When To Excercise After Wisdom Teeth Removal
The thought of getting your wisdom teeth out can be concerning. Everyone has a different experience with this oral surgery, ranging from easy recovery times to dry sockets or infection. When I got my wisdom teeth out, my recovery landed in the middle of the two extremes. It wasn’t the easiest recovery period and a ton of swelling. However, I could function normally after a few weeks of cold packs and mashed potatoes. One of the biggest questions I had at the time was if I could exercise after getting my wisdom teeth removed? As an athlete, I was concerned that I would get behind on my practices and prowess.
So, when can you exercise after wisdom teeth removal? After you get your wisdom teeth removed, you should not do anything physically strenuous for at least 24 hours to start. After a few days and up to a few weeks, once your pain has decreased and can be controlled with an over-the-counter pain reliever, you may resume regular exercise and physical activity.
To be safe, it’s a good idea to wait a while before you go to your Zumba class or basketball practice after your get your wisdom teeth out. Even getting only one wisdom tooth extracted can still be a painful recovery, and you want to ensure your body heals as it should before you put too much strain on it. Exercising right after this oral surgery could endanger your blood pressure, thus making it difficult to fully heal and putting your health at an undue amount of risk. When it comes to exercising after getting your wisdom teeth extracted, it’s best to play it safe. If you’re curious about how to best recover from a wisdom teeth extraction surgery, then keep reading! We have some great tips on what to do (and not do) to best recover.
How Long Should You Wait to Exercise After Extraction?
The severity of your wisdom teeth extraction is dependent upon a variety of factors. Every extraction is likely to cause some pain during the recovery process. However, some situations will take less time to heal. If you have gotten your upper wisdom teeth extracted, or maybe only one, it’s most likely going to be an easier recovery time than if you get all four wisdom teeth removed or even just your lower two.
Other factors that come into play when it comes to wisdom teeth are how far the roots have planted themselves and if they are impacted, which would have caused some pain before the extraction. These things will play a role in how long your wisdom teeth removal recovery will be.
As a general rule, the dentists at Magnolia Family Dental advise patients to refrain from sports after wisdom teeth are removed. We recommend taking at least ten days before you begin exercising after you get your wisdom teeth removed.
If you decide you are recovered enough to proceed with physical activity, you should start small. If the action produces any pain, swelling, bleeding, or throbbing, we recommend that you stop immediately. Cease any strenuous activities for a few days and let your body rest. Keep in mind that although it’s common, wisdom teeth extractions are still surgery. Your body will need time and rest to recover fully.
Tips On Recovery After Wisdom Teeth Removal
When you get your wisdom teeth removed, there are a few tips that you’ll hear. Usually, these tips aim to avoid getting dry sockets, a painful condition that can lead to infection. Dry sockets are generally the product of the blood clots protecting the post-surgery area get dislodged and can’t protect your wound from getting infected with food and germs. To avoid getting dry sockets, it’s essential to rest and not make too many jarring movements to your jaw. It’s also vital not to suck through a straw, one of the leading causes of dry sockets. You should stick to soft foods, as well, while your mouth is still healing.
Please keep reading for our essential tips on recovering after you’ve had a wisdom tooth extraction!
Rest As Much As You Can
Be sure to get plenty of rest during your recovery. Especially the first few days after your surgery, you need to give your body the time it needs to recover properly.
Take It Slow
After the first few days of rest, you can ease back into your usual routines. Go for walks, rather than runs, or practice some very light stretching or yoga. Keep in mind that if you start to feel pain in your mouth or head, it’s best to stop.
Eat Mindfully
Usually, after getting wisdom teeth extracted, you’ll only be able to handle soft foods for a few days, up to a few weeks. Eating soft foods is normal, and it’s best to eat soft foods to avoid harming the affected area. However, as you start moving more days after your surgery, you will need more calories to sustain your activity. Keep in mind that as you begin to exercise again, you will need to eat more.
When I had my wisdom teeth out, I dropped several pounds and built my strength back up slowly. You can find a complete list of foods you should eat after wisdom teeth removal here.
Find Fun Things To Do
While it can be frustrating to pause your everyday life, whether that be exercising or other activities, there is plenty of things to try while you’re recovering.
Read A Book
You’ll have a few days at least to dive into a novel or a good memoir. Please do some research before your surgery and order some great books online or download them on your kindle. You can check out the library too! Most libraries have an e-book system, in case you need more options.
Get Creative
Recovery is an excellent opportunity to channel your creative side. Whether that be painting, coloring, or scrapbooking, these activities decrease stress and help you relax and recover.
Become a Gamer
There’s a reason people love video games. They are relaxing and can help pass free time. You can check out the fan-favorite game Animal Crossing or something more intense. There are tons of options when it comes to video games. Be sure to check what you can play on your specific devices since some games require a PC or other device or platform.
Learn Something New
Your recovery period is a great time to learn something new! You can consider this week of rest as being about you. You have the time to take online courses, sign-up for online workshops, and more. The world has never been so online before, so take advantage of it to learn a new skill or earn a certificate to help with your career. Or you could go a more creative route and take an online painting class or something similar. The world (or the internet) is your oyster.
Prepare For An Upcoming Event
If you’re an adult with little interest in video games, then you might consider using the time to plan for an upcoming event. Christmas shopping always creeps up fast, so you could get all of it done, even months in advance. You can also use that time to plan an event coming up, from a Christmas party, wedding, or maybe a birthday dinner.
With all the time, you can design something exceptional without the stress of not having enough time to plan thoroughly. You could also focus on planning a vacation or other trip. All of these events have one thing in common: they take a ton of time. Instead of stressing later about hotels, tickets, and itineraries, take your rest time to dream up something special. You’ll be glad you did!
Can You Run After Getting Wisdom Teeth Out?
The last question we sometimes hear after a wisdom tooth extraction is if it will be safe to run. We understand that consistent running is vital to maintain your training. However, our advice still stands. While you might have had a minor case, it’s still important to get enough rest after oral surgery. You should start to see a significant improvement after three days. However, you should wait at least five days before you begin running normally.
It’s ideal to note, however, that every situation is different. If you start to experience swelling, bleeding, or pain, then you should stop running immediately. If you’re still seeing these symptoms even after a week of rest, then you should continue to rest. Once you stop experiencing potentially harmful symptoms and have any pain controlled with an over-the-counter pain reliever, then you can slowly begin to build back up to your routine.
It’s okay to take a break and then slowly build back up to your usual workout intensity. Keep in mind that your health is more important than your exercise routine.
As you recover from your procedure, it is also important that you take time to review proper oral hygiene after wisdom teeth removal. We hope that these tips will help you during your wisdom teeth extraction!
