How Long Is Recovery From Oral Surgery?

If your dentist or oral surgeon has recommended oral surgery, you’ll want to know how long the recovery time is. Bear in mind that oral surgery is can be major surgery. This is true if you are going under general anesthesia, such as the case of having all four wisdom teeth removed. You may also be having oral surgery for things like gum adjustments, gum grafts, dental implants and more. Make sure you understand how long recovery from oral surgery takes so that you can plan accordingly.

Prepare Your Body Ahead of Time

As soon as you learn that you’ll need oral surgery, you can actually start minimizing your recovery period by preparing your body. This means that when you undergo oral surgery you should make sure you’re as healthy as possible going in. Some things you can do include:

• Stop drinking alcohol
• Stop smoking
• Avoid junk foods
• Avoid sugary treats
• Fill up on vegetables
• Reduce caffeine intake
• Drink plenty of water
• Enjoy moderate exercise if able

If you are a person with addictive habits, you know that it can take a long time to form new habits like exercising, not smoking, etc. Just remind yourself that preparing for oral surgery is temporary. You can tackle the bigger problem of kicking addictions later on. This temporary break from bad habits is just to get your body in a healthier state prior to surgery. Doing so will greatly reduce your recovery time.

After Effects of Oral Surgery

The after-effects of oral surgery are what lead to your needed recovery period. In the 24 hours following oral surgery, you may experience nausea and/or vomiting. This is a side effect from the anesthesia, and it will work its way out of your system quickly. You’ll also be very groggy and weak coming out of surgery. Have a family member or friend with you who can drive you home and care for you at home.

Discomfort and Light Bleeding

You’ll have discomfort from the stitches and may have light bleeding. You’ll also have swelling, which will subside. All this will take about 10 days to fully subside.

You won’t be able to return to work for at least 10 days following oral surgery, so plan to take off two weeks to be sure you have enough time to recuperate.