Food Stuck in Wisdom Teeth Hole? Here’s What to Do

After wisdom tooth extraction, food can remain stuck in the wisdom tooth hole. Cleaning the foods from the tooth socket might seem challenging, but there are a few ways, including gentle brushing or using a saltwater rinse. You can also leave the hole by itself until the food particles dislodge.

What Are the Risks of Leaving Food Stuck in Wisdom Tooth Hole?

As with your remaining teeth, food particles staying stuck in them or the wisdom tooth hole is an open invitation for your mouth bacteria to enjoy themselves and deposit acids to make the tooth socket vulnerable to infections. However, wisdom tooth extraction surgery is painful, leaving the tooth socket open for about seven to ten days, making it comfortable for food particles to remain trapped. Therefore you must use your dentist’s advice to clean your mouth gently and avoid chewing from near the tooth socket. In addition, you can reduce the risk of foods remaining stuck in the wisdom tooth hole by rinsing your mouth after eating and avoiding chewy and crunchy foods that leave particles in the mouth. The precautions help prevent getting food particles in the wisdom tooth hole that are challenging to dislodge.

After you undergo wisdom tooth extractions in Port Hueneme, the dentist suggests you eat soft foods like scrambled or boiled eggs, cooked noodles, smoothies, mashed or baked potatoes, yogurt, applesauce, pudding, et cetera. The dentist recommends avoiding strawberries, raspberries, popcorn, steak or chewy meats, nuts, rice, and other similar varieties to ensure the wisdom tooth hole remains unaffected by food particles. It helps if you adhere to the dentist’s advice to avoid the complications of food trapped in the wisdom tooth socket.

Tools to Remove Food Stuck in Wisdom Teeth Hole

The optimal tool to remove food from wisdom tooth holes is to use a water pick that helps loosen the food particles for removal without causing damage to the tooth socket. Alternatively, you can use dental floss or your finger to gently remove it without damaging the hole.

Natural Ways to Dislodge Food in Wisdom Tooth Holes

If you ask the dentist near me what you can do to remove food trapped in wisdom tooth holes, they will recommend the following natural remedies to eliminate food particles from the tooth socket. They are:

• Saltwater Rinses: while you cannot rinse your mouth for the initial 24 hours after the surgical process, you can use a warm saltwater rinse to dislodge food particles stuck in the wisdom tooth hole. You must mix a teaspoon of salt in an eight-ounce glass of warm water and rinse your mouth without doing so vigorously for fear of dissolving the blood clot.
• Herbal Tea Rinse: if you find saltwater uncomfortable, you can try rinsing the surgical site with lukewarm herbal tea. Some excellent options with anti-inflammatory properties include chamomile, turmeric, and green tea.
• Mouth Rinse: use a gentle mouthwash for rinsing your mouth and teeth without considering its usage during the initial 24 hours after the surgery. Before using the mouthwash, discuss the matter with your dentist before proceeding.
• Gentle Brushing: you can try to dislodge the food particles by gently brushing the wisdom tooth hole with a clean and new soft-bristled toothbrush. However, not brushing aggressively would be best because it can dislodge the blood clot.
• Cotton Swab: if you find brushing uncomfortable, use sterile cotton to gently clean the area remaining careful not to push down the food particles further down the hole. However, you must wait a week after your surgery before using this remedy.

When To See a Dentist If Food Is Stuck in Wisdom Tooth Hole

You must call your dentist immediately if food stuck in the wisdom tooth socket indicates symptoms of infection like severe swelling increasing 48 to 72 hours after the surgery with severe pain that worsens instead of improving. In addition, you notice excessive bleeding from the wisdom tooth hole besides fever, numbness, awful or sour taste in the mouth not dissipating even after rinsing, and pus oozing from the tooth socket.

Infections from wisdom tooth extractions or any surgical procedure need treatment from the dentist to prevent aggravating the condition.

You can leave food particles in the wisdom tooth hole if they aren’t concerning because they will eventually dislodge themselves. The wisdom tooth hole heals from the bottom up and not the other way around. You don’t have to express concerns about food remaining trapped in the socket permanently under your gums.

If you must have wisdom teeth removed, you should consult All Care Dental by the Sea to prepare for the treatment to ensure food particles do not remain trapped in the tooth socket when eating. The dentists provide comprehensive instructions on avoiding complications after wisdom teeth removal from all aspects to ensure you recover quickly without problems.