Wisdom teeth often appear between the ages of 15 and 25, and are often removed by your dentist to prevent crowding and potential tooth misalignment. To extract a wisdom tooth, your dentist removes small pieces of your gum-line and detaches connective tissues between your jawbone and the wisdom tooth. The procedure is somewhat painful, and results in a deep wound in the back of your mouth. Improper exercise can irritate the wound and disrupt healing. Follow the right safety precautions so you can return to your normal workout regimen shortly after tooth extraction.
Step 1
Wear a mouth guard during exercise for at least one month after wisdom tooth removal. Even when the wound is closed, the area can be tender and sore. Many people unknowingly clench their jaws during vigorous exercise. Without a mouth guard, clenching irritates the wisdom tooth extraction site.
Step 2
Take acetaminophen if you experience pain during the healing period. Ibuprofen is another popular over-the-counter pain reliever, but it isn't the best choice while your oral wound heals. Ibuprofen thins your blood and limits healing at the extraction.
Step 3
Eat soft foods before a workout to avoid irritating the wound. If your exercise regimen includes a protein bar, make sure it is chewy rather than rigid.
Step 4
Exercise with your normal workout regimen, but stop if you notice extra pain at the extraction site. Some daily pain is normal during the healing period, but your pain level should not increase dramatically during a workout. Extra pain is a sign that the wound isn't healed well enough for physical activity.
Tips and Warnings
- Visit to your dentist after five to seven days for a follow-up examination. Exercise raises your heart rate, causing increased blood flow. Faster blood flow stifles the healing process of an open wound. After about one week, the healing process is often far enough along to accommodate exercise, but in some cases infection slows the healing process.
Things You'll Need
- Mouth guard
- Acetaminophen
References
- Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh: Wisdom Teeth Extraction
- "Textbook of General and Oral Surgery"; David Wray, et al.; 2003
- "Textbook and Color Atlas of Traumatic Injuries to the Teeth"; J. O. Andreasen, et al.; 2007
- "Drugs and the Human Body: With Implications for Society"; Ken Liska; 2000
- "Modern Nutrition In Health And Disease"; Maurice Edward Shils, et al.; 2006
