Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery
Photo credit: SK Family Dental
My daughter recently had her wisdom teeth removed. There were a lot of things that were different or that I didn’t remember from when my oldest two had theirs removed. I have one more that will need to go through this and I’m making sure it is all written down!
Wisdom Teeth Regrets With The Oldest Two
From my oldest two, I have regrets about the doctor we used and how things went after getting their wisdom teeth out. I thought it would be best to do the two together at the same time and just get it over with. That was my first mistake! It wasn’t like we were getting a deal or anything by doing it at the same time. I also didn’t realize how hard it would be to have two kids going through this pain at the same time.
We went to the Wisdom Teeth guy. The only thing he does is wisdom teeth. We showed up and they removed them; we didn’t see the dentist before or after the surgery. I was not very impressed.
After Surgery
My oldest did great, right after surgery. She was a little groggy and giggly. However, daughter #2 woke up in tears and kept crying. It always breaks my heart when she cries, for any reason.
Shortly after they were awake a nurse helped me walk the girls to my car. When we got to the car, daughter #2 passed out and we rushed her back inside for a few minutes. #1 was giggling the entire way and I was a little freaked out. After a few minutes, daughter #2 was put in a wheelchair and wheeled out to the car. When we got home she passed out 2 or 3 more times and it was really scary!
After 3 or 4 days daughter #2 was doing really, really well and was beginning to feel good. However, daughter #1 who had a fairly easy time after surgery went downhill from there! Her teeth were very impacted and turned in funny directions and had to really be dug out! She had a long and hard recovery time! In fact, it has been 6 years and she still feels like they have never healed right!
We have learned, since then that #1 doesn’t respond to many medications very well. What I mean by that is that pain killers and anti-inflammatories have very little effect on her.
I also made the mistake of not realizing that a protein drink is actually a meal replacement and would put pounds on. So, not only did daughter #1 have a difficult recovery and tons of pain, but she also put on weight, which didn’t help the situation.
What I did differently with #3
Recovering like a champ and hardly swollen! Day 1
With #3 we went to an oral surgeon to have her wisdom teeth removed. The oral surgeon met with her to discuss her teeth, what she would experience and talk about concerns and medical history. This was especially good since she has had some severe allergies and is allergic to penicillin and has an intolerance to eggs. (Which we worked on with our chiropractor using N.A.E.T treatments.) Many anesthesias use egg products in them and this heightened the concern.
The other thing we did differently is, she was the only one in the house having a medical procedure. This way I was able to give her the care and attention she needed. It was also hard on #1 having her sister recover so well and quickly while she was struggling so hard!
The oral surgeon had a few things he did differently than the wisdom teeth doctor. We followed his instructions. It is important to follow the instructions of the doctor you are working with.
This time around we also avoided protein shakes but they would be great for meal replacements! Daughter #3 is my pickiest eater but she did pretty good!
#3’s Experience
Her experience was far different than her sisters’. First of all, the doctor had an appointment with her just to review her x-rays and talk about what would happen and discuss her medical history.
The doctor talked to her before the surgery and started her IV himself. #3 had had a serious allergic reaction, a few weeks prior to surgery, where we had to go to after hours and get a shot to calm the reaction down. Because of this the doctor decided to use as little medication as possible. It worked, she didn’t feel a thing, was comfortable and no bad reactions from the medication! She wasn’t as groggy as her sisters were. In fact, she was more like my husband was when he came out of his colonoscopy.
She requested to keep her wisdom teeth. EWWWWWWW!
She also recovered quite quickly with relatively little pain. Which is amazing because this kid HATES pain! She was my kid who would scream, when getting shots, before the needle even touched her! I expected her to take longer!
Post Wisdom Teeth Diet
Soft foods are recommended for several days after having wisdom teeth removed.
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Plain or Vanilla yogurt (After a day or two a flavor without chunks or seeds is okay.)
Ice cream
Shakes (No straws! Must use a spoon!)
Applesauce
Jell-o
pudding
mashed potatoes & McCormick Brown Gravy Mix Gluten Free
Broth
Noodle soup (2nd day)
Icee’s from 7-11
Slushie drinks from the gas station
Cottage Cheese mixed with crushed pineapple (drained) (This was a surprise because she always said she hated this combo!)
Tried French fries but it was too hard. (2nd day, but started to enjoy fries by the 3rd day.)
Lance Gluten Free Sandwich Crackers, Peanut Butter and Cheese
Other recovery ideas
Ice packs (Several times throughout the first few days, ice face to reduce swelling. Doctor usually has recommendations. . .)
Helicrysum Essential oil and sometimes Frankincense (applied to jaw areas)
The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings
Pillow
Comfy blankets
Sleep (Those first 2 or 3 days require sleep to help recover.)
Colored pencils and new coloring book (Something to keep the hands busy when not sleeping.)
*Take your antibiotics and stay on top of pain for the first two days with pain killers (doctor’s recommendations).
Diffusing:
I use a larger diffuser and so more drops of oil are used. (*I think, it holds 8 1/2 ounces of water. The cup I use to fill this diffuser to the fill line, is from an old diffuser and it’s fill line has 70 ml at the line. I fill it three times.)We tried a few different combinations. The first one was my favorite but really felt like she need the second combination on the second day.
