Summer is Wisdom Teeth Removal Season

Parents, you’ve organized a fun Albuquerque summer for the family. You’ve set a limit on video games, late nights, and have a summer chore list on the refrigerator. You have planned tons of family activities: Isotopes home games and Zoo Concerts. Everyone is looking forward to summer. But your teen is balking at a scheduled wisdom teeth extraction. “Why summer?” s/he challenges. Here are five reasons for why summer is the season for wisdom teeth removal that you can present to your teen skeptic:

1. Wisdom teeth can cause other teeth to become misaligned and overcrowded.

The sooner these problem teeth go, the sooner the other teeth can take their positions without competition for space. For teens that have had braces, this reason might be enough.

2. Summer gives your teen time to recover.

Although wisdom teeth extraction is a common procedure, every case is different. Most teens take only three to four days to fully recover. For others, recovery can take up to a week. If your teen’s teeth are impacted, recovery may take a bit longer. During summer, your teen won’t have to worry about missing school and extra-curricular activities.

3. Chipmunk cheeks

It’s no fun to go out in public, let alone sit in AP Calculus, while recovering from oral surgery. Wisdom tooth removal, in particular, can cause facial swelling and bruising. This is easier to handle at home during the summer.

4. Post-Operative pain

Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) with an ice pack help keep the swelling and pain contained. That’s easiest to manage at home. If the wisdom teeth were impacted, the oral surgeon may even prescribe a small number of prescription pain meds. Due to the current drug crisis, codeine blends are now prescribed more prudently. These are medications that you should take at home and certainly not at school.

5. Popsicles, milk shakes, and smoothies

While recovering, your teen has an excuse to indulge in soft, non-acidic cold foods. Summertime foods. Remember, no straw! Add chilled apple sauce, yogurt, and Jello. Smoothies are healthy, but be careful of small seeds from fruit, which can get lodged in the healing wound.

If you have not yet scheduled an appointment to have your teen’s wisdom teeth assessed, it’s not too late. Call our office today at 505-898-1976, or fill out our convenient online scheduling form, and our staff will call you to set up an appointment that works for your schedule.