Wisdom teeth removal is an outpatient procedure done on 5 million Americans every year. In fact, you probably know a great number of people who have undergone the surgery themselves. Ultimately, every patient’s experience is different, but there are a few things every person should and shouldn’t do before and after. One of those things relates to drinking alcohol after you have your teeth removed. Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to indulging in alcohol after tooth extraction.

Alcohol After Tooth Extraction: What to Do

Imagine it’s summer and you have several graduation, birthday, and other parties lined up. But you just had your wisdom teeth removed. It can be kind of hard to decide whether you can partake in any alcohol-related activities following your procedure, even if the procedure was done a few weeks back. Before hopping on the beer or wine train, ask yourself if you are still taking (or are supposed to be taking) medication. If you are still taking any type of medication for potential pain following the procedure, you are going to need to read the label on the bottle. If the prescription label tells you to stay away from alcohol, you need to do that.

Alcohol After Tooth Extraction: What Not to Do (And the Risks)

If you are still on pain medication for your wisdom teeth, the pill bottle will probably instruct you not to drink. Mixing alcohol and pain medication can cause some serious issues both in your mouth and the rest of your body. You can cause some serious damage to your liver, could fall asleep at the wheel if you choose to drive after drinking while on medication, and can be more susceptible to falling or becoming injured. Ultimately, if you’re still taking any type of medication, whether the prescription label or does you to avoid it or not, just say no to drinks for a few weeks.

When it comes to wisdom tooth removal or wisdom tooth extraction, there is much more to think about other than your teeth themselves. If you are in the situation where you’re given the opportunity to have a drink following your procedure, look above at what you shouldn’t do and what you should do.