Having your wisdom tooth removed is a satisfactory feeling especially when its growth at a weird angle is causing you pain and discomfort. The wisdom teeth removal process1 gives you a blissful feeling and an excuse to have all your favorite food and snacks. As a result, food particles may get stuck in your wisdom tooth hole and you may wonderto get food out of wisdom tooth hole. You can clean those stuck food particles by gentle brushing your mouth or even a saltwater rinse will be effective. You can also leave the tooth hole alone and the stuck food will fall off in some time.
What Causes Wisdom Tooth Removal?
Your wisdom tooth is usually the last tooth in your mouth that erupts through the gums. Sometimes, there is not enough space in your mouth for wisdom teeth, and that’s when it causes discomfort in your mouth and you are suggested dental extractions by specialists for good dental health. After the surgery, your mouth will begin its healing process, forming a blood clot in the holes where the wisdom teeth were located.
During the process of formation of the blood clot, food particles may get stuck in your wisdom tooth hole, and this is completely normal. If the food stuck is not causing discomfort, you can consider leaving it alone, and later, it will fall off itself. However, if you choose to remove the food stuck, then you must do it very carefully so that the blood clots and stitches do not get disrupted as it may introduce bacteria in the affected area. Avoid using fingers or any sharp objects to pick up the food particles that are stuck inside your tooth hole.
How to Get Food Out of Your Wisdom Tooth Hole?
There are various ways to remove food particles stuck in wisdom teeth, but no matter what, do not pressurize the food particle with your fingers as it will trigger a dental infection try to leave the blood clot in the wisdom tooth hole alone as the food particle will naturally slide away but if it’s still stuck in the wisdom tooth hole, then here are some tips that you should follow:-
Rinse With Herbal Tea
Herbal tea mouthwash is considered an amazing ingredient in maintaining oral hygiene as the tea contains catechin and tannin which helps to prevent any sort of dental caries. So, try rinsing the affected area with lukewarm herbal tea. You can try tea that has anti-inflammatory properties such as chamomile, turmeric, or green tea. Green tea 2helps to strengthen your teeth and also cleans your gum line. Its anti-inflammatory properties can control gum diseases. Gently dislodge the food stuck in the wisdom tooth hole by rinsing it with lukewarm herbal tea mouthwash.
Salt Water Solution
Do not rinse your mouth for the first 24 hours after the dental surgery. During that time, if the food particle gets stuck in the wisdom tooth holes, you can use a saltwater solution to rinse off your mouth to remove the food stuck gently. You must mix one teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water for saltwater rinse. Swish the warm salt water properly and not too vigorously, as the salt water can cause the blood clot formation to dissolve over your wisdom tooth hole. Make sure not to spit the saltwater rinse out and let the saltwater fall out of your mouth. Repeat this process 4-5 times.
Use a Warm Water Syringe
Use a syringe filled with water to target your wisdom tooth hole as the flow of water from every angle will help to remove the food stuck in the hole that is created after the surgical procedure. Avoid using fingers or any sharp objects to prevent infection. You have to take a sterile syringe and fill it with room temperature or warm water. Then, you will have to hold the syringe next to the tooth hole and let the water hit the food stuck in the wisdom tooth from all sides as this may help to gently remove food stuck. Also, do not allow a vigorous steam of water to land on the tooth hole.
Use Water Flosser
Oral Pulsating Irrigator, also known as a water flosser can be used after wisdom tooth extraction. After the process of tooth extraction, contact your oral surgeon so that he/she can recommend when to use it. If, in case, you get suggested to use a water flosser then use a gentle setting. You have to make sure to target the stream of water flosser into the hole where the food particle is stuck and make sure that the water flow is sufficient to rinse it off.
Use a Prescription Mouthwash
Do not rinse your mouth for the first 24 hours of your wisdom tooth removal process. Contact your oral surgeon and then use a gentle prescription mouthwash to rinse your mouth and teeth if food gets stuck in your wisdom tooth hole. Do not put the mouthwash directly inside your mouth, mix it with warm water and then rinse.
Gentle Brushing
If you had your wisdom teeth removed and food particles have got stuck in your wisdom teeth, then try to dislodge the food with a clean and soft brush. Do not brush your teeth roughly and make sure to use very soft strokes. This will help in removing the food from your tooth hole. Use this technique one week after the tooth extraction procedure.
Use Cotton Swab
You have to use a sterile cotton swab and brush on the wisdom tooth hole very gently. Be very careful so that you do not push that food particle further into the hole and make sure to use this technique after one week of your dental surgery after consulting your dentist.
Use A Spray Bottle
If you are not sure about using a syringe, then consider using a spray bottle for the food stuck in the hole. It is also an effective process and you have to make sure that your mouth is fully open while using a spray bottle. Use slightly warm water and target the water to flow gently into the wisdom tooth hole.
It’s definitely not the best thing to get food stuck in your wisdom tooth hole as it can mess up your healing process. You can seek professional help for a speedy recovery and you can even take the help of the above-mentioned methods if food gets stuck in your tooth hole, after consulting your dentist.
How to Prevent Food from Getting Stuck in Extracted Wisdom Teeth Sockets?
