Can I Sleep on My Side After Wisdom Teeth Removal? - Smart Sleeping Tips (2023)

FAQs

Can I sleep on my side after having wisdom teeth out? ›

Choose the Right Position

During the initial stages of healing, the tooth extraction site may ooze. Because of this, sleeping on your side is best, at least for the first night. Plus, if you lie flat on your back, you might experience more swelling.

Following any type of oral surgery, including a tooth extraction, you should sleep elevated for the first 2-3 nights. This allows your body to drain more of the fluid away from the extraction site. If you were to lie flat on your back, the amount of swelling is much more likely to increase.

Remove Gauze Pads From your Mouth Before Sleep

Make sure to remove all gauze from your mouth before going to sleep. It's highly dangerous and potentially fatal to keep gauze in your mouth while sleeping. Remove everything from your mouth, take any prescribed medicines, and drink cool water if possible.

Inclined bed therapy involves raising a person's head above their feet when they are lying down. People use inclined bed therapy to ease certain health conditions. A person can use special beds, mattresses, bed risers, or pillows to sleep in an inclined position.

Bed rest the first 2 days is essential after surgery to hasten recovery and prevent complications. Stay down with your head elevated all day the first day, mild activity on the second day, and do what you feel like you are up to on days 3 and 4.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Take pain medications as prescribed. Avoid smoking or using tobacco products. Drink plenty of clear liquids to remain hydrated and to prevent nausea that may be associated with some pain medications. Rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water several times a day.

#3: Avoid certain foods – Stay away from foods that can get stuck in your socket, such as nuts, seeds, chips and sticky candies. Instead, opt for soft foods immediately after your surgery, like yogurt, applesauce or mashed potatoes.

Stick to water and soft foods.

In addition, drink lots of water but avoid sugary, carbonated, or caffeinated beverages. Additionally, do not use straws, as the suction from the straw could dislodge the blood clot.

Try elevating your head by using an extra pillow at night to help reduce swelling and promote clotting. Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your side allows you to more easily keep your head propped up on a pillow compared to sleeping on your back. Apply ice.

Do you leave gauze in while sleeping? ›

As you head to bed to hit the sack, make sure to take all gauze out of your mouth before you fall asleep. Leaving gauze in your mouth is extremely dangerous and can be a choking hazard.

It is advisable to use an old pillow case as not to damage your favorite ones. Please remove the gauze when you eat or drink. Do not sleep with the gauze in your mouth. Pay special attention to the placement of the gauze , making sure it is over the surgical site and not just between the teeth.

The American Dental Association recommends you keep gauze over your extraction site for 30 to 45 minutes after surgery. This encourages a blood clot to form and can help prevent dry socket.

Gauze placed against the wound will draw blood from the clot and this, likewise, is not a sign of bleeding. Place an old towel over your pillow for the first night to reduce risk of staining. If the bleeding persists, contact the office.

The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for about 45 minutes, or until you get something soft to eat/drink, such as a milkshake or smoothie. You may take the gauze out to eat or drink, and then replace it as needed when you are done.

The worst sleep position: On your stomach

“This position puts the most pressure on your spine's muscles and joints because it flattens the natural curve of your spine,” he says. “Sleeping on your stomach also forces you to turn your neck, which can cause neck and upper back pain.”

Sleeping on your left side is thought to have the most benefits to your overall health. Still, either side can offer benefits in terms of sleep apnea and chronic lower back pain relief. You don't have to stick with one side the entire night. Feel free to start on your left side and see how your body feels.

Patients may first notice the pain starting in the ear radiating down towards the chin. The symptoms are usually worse at night, and your pain medication regimen may not help. Occasionally it is helpful to place a medicated dressing in the empty tooth socket.

Do wisdom teeth change face shape? ›

The part of your jaw where the wisdom teeth grow is known as the 'dental alveolus. ' This portion is separate from the basal jawbone, the part that determines your jaw's shape. In short, removing the wisdom teeth will not impact your jawbone or face shape.

Another common symptom of a dry socket is a bad or sour taste in your mouth. This can be one of the first signs of infection, so don't let that smell linger without taking swift action. Swish warm salt water or a dentist-recommended rinse in your mouth gently before getting on the books at your local dental office.

One of the best things you can do is rinse your mouth with warm saltwater. This will help to remove any food particles that could be irritating your dry socket and promote blood clotting. You want to make sure that you're using warm water and not hot because hot water could further irritate your wound.

It may take several weeks for the gum tissue to grow over the sockets. Food will probably get stuck in the sockets until they close over completely.

Dislodge the food by gently rinsing your mouth with warm salt water (saline) solution. Avoid swishing the water around and don't spit—this can lead to painful dry sockets. If you received a syringe from your clinician, you can use warm water or salt water to gently flush the socket clean.

While the blood clot is forming, you may get food particles in the hole. This is perfectly normal. If the food particle isn't too uncomfortable, leaving it alone is an option, and it'll eventually dislodge itself.

Dry socket may be caused by a range of factors, such as an underlying infection in the mouth, trauma from the tooth extraction or problems with the jawbone. The condition occurs more often with wisdom teeth in the lower jaw than with other teeth. You are also more likely than others to develop dry socket if you: smoke.

Who gets dry socket? Research shows that women are slightly more likely than men to develop dry socket. This is probably due to estrogen, as the hormone may dissolve blood clots. Additionally, dry socket happens more often on the lower jaw than the upper jaw.

The drawing action of sucking in, and the force applied when spitting, can dislodge the blood clot. Sneezing and coughing can also dislodge a blood clot. Hard or crunchy foods can displace the blood clot.

