In October of 2014 I was supposed to get my wisdom teeth removed and I decided that I wouldn’t do that.. Their removal was long overdue, they were bugging the heck out of me and ready to come out. My mom has been the only person to ever touch my teeth and the idea that she wasn’t going to remove them was not okay with me! A little backstory, I had braces for 3 years and if I don’t get these teeth out, three years of being a brace face is going to go to waste! Long story short, I had never been through a  surgery and I have never been put out so I was not thrilled. I was worried about the medications and all of that jazz but really I had nothing to worry about because 1) I didn’t use them and 2) even if I did, it would be 1 time and wouldn’t kill me!  Here are some pre-surgery and post-surgery hints to help you get through your wisdom teeth removal, holistically!

First off, wisdom teeth were a great thing for our ancestors who ate different foods than us, but in this world of food we live in, they aren’t so necessary. Second, we have to get them removed if they are 1) crowding our  mouths, 2) partially impacted – they are difficult to care for in this situation and can cause infection and decay. Third, there are some lucky people who get only 1, 2, or 3 and for some, none! For those of us who aren’t so lucky, and who obviously have more wisdom … (not really), we have to get them removed and this can lead us into a state of panic, but DON’T PANIC!

Pre-Surgery: 

Lets begin the preparations, if you know that you are going to get your wisdom teeth out, or any teeth out for that matter, let’s prepare! You will need to detox the body before and after the surgery, it will make for a great process of recovery.
Milk thistle is a great detoxifier and you can buy it online (make sure it is free of preservatives) Milk Thistle <<<– you can get a $10 off if you use this link! Milk thistle is great for the liver, which you need to support during this process!
Arnica is another good item to invest in, it is great for recovery, pain relief, bruising, etc. Arnica is a homeopathic remedy and it is also good to have around the house.

Pay attention here, if you take it (which you shouldn’t) Fish Oil is something you will want to stop taking about a week before your surgery, I repeat: stop taking fish oil before surgery. Why? Because fish oil causes blood thinning = you will bleed more during/after your surgery! No one likes blood, so lay off the fish oil!

Post-Surgery:

B vitamins are always a go, so why not take them after your surgery, right? Pyridoxine (B6) is a great way to reduce swelling and water retention. I would suggest taking up to 300 mg 2 times per day. I have access to Doctor Grade vitamins so if you are invested in ordering some just send me an email and we will get that underway for you! If you are not interested in that, use this link here to find B vitamins. Turmeric, green tea, these are all great to reduce inflammation as well. 

Bromelain, or maybe you know it as pineapple, is wonderful wonderful wonderful for skipping out on the whole blood clot thing. It also helps with liver detox (which you want after all those nasty meds), it is also an anti-inflammatory. You will take it on an empty stomach, then it doesn’t have other enzymes to combat with. This information on bromelain is from this awesome website I found.