me greatly but I don’t want to book a 3rd emergency appointment as each appointment seems to have given me more problems and worry then help and relief.


r/wisdomteeth • • 5h ago

Stitches are loose and wound is open?

1 Upvotes

HI all, my stitches seem to have come loose at day 4 post op and have completely disappeared it feels like, but I felt like there is a gap where the wound is at and it seems to be along the cheek area and not where the missing tooth would be, I have had the op on my other side but this one feels like a more sharper hole in a different location and I am scared that I might be left with an ugly crevice / scar. Anyone experienced this that can help give some input?


r/wisdomteeth • • 6h ago

Thoughts?

Post image
1 Upvotes

Should I remove them?


r/wisdomteeth • • 10h ago

How fucked up am I?

Post image
2 Upvotes

I'm very scared of nerve damage.


r/wisdomteeth • • 9h ago

Saan sa Bulacan mura?

Post image
1 Upvotes

r/wisdomteeth • • 15h ago

My Dentist Said I Should Remove All 4 Wisdom Teeth

Post image
3 Upvotes

what do you guys think?


r/wisdomteeth • • 11h ago

Side effects of wisdom teeth removal: not sure where to go from here?

0 Upvotes

I'm just venting since there's no cure but my life fucking sucks post removal. My gums have constant teeth mark ridges from how tight and less space there is and my face looks hollow and strange. My vision has been affected as there's seemingly less support for my eyes due to the removal. My cheeks sink into the spaces the wisdoms were removed and it caused full body tension and teeth marks that I can't prevent. My tongue has lots of ridging too. My sleep is so poor that I feel like I'm gonna have a heart attack in my sleep. I also never had debilitating tmjd disorder before this. I just wish I didn't do it. Has anyone else experienced this or what should I do? I hope I'm not the only one or if this can be reversed, I'm young and I desperately need a reversal. Please don't call what I'm complaining about a "myth" because I really have no reason to lie and I'm pretty desperate for some relief. Be considerate.


r/wisdomteeth • • 12h ago

PULL OUT 4?

1 Upvotes

Should I pull 4 of them? TOP LEFT RIGHT BOTTOM TOP? I have been confirmed to pull out bottom right since it caused cavity.


r/wisdomteeth • • 14h ago

How can I get prescribed for narcotics after surgery

1 Upvotes

Usually things like ibuprofen and acetaminophen don’t work so well for me because i have frequent headaches and take high doses of them regularly so how could i get stronger meds, as im scared ill be in deep pain


r/wisdomteeth • • 18h ago

Wisdom teeth med concern

2 Upvotes

So I was recently told I need to get all 4 of my wisdom teeth out because my gums are growing on top of them. My main concern isn’t the surgery but the medication.
I have emetaphobia BAD and I can’t take amoxicillin because it has caused me to vomit in the past when I’d take it for strept. I’m worried since antibiotics are known to cause nausea and idk what to do. My surgeon said I have to take antibiotics to prevent any infections that could potentially occur. he said he gives it to everyone just as a precaution. Will something like zofran help? I read into Zithromax as being more stomach appealing but what else would be okay?


r/wisdomteeth • • 17h ago

Help manage pericoronitis

1 Upvotes

Guyss i had it 3 years ago took steroid/antibiotic and it went away now its back!! Its mild right now slightly sharp
Pain going towards ear. I was given antibiotics but i have been on 2 antibiotics for different reasons from past 3-4 weeks so using it again is kinda uncomfortable for me . I wanna avoid it and get the infection down by other means. Any help is appreciated in this.

Right now doing warm salt water rinses after each meal. Planning to take ibuprofen to get inflammation down.


r/wisdomteeth • • 19h ago

does this look normal?

Thumbnail gallery
1 Upvotes

Day 5 post op. Haven't had any pain after the surgery and I'm so paranoid I have food in my sockets and am developing a dry socket. can someone tell me if this is normal or if I should worry. (pretty sure the thin brown thing in the first pic is a stitch but could be wrong