Keeping your mouth clean after getting wisdom teeth out is vital for proper healing and avoiding infection.
In addition to gentle brushing and avoiding the extraction site, there is an everyday bathroom habit you must hit the pause button on. Simply spitting water out can completely disrupt your recovery.
Here’s what to know and how to keep your healing on track after wisdom tooth removal in Charleston.
How Forceful Spitting Disrupts Healing
It’s an automatic habit to spit in the sink after brushing your teeth. The motion requires a sudden, tight contraction of your cheek and lip muscles to push the water out, which is detrimental to a healing extraction site. The muscular contraction creates a violent rush of pressure inside your mouth. Because the fresh healing clots in the back of your jaw are still soft and unanchored, that pressure wave can pop them straight out, contributing to infection or dry sockets.
The Safer Alternative
Instead of forcefully spitting, you need to let gravity do all the work for you. When you are finished gently brushing your front teeth or rinsing your mouth, walk over to the bathroom sink and lean your head forward so your chin is hovering just above the drain. Open your mouth wide, relax your lips, and simply let the water fall out of your mouth naturally. It might look a little messy or feel a bit silly at first, but it helps protect your healing site.
Introduce the Healing Salt-Water Bath
Starting on day two, you can help promote healing with warm salt-water rinses after every meal or snack. Mix half a teaspoon of regular table salt into a glass of warm water. Take a small sip, close your mouth, and gently tilt your head from side to side so the warm fluid can float over the extraction sites. Do not swish or blow your cheeks out like you are using mouthwash. Let the salt water sit against the tissues for 30 seconds to reduce swelling and kill harmful bacteria.
Healing-Focused Wisdom Tooth Removal in Charleston
Taking care of your smile after oral surgery doesn’t have to be a stressful or painful experience. Our team at Carolina Family Dentistry offers ample aftercare tips to help you promote healing and reduce the risk of complications.
Let us take all the stress out of your recovery process. Schedule a consultation with our team for wisdom tooth extraction in Charleston today.