The highest risk for this condition is between days 2-3 after tooth extraction. After day 4, the risk of dry socket is passed. This condition rarely happens (about 4% of all extractions) and is most common after bottom wisdom teeth extraction.

Is it normal to feel tired 3 days after tooth extraction? ›

Your body is using energy to heal itself, so you may feel more tired than usual – this is perfectly normal.

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) is one of the most common complications of wisdom tooth removal. It's where a blood clot fails to develop in the tooth socket, or if the blood clot becomes dislodged or disappears. This can happen 3 to 5 days after surgery.

Why does tooth extraction pain hurt more at night? It's normal to feel more dental pain of any kind at night. When we lie down, more blood and other fluids travel to our heads. This can increase swelling in a sensitive, healing area like an extraction socket, creating more pain.

Immediately Following Surgery

The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for 1-2 hours. After this time, the gauze pad should be replaced every 1-2 hours with the extra gauze given. The gauze should be used until the bleeding has slowed or stopped.

Home Instructions After Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Please make sure someone stays with you for at least the first 4 hours after you arrive home. If you suddenly stand from a lying position, you may become dizzy or nauseated. You will need someone to watch you carefully during the transition period after surgery.

It's usually recommended that you take a day or two off work after having a wisdom tooth removed. You won't need a sick note from your doctor or dentist for this.

A little oozing is normal and may persist for several hours. Keep gauze on the surgical area with some pressure (biting) for 30–45 minutes. Remove the gauze after 30–45 minutes and replace it with a new piece of gauze if you are still bleeding. It is important to make sure the gauze is directly on the surgical site.

Try to avoid rinsing and spiting for the rest of the day of your surgery. This tends to disturb the blood clot that is forming and can prolong bleeding and healing. Saliva can be swallowed, even if slightly blood tinged.

Dressings are “packed” lightly into the socket and provide immediate pain relief. They typically remain in place for three to five days. Some will slowly break up in a few days, but gauze may require another trip to the dentist to be removed.

As an alternative to gauze pads, a moistened tea bag can be used, as the tannic acid helps blood vessels contract.

Does dry socket pain start immediately? ›

With dry socket, pain begins a few days after surgery and gets significantly worse. The pain may feel like it covers the whole side of your mouth or face. You may be extra sensitive to cold drinks since soft tissues and nerve endings are exposed. Call your dentist if you suspect dry socket.

You can simply drink normal water after one or two hours but if you are looking to drink any soda, acidic drink or an alcohol, you must wait for at least a week after tooth extraction.

A fallen nasal packing gauze into the throat or deeper potentially results in serious complication such as airway obstruction [2], aspiration [4], and bowel perforation [5].

Drink lots of water after the surgery. Don't drink alcoholic, caffeinated, carbonated or hot beverages in the first 24 hours. Don't drink with a straw for at least a week because the sucking action can dislodge the blood clot from the socket.

The bleeding should stop within 2-3 hours, but you can expect to see blood-tinged saliva for up to 24-48 hours following surgery. If bleeding is heavy, or continues after 2 hours, moisten a tea bag, place on surgical site, and apply pressure or bite firmly for 30 minutes. This usually stops the bleeding.

If you run out of gauze, most pharmacies sell it or you can bite on tea bags; the tannic acid in tea helps in clot formation.

Choose the Right Position

During the initial stages of healing, the tooth extraction site may ooze. Because of this, sleeping on your side is best, at least for the first night. Plus, if you lie flat on your back, you might experience more swelling.

for 24 hours, avoid rinsing, spitting, hot drinks or anything else that may dislodge the blood clots that form in the empty tooth socket (they help the healing process) avoid smoking and drinking alcohol for 24 hours. eat soft or liquid food for a few days and chew with your other teeth.

Keep gauze on the surgical area with some pressure (biting) for 30–45 minutes. Remove the gauze after 30–45 minutes and replace it with a new piece of gauze if you are still bleeding. It is important to make sure the gauze is directly on the surgical site. Firm pressure for another hour should stop the bleeding.

What happens if I accidentally spit after wisdom teeth? ›

No Spitting: Do not spit for the first 7 days. Spitting can dislodge a blood clot, triggering bleeding and severe dry socket pain. If you feel like you need to spit, gently rinse water in your mouth and then let the water passively fall into the sink.

Do not be concerned if they unravel quickly after surgery. They are designed to be temporary. This will not affect the healing. No showers for the first 48 hours baths are fine.

Swallow as you normally do on a daily basis. Once the gauze pads are removed, eat and drink. Foods that are conducive are light and soft (i.e. pasta, eggs, soups, milk shakes, mashed potatoes, boiled chicken, turkey, flakey fish etc.) If you don't feel like eating much, drink a lot of fluids, and stay well hydrated.

Pain Management

Discomfort is normal after the extraction of teeth and typically peaks on days 2–4. The local anesthetic administered during your surgery normally has a duration of about 2-8 hours. Many patients are able to manage pain after surgery with over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as Tylenol® and Motrin®.

With a typical wisdom tooth extraction, discomfort typically improves after 3 or 4 days, with day three usually being the most noticeable in regard to discomfort. If you are developing an infection or dry socket, the pain may last as long as two weeks without professional treatment.

Try elevating your head by using an extra pillow at night to help reduce swelling and promote clotting. Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your side allows you to more easily keep your head propped up on a pillow compared to sleeping on your back. Apply ice.

In most cases, the wisdom teeth on the upper jaw heal faster than those on the lower jaw. The difference in healing time is mainly due to the higher density of the lower jawbone, which means it takes longer to achieve sufficient jawbone growth to replace the empty region.

DO Stay Hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids when you're recovering from third molar extraction. Hydration helps ensure proper healing, so aim for a minimum of eight glasses of water every day.