Having your wisdom teeth removed can be a relatively simple procedure that occurs while you're awake in a dentist's chair, or it may involve a more complex surgery under a general anesthetic in the hospital. Wisdom teeth usually make an appearance and start to cause trouble for people between the ages of 17 and 25. While it isn't a major surgery, certain activities should be limited for a short time afterward.
Wisdom Teeth
As wisdom teeth grow, the roots lengthen and may create complications with removal. Sometimes, a wisdom tooth becomes impacted, which means it is prevented from growing out because of its placement in relation to gums, bone or another tooth. Impacted wisdom teeth also require a more complex surgery. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons reports that the coarser diet of earlier humans caused a lot of wear on the teeth, which freed up space for wisdom teeth to come in. The softer foods of today make your wisdom teeth unnecessary, and surgical removal is often required.
Exercise
What you should and shouldn't do after having your wisdom teeth removed is largely based on the extent of the surgery. Having four impacted wisdom teeth removed is a lot different than having two removed that had broken through the gum line. The general consensus is to restrict all activity on the day of your surgery, and move around according to your comfort level after that. Any exercise that results in bleeding should be prohibited until you are sufficiently healed, and the fact that your food intake will be less than normal may result in weakness if you workout too intensely. If you consume water or a sports drink, do not use a straw to drink it, as doing so can disturb the blood clot at the incision site.
Keeping Clean
It is important to keep your wounds clean to help avoid infection so you can get back to your regular workout schedule as soon as possible. Infected gums will keep you out of the gym for even longer than you have to be. After surgery, avoid rinsing your mouth out or sticking your fingers in your mouth for at least 48 hours. Light brushing is allowed, but too much activity in there can dislodge blood clots that have formed. Beginning the day after surgery, you can rinse your mouth out a few times a day with warm water and a teaspoon of salt to keep it clean.
Considerations
If you have any questions or concerns about your surgery, or whether or not you can do certain exercises, contact your dentist or oral surgeon. Exercises such as resistance training will cause your blood pressure to rise quicker than a brisk walk and may spur bleeding at the incision site. Allow yourself to heal properly to avoid setbacks in the healing process after wisdom teeth extraction.
