Reduction and/or prevention of swelling after wisdom teeth extraction?

i'm getting my wisdom teeth removed on wednesday morning... i'm getting all four out, and they're all impacted. im getting it under general anesthesia. i have a very high pain tolerance so im not as much worried about the pain as i am about the swelling. What can i do to reduce it or make it go away as much as i can 2-3 days after the teeth are pulled out (besides ice packs, i already know about those)?





also about the ice packs, should i keep them on 24/7 or put them on and off?





any help would be greatly appreciated.

Reduction and/or prevention of swelling after wisdom teeth extraction?
I say, take it EASY for a day or two. Keep ice on your face for the first day - 20 minutes on and 10 minutes off. Keep your head elevated as much as possible for the first 24 hours. If you lay down after surgery and for sleeping the first night, use an extra pillow or so. Better yet, sleep in a recliner so your head is definitely elevated.
Reply:You're welcome. I hope it all goes well. Report It

Reply:when I had mine out, there was no swelling, guess they used a small hammer.





I was back at school and work within a day or so. my ex didn't have any swelling either.





Just following the icing instructions, there is not much else you can do. good luck.
Reply:Ice packs are about it.





15 minutes on, 15 minutes off; this ensures you don't give yourself frostbite.
Reply:Other then the general inability to eat well for about 3 days you should have no problems. I just had one top one out about 2 months ago and it took the doc about 1 minute to have it out painlessly after 2 shots of novacaine.This is the 2nd one I had out so far. I had an ex girlfriend who took general anesthesia and I thought the effects from that were much worse than the procedure (nausea and basically ruining a day feeling under the weather). Both times I didnt even need aspirin so hopefully yours goes as well.
Reply:Ice on as soon as possible continuously at first. Then the stitches will tighten before they dissolve.





You might be only able to eat through a straw the first week.


So get some Ensure and broth and or protein shakes.





Rinsing with warm salt water will help heal faster and ask about peroxide and water rinse?
Reply:Have you asked your surgeon this question?





I remember being told to alternate ice packs with hot (yep, hot!) wash cloths after having oral surgery. But please don't do this without asking your doctor!





They may instruct you to prop your head up when you sleep. Putting your head on two pillows or finding a way to keep your head and upper body slightly elevated should help keep the swelling down.





There's a homeopathic remedy for swelling and bruising: it's called "arnica." Some plastic surgeons actually recommend it to their patients. It comes in the form of very tiny pills that you pop into your mouth and let dissolve (obviously you'll want to keep them away from the surgery sites). I can't promise that arnica works wonders, but homeopathic remedies don't interfere with other medications (anti-biotics, pain meds, etc.), so it might be worth a try.





Good luck!



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