If your dentist has taken a look at the development of your child’s wisdom teeth and has recommended wisdom teeth removal, you’ll need to know a few things about the process in order to plan effectively. One of the more common aspects of that process that parents want to know about is recovery time – in terms of just how much school their kids will miss due to wisdom teeth removal.

Recovering From Wisdom Teeth Removal: How Long Does It Take?

Wisdom teeth removal recovery time differs to some extent from one person to another, depending upon factors such as the complexity of the procedure, how many wisdom teeth are extracted, whether teeth are extracted from the upper or lower jaw, and a person’s individual healing rate and overall state of health. That said, the average person will complete initial healing – which is the healing of the soft tissue over the extraction sites – within 10 days, and healing of the underlying bone is generally takes about 6 to 8 weeks.

The crucial time for healing – and the one you’ll have to schedule for – is that initial healing period, when some restrictions on activity, plenty of rest and careful care of the extraction sites, as per the instructions of your oral surgeon, are necessary to ensure complication-free healing.

To avoid the most common complication of wisdom teeth removal – a painful condition called dry socket – and excessive bleeding at extraction sites, your child will need to rest for about 24 hours after surgery, avoiding activities like bending and lifting. Strenuous activity that can cause elevated blood pressure should be avoided for at least the first week after surgery, but preferably until the extraction sites have healed over.

That means that your child will need a few days off from school – ideally, at least 3 to 5 – after wisdom teeth surgery to ensure that he or she gets enough rest for proper healing. While complications are fairly rare in patients who follow their surgeon’s post-surgical instructions carefully, it’s also a good idea to schedule in some “just in case” time to ensure your child has a bit of leeway for any unexpected problems, such as dry socket or infection, that can extend the time it takes to fully recover from wisdom teeth removal.

Wisdom Teeth Removal: Careful Scheduling Can Minimize Academic Set-Backs

Since having ample healing time after surgery and school are both very important, many wise parents schedule wisdom teeth removal over school breaks – such as the long holiday/winter break, for instance. That gives kids plenty of time to recover without the added pressure of worrying about falling behind academically or being on the bench for the big game. It also spares them the embarrassment of showing up at school while they still have the chipmunk look caused by post-surgery swelling. However, if you want to take advantage of the long winter break to get your child’s wisdom teeth removal out of the way, get on the phone to your oral surgeon’s office to schedule that procedure well in advance to ensure that you get in ahead of all those other parents with the same idea.

For more information on the wisdom teeth removal procedure or to schedule a consultation, contact our office at (202) 386-7100.