If Wisdom Teeth Must Come Out

If you need to have your wisdom teeth removed, you'll be put under local anesthesia for the surgery, which is usually done on an outpatient basis. It takes about an hour to remove four wisdom teeth, and you'll spend some time afterward in recovery. You'll have some bleeding and will have to bite gently on gauze for a few hours after surgery. You can use ice packs to help keep swelling down, and your doctor may prescribe medication for pain. You may notice discoloration of the skin during healing, but this will disappear in a few days.