What type of job do you have? It will be easier to resume an office or desk job with little physical work the next day. If your job requires heavy lifting or intense movement, you'll probably want to stay home for a day or two, or even longer. Every patient is unique, but most can return to work two or three days after the wisdom tooth extraction procedure. Removing wisdom teeth is almost like a rite of passage, but it still involves a surgical procedure, no matter how routine it may be.
Therefore, patients should set aside some time for recovery. Unless the patient has postoperative complications, most people can return to work (sedentary jobs) or school within 2 to 3 days after the extraction. For jobs that require more strenuous activity, a little more recovery time may be needed. Make plans to be able to go home for the rest of the day after the extraction procedure.
If you have more aggressive or complicated activities in mind (even over the next few days), you should discuss them with your dentist. For specialized care in the midwest Indiana metropolitan area, schedule wisdom tooth extraction at Richmond Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. If the wisdom teeth are impacted (stuck in the gums), the oral surgeon will need to modify the surrounding tissues and bones. Usually, your oral surgeon will ask you to take at least 48 to 72 hours to relax afterwards so that the treatment area is allowed to clot.
Especially after more complicated extraction procedures, the patient may continue to experience discomfort when eating, talking, postoperative pain or swelling for a few days after surgery and, therefore, appreciate the possibility of having more free time. Follow your oral surgeon's aftercare instructions and you'll be able to resume your normal work routine fairly quickly. As a side note, this article found that patients significantly underestimated the number of days it would take to recover from surgeries (approximately 2.7 days) compared to general anesthesia—these are the types of services likely to be provided in the office of a general dentist or oral surgeon. Your oral surgeon will discuss all the postoperative aspects of your care, including how long you should restrict activity after the procedure, in your office before scheduling wisdom teeth removal.
This should be discussed beforehand by the patient and their oral surgeon so that the patient can coordinate it with their employer if necessary.