Some ways to prevent a food particle from getting stuck in wisdom tooth holes are:-
Eat Softer Foods
Start with having soft foods. Avoid food that can get stuck in the tooth socket as it can interfere with the process of healing wisdom tooth holes. Instead, prefer a soft diet for healing wisdom tooth holes. Avoid eating hot and spicy food as it may dissolve the blood clot and crunchy foods such as nuts and berries as it gets difficult to remove a food particle later. Instead have soft food or small foods such as cooked carrots, spinach, green beans, peeled apples, etc.
Soft Food That You Can Eat
- Mashed potatoes
- Soup
- Smoothies
- Pudding
- Curd
- Soft-boiled eggs
Foods That You Need to Avoid
- Blackberries and Strawberries
- Popcorn
- Chewy chicken or meat
- Nuts and seeds
- Slices of bread and rice
- Chewing gums
- Alcoholic beverages
Do Not Chew Near the Healing Wisdom Tooth Hole
Try your best to not chew near the healing wisdom tooth hole where you have the extraction site. Make sure to chew from the other side of your mouth but if your other teeth have also been extracted, then it might not be possible. Then you can take the above-mentioned methods to remove the food debris.
Rinse Your Mouth properly After Eating
Watch your rinsing action after having your meals. Rinse your mouth immediately with a saltwater solution or a mouthwash to help dislodge bacteria and remove food stuck. Avoid brushing for healing tissue.
Avoid Getting a Dry Socket
Any activities that cause suction can result in a dry socket. A dry socket occurs when there is a complication of tooth extraction which involves the removal of the blood clot that forms on the tooth hole. Do not smoke or drink through a straw if you want to prevent a dry socket. You might notice a visible bone in your tooth socket if you have got a dry socket.
These are the steps to protect your oral hygiene. If you notice any signs of infection or a dry socket, then make sure to consult your dentist and get yourself checked.
Tips That Will Help in Speedy Recovery:-
- After wisdom tooth removal, keep your hole covered with sterile gauze for around 45 minutes to aid the clotting of blood.
- You have to replace the sterile gauze often in the first hour of your wisdom tooth extraction until the bleeding stops completely. To stop bleeding, try applying pressure on the affected area by closing your mouth and keeping the sterile gauze in place. Consult a dentist if you still do not stop bleeding.
- Avoid rinsing your mouth for the first 24 hours after your wisdom tooth extraction.
- After 24 hours, keep the affected area clean by rinsing it with salt water to remove bacteria.
- Make sure to not smoke while you are recovering.
Do I Need to Extract My Wisdom Teeth?
You should keep in mind that not every wisdom teeth need to be removed. Some teeth can not erupt when they occur below the gum line, however, you may still face issues with your jawbone and teeth. So you should get yourself checked before wisdom tooth removal 3so that problems do not arise later. Wisdom teeth should be removed when:-
- They are erupting in a crooked way and can damage other teeth possibly.
- They have partially erupted and that might cause infection because of their shape and angle.
- They are impactful in a way that they can cause damage to your jawbone or other teeth.
- They are causing pain and discomfort in your gums and sinuses, alongside your face and neck.
- They are causing tooth crowd due to lack of ample space.
If you are facing any of these signs and going through discomfort and pain, do not wait and make sure to get your wisdom tooth checked by a dentist. It is always better to get help from a professional as soon as possible so that later on it does not cause any bacterial infection.
Final Note
You should keep in mind that a wisdom tooth hole heals from bottom to upper side not from top to bottom and do not worry as the food will not be stuck permanently under the gums. You should try to keep the food out of your tooth hole but even if it gets stuck, you can leave it alone and it will eventually fall off on its own. Do not bother the hole and it will be closed by a blood clot eventually.
FAQs
1. Why don’t dentists stitch a wisdom tooth hole?
Dentists do not stitch a tooth hole because the stitching will not help the gums to heal faster and will not prevent post-extraction infection.
2. How long is the duration for a wisdom tooth hole to close?
A wisdom tooth hole takes six weeks to close properly. However, it is important to keep the affected area clean and to make sure that food is not stuck in the affected area.
3. Can I eat ice cream after a wisdom tooth extraction?
If you do not have sensitive teeth, then you can surely have ice cream after the tooth extraction. It has a soft texture and it’s also cool in temperature, so it will not bother your affected area.
4. Can I drink water after a wisdom tooth removal?
Yes, you can drink water, however, make sure to drink it directly from a glass and not use a straw as the suction process can affect the blood clot that forms on the tooth hole. Make sure to not have any alcoholic drinks.
- Flygare, Lennart, and Anders Öhman. “Preoperative imaging procedures for lower wisdom teeth removal.” Clinical oral investigations 12 (2008): 291-302. ↩︎
- Sajadi, Fatemeh Sadat, et al. “Comparison of the effectiveness of the methanolic extract of green tea and chlorhexidine gel on pain after impacted wisdom tooth extraction.” Health and Development Journal 10.3 (2021): 196-205. ↩︎
- de Jongh, Ad, et al. “Anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms following wisdom tooth removal.” Behaviour research and therapy 46.12 (2008): 1305-1310. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi
