Can i sleep on my side after wisdom teeth removal

If you are about to have your wisdom teeth removed, it's important to understand how to sleep after wisdom teeth removal. This is a routine procedure for which you may receive sedation, so you should have a plan for rest and recuperation post-surgery. As with any surgery, sleeping after the procedure can be challenging. Here are some tips on how to sleep safely and soundly after wisdom tooth extraction.

1. Sleep in the Proper Position With Supervision

According to postoperative instructions published by Dartmouth-Hitchcock, you should rest with your head elevated above your heart for the 24 hours following your tooth extraction. If you have gauze pads in your mouth to help with the bleeding, it's important to have someone present while you sleep to reduce the risk of choking on the gauze. Dartmouth-Hitchcock recommends asking someone to wake you up approximately every 20 minutes so you can check the gauze.

2. Take Pain Medication as Prescribed

Managing pain is an important part of how to sleep after wisdom teeth removal. The Mayo Clinic recommends following the instructions on your prescribed pain medication or taking over-the-counter medication, depending on your dentist's recommendations. Do not take more than what is recommended if you are still in pain — instead, call your dentist. Holding a cold pack against your jaw while you rest could also help you sleep after wisdom teeth removal.

3. Follow Other Postoperative Instructions

Staying fed and properly hydrated after wisdom teeth removal is important to ensure that your recovery goes smoothly. While the wounds will prevent you from eating normally, there are plenty of yummy options that you can still enjoy. The Mayo Clinic suggests eating soft foods, such as applesauce and yogurt, for the first 24 hours post-op. Drink plenty of water, but don't use a straw for at least a week, as the suction can pull the protective blood clot out of the socket, prolonging the bleeding that can interfere with a good night's sleep.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock's recommendations state that you should not brush, rinse or spit within the first 24 hours after your procedure. On the second day, you may brush your teeth and gently rinse with warm saltwater. While keeping the surgery site clean is important to prevent infection, the sockets need the first 24 hours undisturbed to begin healing properly.

4. Call Your Dentist if You Have Severe Symptoms

If your medication cannot control your pain, the Mayo Clinic urges you to call your dentist immediately. Also, if you experience excessive swelling or bleeding, this may be a sign of infection, and you should call your dentist right away.

Knowing how to sleep after wisdom teeth removal is imperative for the healing process. Make sure that you sleep in the correct position with supervision, take your medication properly and treat your mouth gently. If something goes wrong and you suspect infection, or if you're unable to sleep due to pain, contact your dentist. They can examine the surgery site and provide additional guidance on how to get quality sleep after your procedure.

If you have questions about sleeping after wisdom teeth removal, we first want to clarify the following; removing a tooth is a surgical procedure carried out under local anesthesia that requires enough rest time for a proper recovery. 

Due to the required rest time, some people sleep extra hours the following days after surgery. While this can help with the healing process, it can also be difficult at first. 

That is why many people have difficulty sleeping during the first days after a wisdom tooth removal, since lying on the side of the removed wisdom tooth (or teeth) produces pain and discomfort that can even persist while taking prescription painkillers. 

Here are a few tips to help you get a good night sleep, while taking care of the healing process.

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How to take care after wisdom tooth extraction?

After your wisdom teeth removal, a series of preventive care measures should be followed to avoid problems during the recovery process. 

These measures are followed to avoid infections, poor healing, and to promote the fastest possible recovery. 

The guidelines to follow are the next ones:

• Bite down on the surgical gauze until the dentist tells you to. Once the surgical process is over, the dentist will leave you with a surgical gauze with instructions to bite into it during the first 2 hours. It is important that you follow this guideline as this will stop the initial bleeding.
• Maintain a soft food diet. After the wisdom teeth are removed, a soft food diet is sought to avoid disruptions in the healing process. In this blog we talk about foods that you can eat under this type of diet.
• Do not perform demanding physical activities. You should postpone any physical activity that may cause re-bleeding from the extraction area. This includes exercise and any heavy manual labor.
• Avoid smoking. Tobacco is an irritant to the affected area. Also, the suction of a cigarette butt can cause new bleeding from the surgical area.

How should I sleep after wisdom teeth removal

After the general care guidelines mentioned above, we will now talk about sleeping after the wisdom teeth extraction. 

Since it is a surgical process, special care must be taken when sleeping. 

Not sleeping properly can cause bleeding to restart and lead to serious infections.

• Sleep on your back. Many times, we have teeth removed on our preferred side to sleep on. However, sleeping on the side of the extraction area can cause accidental bleeding, pain, and injuries from the pressure of your own body weight.
• Take medications as prescribed by your doctor. Some patients stop taking prescription drugs since they do no longer feel discomfort after the first few days, however, medications should be taken as prescribed by your doctor. This helps to avoid infections and general complications that can interrupt your sleep.
• Listen to relaxing music. Listening to soothing and relaxing music can help you to distract from pain and make you fall asleep more easily.

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So, what are you waiting for? You can contact us at Somos Dental through our telephone number 623-300-2752, or you can also contact us through our different contact methods, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and SMS, or you can also fill out our online form, which includes a free diagnostic appointment. 

You can also find us in one of our six different locations, which are in Mesa, Downtown PHX, Laveen, Glendale, West PHX, and Avondale.

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