The holidays are a time for celebrating with family, enjoying festive meals, parties, and events, and taking a well-deserved break from school, work, and the other things that keep you busy throughout the year. But if you’re using this time to recover from oral surgery, like wisdom tooth extractions or dental implant placement, you may have to take a different approach when it comes to how you spend your holiday break. However, with a little planning and careful consideration, you’ll have nothing to worry about and can easily ensure a speedy, stress-free recovery! Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Tip #1. Make Rest a Top Priority
The holiday season can be hectic, but the truth of the matter is, your body needs its rest in order to properly heal after undergoing oral surgery. This means that you need to set aside extra time to heal and make plans accordingly to ensure that you’re taking it easy for those first few days at home. Keep your schedule light, build in extra time for resting if you’re planning to travel, and if possible, have someone around to help out around the house or pick up any slack. Overexerting yourself while recovering only makes things more difficult and increases the likelihood of setbacks.
Tip #2. Plan Your Meals Carefully
Many holiday foods are naturally soft and easy to enjoy while you heal, so you’re in luck if you’re a fan of festive staples and dishes! Stick to options including:
- Mashed potatoes
- Soups and stews
- Scrambled eggs
- Soft casseroles
- Applesauce and other pureed fruits
- Yogurt, pudding, and Jell-O-based desserts
Tip #3. Avoid Bad Oral Habits
During the holiday season, you might be surrounded by more alcoholic beverages than usual, but if you’re recovering from oral surgery, you need to refrain from partaking since alcohol can interfere with healing. Similarly, do not smoke or use tobacco products since this can set back healing and increase the chances of an infection developing. Also, avoid using drinking straws—outside of recovering from oral surgery, straws are harmless, but while your mouth is healing, they can threaten the blood clots that form over your surgical site.
Tip #4. Consistent Hydration Is Key
It might not be easy, but you need to ensure that you’re drinking enough water while you’re recovering. Water stimulates your mouth’s flow of saliva, bolstering its defenses against infection-causing bacteria. It will also keep your mouth moist and feeling less dry, which can make healing uncomfortable. Keep a refillable water bottle near you during the first few days of your recovery, using it to wash down all of your tasty, favorite holiday meals!
Healing from oral surgery doesn’t have to wreck your plans this upcoming winter; with the right care and by making wise choices, it can be a smooth and stress-free part of a wonderful holiday season!
About the Practice
Under the leadership of Dr. Timothy Zajac, Dr. Kenneth Yang, and Dr. Amr Aly, our team here at Winthrop Street Dentistry has served the needs of those in Worcester and the nearby communities for several years. We offer a variety of services, including oral surgeries such as wisdom tooth extraction and dental implant placement, performed right here in-house. If you have any questions about the blog or you need to schedule an appointment for yourself or a loved one, please contact our office online or give us a call for more information or assistance. Telephone: (508) 756-0990.