How long does wisdom teeth removal take?

Plan on about two hours at our Diamond Valley clinic. Roughly an hour of that is getting you sedated at the start and waking you back up at the end. The removal itself takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on how difficult the teeth are.

Why can't I eat before wisdom teeth surgery?

Nothing to eat or drink for at least 8 hours before your appointment. Under IV sedation your protective reflexes are dulled, and food or liquid in the stomach can come back up and get into the lungs. The fasting rule exists purely for your safety.

How many days off work do I need after wisdom teeth removal?

We recommend setting things up so you can take the next three or four days to recover. Most people feel noticeably better by day four, and full healing takes a couple of weeks.

Do I need someone to drive me home?

Yes, and this is not negotiable. You need someone to drive you home afterward, and you cannot drive for the rest of the day once you have been sedated. If you do not have a ride, we will reschedule.

Is wisdom teeth removal painful?

Not during the procedure. With IV sedation you are comfortable throughout and most patients remember very little. Afterward there is swelling and soreness for several days, which we manage with prescription pain medication sent to your pharmacy ahead of time.

What is paresthesia and how likely is it?

Paresthesia is numbness in the lip, chin, or tongue caused by irritation to a nerve that runs near the lower wisdom teeth. It is in the less-likely category of risks. Most cases resolve on their own. We review your x-rays beforehand to see how close the roots sit to that nerve and will tell you if your case carries more risk than usual.

What to expect when you get your wisdom teeth out

Wisdom teeth removal is one of those procedures almost everyone hears about before they experience it, usually from a friend with a story. Some of those stories are accurate. Most are not.

Here is what actually happens, and what I tell patients in the consult.

The short version

You will be here about two hours. You will be asleep for the part that matters. You should plan to take it easy for three or four days afterward. And you need a ride home, no exceptions.

If you want the full handout to keep on your phone, we have it here: Wisdom Teeth Removal FAQ. There is a PDF download on that page too.

Why the eight-hour fast is not optional

This is the rule patients push back on most, usually with “can I just have coffee?”

No. Here is why it matters. We use IV sedation, specifically fentanyl and midazolam. Under sedation your protective airway reflexes are dulled. If there is food or liquid in your stomach and it comes back up, it can end up in your lungs. That complication is rare, and it is rare specifically because we enforce the fasting rule.

Nothing to eat or drink for at least 8 hours before your appointment. Water included. If you slip up and have breakfast, tell us. We will reschedule rather than take the risk.

What the appointment actually looks like

You arrive, we get you settled and place the IV. Getting you comfortably sedated takes a while, and so does bringing you back around at the end. That is roughly an hour of your two-hour visit.

The removal itself runs 30 to 60 minutes. How long depends on the teeth. A fully erupted wisdom tooth with straightforward roots comes out quickly. One that is impacted, angled sideways, or has roots wrapped around a nerve takes longer and requires more care.

Wear a T-shirt. We put you on monitors during the procedure, which means heart leads on your chest and abdomen. A T-shirt makes that easy. Layers are a good idea because people often feel cold coming out of sedation.

The recovery timeline nobody warns you about

Day one you will be numb, then sore, and mostly asleep. Day two is usually the worst for swelling. Day three you start to feel human. By day four most people are functional.

Take three or four days. Not because you will be incapacitated the whole time, but because trying to work through it makes everything harder than it needs to be.

Give us your pharmacy name ahead of the appointment. We fax or call in your pain medication and recovery medications before you arrive, so they are ready when you are. Sending a sedated patient to wait at a pharmacy counter is not a good plan.

The risks, stated plainly

I would rather over-explain this than have someone surprised afterward.

Common and expected: swelling, bruising and discoloration, general discomfort and soreness. These are not complications. They are what healing looks like.

Less likely: short-term illness, and paresthesia, which is numbness in the lip, chin, or tongue from irritation to a nerve running near the lower wisdom teeth. Most paresthesia resolves on its own. We look at your x-rays beforehand to see how close the roots sit to that nerve, and if your anatomy puts you at higher risk, we will tell you before you agree to anything.

Usually a full recovery happens within a couple of weeks.

When to call us

If something does not seem right, call. Bleeding that will not settle, pain that gets worse instead of better after day three, a fever, or anything that just feels off.

We would much rather take a phone call that turns out to be nothing than have you sit at home worrying. We always tell you about the risks up front, but in practice outcomes are usually quite good. It takes a bit of time to heal, and some patience.

Booking

If you have been told your wisdom teeth need to come out, or you just want someone to look and give you a straight answer about whether they do, book a consultation or call us at 403-933-2225.

The full pre-op handout lives at our wisdom teeth guide, and there is more clinical detail on the wisdom teeth removal service page.

Dr. Brock Hall