We get many questions from our readers regarding pain and what to expect after wisdom teeth surgery. Good news is you’ve come to the right place as Oral Surgeons we perform hundreds of wisdom teeth extraction per year. We see many of our patients for follow up and we have had the chance to ask each and every one about their experience, good or bad.
The good news is most patients have a relatively good recovery. The bad news is pain is a subjective thing. Some patients report having no pain whatsoever while others complain of extreme pain.
We usually will prescribe an anti-inflammatory as well as opioids as needed to help manage post surgical pain and swelling.
Most pain and swelling should resolve within 5 – 7 days providing there is no other post-surgical complication. So long as you take your prescribed medications you should feel minimal discomfort.
Another method to help minimize pain is to place ice packs on the face, the coolness helps to soothe the pain along with slow the release of inflammatory mediators hence minimizing inflammation/swelling.
Hope this helps answer the question regarding post wisdom teeth surgery pain and recovery. Not exactly black and white but this is the general experience for most patients.