How long can i expect my recovery to take after having all four wisdom teeth extracted? i'm 26, which i know is a little old to have your wisdom teeth out, and i've read that the recovery time is longer in adults. mine are all partially erupted, which i t

You : You are not that old! wisdom teeth are sometimes extracted on much older adults. Recovery time not only varies from patient to patient, but from tooth to tooth. Just because the tooth is partially erupted doesn't mean the roots aren't hooked, or that it won't be a difficult extraction. Many things can happen; teeth sometimes break, resulting in a more invasive procedure. You will be sore for a few days, you might get some swelling, and you may feel like you have a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. These symptoms are all normal. Your dentist/oral surgeon will prescribe the proper pain meds and advise you on post operative procedures in regards to minimizing discomfort. Hope this info helps.

As : As indicated above, you are not too old to have your third molars extracted if there is justification for the procedure. Recovery time varies based on difficulty of the surgery, amount of time required to remove the teeth, patient health, the amount of swelling encountered, your ability to keep your mouth clean and your pain tolerence. Typically, i tell my patients that they should remain at home the day of surgery and the following day to make sure they are eating well, taking medications on time, and keeping ice on their face to control swelling. The second day tends to be the "hump day" because all the drugs used in the sedation procedure have worn off and, if it develops, swelling tends to peak then. I encourage them to return to normal activities the third day and let them know that depending on their swelling they may not feel completely back to normal for a week. If you do not take good care of yourself the first two days then you can expect a prolonged recovery. I have many patients who have only minor discomfort and feel "normal" the second day. Erupted teeth are not necessarily easier, especially if they have been in function. The bone around functional teeth tends to strengthen under function and if they are erupted then they have full root formation which can add a degree of difficulty to the surgery.

Unfortuately, : Unfortuately, no one will be able to give you the answer as fact. It is impossible. That being said, the more the teeth are erupted, the easier the surgery. The easier the surgery, the quicker the healing- usually. I have seen a woman have pain for 2 weeks after a very simple extraction to a gentleman i work on for 2 hours say he had very little pain the first day and none after that. Everyone is different. This may help: are you a fast healer? How well do you cope with pain, especially mouth/tooth pain? If you answer yes to both, you should be able to return to normal daily activities in a few days. If no to either or both: take a week off from work to heal. Your boss will understand.

Recovery varies: Recovery from any surgery varies from individual to individual. Some of the factors that can influence your recovery may include how large your teeth are, your physical health, the skill of your surgeon and the technique used, and how you react to the discomfort postoperatively.