I am 19 and had all 4 impacted wisdom teeth removed on 12-22-14. It did not hurt much afterwards and went to a follow-up a week after. He said everything looked good, just use the syringe 1 more week. The next day the lower-left one started to hurt; I think I poked it with a cracker or something. 3 days later the gums around the area was swollen and a little red on one spot. On 1-1-15, it was quite painful that night, but I had eaten some crunchy food earlier that day on the same side and probably made it worse. I rinsed it a lot with salt water using the syringe, which made it hurt more. After about an hour, the pain suddenly disappeared and next morning the swelling on the gums was gone. The muscle below my lower lip is slightly stiff/tight and a little swollen but does not hurt. I was afraid it was infected but it no longer hurts, only slightly tender. Should I be concerned anymore?

Heidi,

It is best to try and avoid crunchy foods or anything that could get lodged in the wounds. You should be on a nutritious, soft food diet until the holes close over most of the way.

There is no way anyone here can tell you if you have a problem brewing or not. It is best to have the OS evaluate the sites and not assume everything is okay.

Bryanna

Thanks for answering. Today it feels better; the gum area around the last molar is a little sore but is not unusually red. I've been eating on the other side so there would be less irritation. There is no swelling, discharge, or fever indicating an infection. The surgeon said I could eat anything I was confortable with but I am going to stay away from chips and nuts for a while. Could spicy things also be irritating it?

Heidi,

If the surgeon told you it's okay to eat anything you want, he misspoke because you should most definitely be mindful of what you are eating to avoid post complications.

For the first 3-4 weeks post op, it is best to eat a nutritious soft food diet, drink plenty of water throughout the day and not use a straw, avoid anything that requires a lot of chewing because your jaw has been through a lot of trauma and it needs to rest, and avoid spicy or other irritating foods. You have open surgical wounds in your mouth that go deep into the jaw bone. You have to keep that in mind when you eat and drink.

Also avoid any mouthwash as the chemicals will only irritate the wounds. Avoid smoking and alcohol as they too are very irritating to the wounds.

Bryanna