Questions to Ask Before Scheduling Your College-Bound Teen's Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Your teen has a busy school and social schedule — and now they're getting ready to go to college. But they also need to have their wisdom teeth removed. When is the best time to schedule this procedure? Take a look at the questions to ask before making your teen's appointment.

When Does Your Teen Start School?

Even though most colleges have a late August move-in date, some schools start earlier or require incoming freshmen to take summer-time prerequisite courses. Unlike a dental cleaning or filling, wisdom tooth removal comes with some degree of recovery time. This means you'll need to schedule the appointment with recovery time in mind.

How Long Will Recovery Take?

There's no easy answer to this question. Wisdom tooth removal surgery recovery time depends on several factors, including:

• Whether the teeth are impacted or not. Impacted wisdom teeth may add a level of complexity to the surgery — and time to recovery.
• The patient. Everyone heals differently. If your teen is quick to heal, you likely won't need to plan as much time to recover following their surgery.
• Potential complications. If your teen experiences a complication, such as dry socket, the recovery process will take longer. Even though your teen has no control over this factor, it's still something to consider.
• Activity level. Your teen may need to limit activity immediately after the surgery. Failure to do so can extend recovery time.
• Ability to follow the recovery directions. If your soon-to-be college student can't or won't follow the post-surgery instructions, recovery may extend days longer than necessary.

In general, most healthy teenagers take a three to four days to recover. But they may have lingering effects that make starting college immediately after the procedure a challenge. Read on for more information on other considerations to make.

What Else Factors Into the Scheduling Decision? 

Along with scheduling before your child starts school and giving them enough time to recover, you may also need to think about:

• Postsurgical complication possibilities. If there's an unexpected postsurgical issue (such as an infection), they may need an immediate dental appointment. Scheduling surgery weeks before school starts reduces the likelihood they'll need to travel home for an additional appointment.
• Follow-up appointments. Will your child need a follow-up appointment with the dentist or oral surgeon? If your teen's school isn't close by, schedule the surgery well before they move out. This also helps you to avoid unnecessary travel time.
• Orientation days. Does your child have a mid-summer or pre-school orientation? If so, avoid scheduling on or directly before these dates.
• Comfort level. Is your child nervous about the procedure, nervous about starting college, or both? Reduce anxiety by scheduling the surgery weeks (or even months) before they leave for school.
• Lingering discomfort. While most patients recover quickly from this type of oral surgery, some may have lingering discomfort — especially if they have a complicated surgery or a post-op infection. Scheduling early reduces the risks of pain interfering with the start of school.
• Summer vacation. Does your family have vacation plans or is your teen going on a post-graduation summer trip with friends? Schedule the surgery after the vacation, but well before school starts.

Now that your child is transitioning into young adulthood, they need to take responsibility for their own medical decisions. Let your teen weigh the pros and cons of scheduling early versus waiting until the end of the summer. Act as a guide, helping them to achieve independence and make an informed scheduling selection.

Does your college-bound student need a wisdom tooth extraction procedure before starting school? Contact San Diego Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for more information.