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Heart Health: Don't Neglect Dental Care

Heart disease runs in my family, and I have been determined my entire life to not become a statistic. I eat well, and I exercise every day. I also visit my general practitioner every year for a full health check-up. One day, when discussing my family history of heart disease, my doctor asked me how often I visited the dentist. This was not a question I expected. I told her that I hadn't been to one in a while. She told me that a large part of keeping my heart in good shape was keeping my teeth healthy, and that I should start going to the dentist every 6-months. I researched online and found out how right she was! Now, I never skip a dental check-up. I created this blog to help others with heart problems in their families realize how important dental care is for them.

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Heart Health: Don't Neglect Dental Care

Having Your Wisdom Teeth Removed? Follow These Post-Op Rules To Make Sure You Heal Properly

18 November 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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You would think that the teeth that naturally grow inside of your mouth have a purpose for being there. However, you can blame evolution for the fact that wisdom teeth just don't always have enough room in the jawline to grow. When you don't have enough space for these molars to come in, they can crowd out the rest of your teeth and cause a great deal of pain, which means you will likely have to have surgery to have them removed.

The surgery to remove wisdom teeth is a simple one, but after the operation is over, it will be your responsibility to ensure your mouth properly heals. Here are a few simple rules to follow after wisdom teeth removal surgery to ensure that your mouth heals. 

Be especially cautious the day of the surgery. 

Immediately after you have your wisdom teeth removed is when you will have to be most careful. When you leave the hospital after wisdom teeth removal surgery, your mouth will be packed pretty firmly with gauze to help stop the bleeding. Only remove this gauze when it becomes saturated and make sure to promptly replace it with new pieces. Do this until the bleeding stops. Excessive activity can cause the site to bleed more than it should, so take it easy for the day. Also, don't brush or rinse your teeth vigorously for the first day and avoid touching the surgical site. 

Make sure you carefully exercise your jaw muscles for a few days after surgery. 

During the wisdom teeth removal process, your mouth will be held open wide for a while, so your jaw muscles will probably feel pretty sore and you may prefer to keep your mouth closed because of this. To help alleviate the soreness, however, it is best to carefully stretch and exercise your jaw muscles after surgery.

Be alert to swelling beyond the first few days. 

In general, the swelling inside of your mouth around the surgical site will reach it's peak after the first few days, but should then start to gradually subside. One of the most common signs of trouble after wisdom teeth removal is if your mouth suddenly flares up and starts to swell after it starts to heal. If your gums become swollen and sore after the swelling had initially subsided, contact your dentist right away because it may mean that the site is infected.