Are you preparing for an upcoming wisdom teeth removal surgery? There are a few things that you can expect before, during, and after the surgery; knowing what to expect beforehand can help put your mind at ease. Here are some things to expect.

Before

When it comes to preparing yourself for wisdom tooth surgery, your doctor should give you specific directions. However, in general, you can expect the following recommendation and requirements in some capacity.

No eating after a certain time the night before surgery

This helps to ensure that you don't suffer from anesthesia side effects such as regurgitation and airway obstruction. Disclose all medications and drugs you are taking, prescribed or not. This is the only way that staff can ensure you're getting the proper anesthesia, treatment, and overall care.

Do not smoke cigarettes for a period of time before surgery is scheduled to begin

Smoking can make the chance of infections higher. Prepare for your return home to recover by stocking the kitchen with soft, easy-to-eat foods such as instant mashed potatoes, smoothie ingredients, ice cream, yogurt, apple sauce, and creamed corn.

This is a general idea of what to expect when receiving your pre-op instructions. Your specific instructions may differ slightly depending on where and when you have your surgery as well as who is doing the surgery.

During

You should receive anesthesia right before your wisdom tooth surgery is set to take place. Therefore, you should remember and feel very little about the experience. After being administered the anesthesia, you will likely feel like you've fallen asleep and by the time you wake up, the procedure will have already taken place. You may feel nervous before the procedure takes place but having a close friend or family member nearby can help to squash those feelings. You should feel relief and maybe even be a little confused directly after surgery takes place.

After

After a wisdom tooth extraction, you will likely experience mild discomfort, but it should be nothing that over-the-counter pain medication can't handle. Your doctor should recommend or prescribe pain medication depending on your specific circumstances, so you won't have to worry about easing the pain yourself. You can expect to want to eat soft foods like bananas, yogurt, scrambled eggs, and smoothies for a few days. Otherwise, you should be able to live your life like you usually do. If any pain persists, it's important to contact your service provider as soon as possible.