Cypress, Myrtle and Tangerine : cypress (9 drops) has a calming effect like lavender (helps keep your grounded) stability and security; Myrtle: (7 drops) helps bring feelings of peace; Tangerine (8 drops) pairs really well with these two oils, promotes a positive mood (just makes you feel happy), calms the mind and body, dismissing feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and irritability. (This is my favorite new combination to diffuse!!!)
Proshield, Clove, and Tea Tree oil: Proshield (7 drops) has cleansing properties; Clove, (7 drops) has anti-oxidant properties that protect against free radicals, and is an anti-inflammatory as well as having a fabulous scent that pairs well with most oils; Tea Tree Oil (6 drops), promotes normal immune system function.
Lemon and Oregano: Lemon, (12 drops) supports the immune system and has a clean, pleasant smell: Oregano, (8 drops) *Its sharp and herbaceous scent has a positive influence on mind, body, and spirit, making individuals feel more safe and secure. (This was NOT my favorite blend!!! The oregano was overpowering. Though I felt it was the right blend for her on that day.)
7 Days Post Op
Get plenty of sleep!
She had surgery on a Tuesday and had no problems going back to work on Monday. Though, she was a little tired, still. She had her post op check up with the surgeon on The Tuesday following surgery and she is doing great! Everything is healing nicely and we are past the dreaded worry about dry sockets!
He told her to irrigate and swish salt water once a day for 2 weeks.
One more week left of salt water rinses and I wish my other girls would have had this kind of experience!
Any recipe is easier if prep work is done before starting the stove. So, cut up your turkey (2-3 slices) and red onion, if you are using a fresh one. (You don’t need a lot of onion. If I were cutting a fresh onion I would do one or two slices from the onion and then chop into smaller pieces.)
As a College Student
. (It’s gluten free and vegan!)
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for flavor. (I prefer the chicken flavor.)
While the noodles are boiling in a sauce pan, scramble 2 or 3 eggs in a fry pan.
.) You will want a large cereal bowl for this!
Add scrambled eggs to the bowl.
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Add grated cheese (optional)
Mix together and enjoy!!!
One of the hardest things about going gluten free is figuring out what you are going to eat! Feeling hungry and not knowing what snacks you can eat! At times, it can feel like everything you want is off limits!
Potato salad is an American tradition for picnics, pot lucks and special occasions. My kids think it is a sin that I am sharing this piece of heaven in salad form. Sorry kids! They really love my potato salad!
Boil and dice your potatoes. I lost count of how many potatoes I used but I believe it was about 10 medium to large potatoes.
Slice your boiled eggs.
Mustard, salt, pepper, celery seed, dill, and paprika!
Add flour and salt and pepper. This makes a thick paste, slowly add milk it will want to clump. I use a fork to help smash out any clumps against the side of the pan. Stir continuously until thickened. It won’t ever be super think but as you stir you will feel it thicken and start to drag on the spoon. Cook on med high. (My stove is a gas stove, on an electric stove you might only need to cook on medium.) Make sure you are scraping the bottom of the pan and sides while you are stirring. You don’t want the milk to scald or burn on the bottom. This is basically a white sauce.
and this protects your gluten free bread from those floating particles. You can learn more about why you need a dedicated gluten free toaster from verywell.com: 
The first step is to put some wooden skewers into some water to soak. This keeps them from splintering when you put the bacon on the skewer.
You need a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack in the bottom of the cookie sheet and spray with a non-stick cooking spray.
I use a spoon to put the brown sugar on the bacon and then pat it down, turn it over and do the same thing to the other side. I slide the bacon between my fingers as I twist it onto the skewer and this dislodges any big chunks. Some of the brown sugar will drip off during the cooking and will make a smokey mess. Make sure you use tin foil or something that can easily be thrown away after cooking! Use your overhead vent fan during cooking because the brown sugar does burn and smoke a bit.
I make our omelets more like a pancake. A couple of Tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil in frying pan. We use 3 beaten eggs and load it up with things like: red pepper, green pepper, onion, green onion, mushrooms, ham, turkey. When egg is firm on the bottom, I flip it over to cook the other side. On the already cooked side, I add cheese. We like to experiment with different cheeses. By the way, Asiago cheese is quite good and I use a mixture of different cheeses together, but use your favorite! On top of the cheese put chopped tomatoes and avocado.
Arguments and hurt feelings over holidays are often from our expectations not being met. Maybe you think you don’t have expectations about Easter, but if the day comes and something you enjoy about this holiday isn’t there. . . maybe it never occurred to you that it would be any different than it has always been.
There are so many ways people celebrate Easter. . .
Whether you realize it or not, we all have expectations for how Easter should be celebrated. If you aren’t on the same page you run the risk of having a stressful and difficult holiday. That is never fun and those hurt feelings can last for many, many years.
It won’t be long before we are done with this part of our family tradition and we will have to figure out and discuss what to do with our grown, married, and grandchildren.
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