What to Expect When Your Wisdom Teeth Decide to Show Up in Your 30s
If you’ve already had all four wisdom teeth removed, feel free to keep scrolling. But if you’re like me and only had half of them taken out in your teens — settle in ‘cause this one’s for you.
At the ripe age of 32, my two remaining wisdom teeth decided to make their grand entrance just days before Christmas Eve. Throughout November, I noticed occasional jaw pain that felt a little off, but nothing severe enough to trigger immediate panic, so I ignored it. In hindsight, that subtle discomfort was a clear warning sign. If something feels out of whack, take it seriously and schedule a doctor or dentist visit sooner rather than later. Learn from my mistake.
Thankfully, I managed to find a dental office willing to squeeze me in the day before Christmas Eve, just before the holiday shutdown. One week later, on New Year’s Eve, I found myself sitting in an oral surgeon’s office for a consultation to finally have my wisdom teeth removed - an unexpected way to close out the year, if you ask me.
Also, if any of you know of a spiritual meaning tied to wisdom teeth removal right after a new year, please share. The timing feels a little too wild to be coincidence. 😂
Disclaimer: This post is based on my personal experience with wisdom teeth removal in my 30s. I’m not a medical professional, and everyone’s recovery can look different. Always follow the advice of your dentist or oral surgeon when it comes to your own care.
What I Bought to Prep for my Wisdom Teeth Removal:
If there’s one thing I learned quickly, it’s that preparing ahead matters, especially when you’re over 30. I was lucky to have my husband’s help, but recovery this time around was completely different. I didn’t bounce back the way I did when I had my other wisdom teeth taken out as a teenage, and my body made that very clear.
A hot and cold head wrap: This thing was the bane of my existence, but also my best friend. A true love hate relationship. The head wrap I have linked includes gel packs that you can stick in the freezer or pop in the microwave to heat up.
Soft bristle tooth brush: If you can find a baby toothbrush with ultra soft bristles even better. Brushed the back of your mouth after surgery is awkward, painful, and stressful (or at least it was for me). Anything that implies that process helps. My bathroom set up included, a water glass, a salt canister, dental floss, a tongue scraper, and a small handy dandy flashlight because I'm the kind of person who needs to regularly check on the healing site.
Premade protein drinks: You’ll be waking up at odd hours to take medication, and believe me taking meds on an empty stomach is not the move. These were easy to grab, gentle on my stomach, and lifesaving when I didn’t feel like whipping something together.
What I Ate the First Week After Wisdom Teeth Removal:
Food-wise, I kept things super simple during week one. The plan was little to zero chewing - think soft or liquid foods that were still flavorful enough that I’d actually want to eat them.
If it’s bland, I’m not having it. Healing mouth or not.
I leaned heavily on smoothies, blended and strained soups, and easy to digest snacks that wouldn’t irritate my extraction sites or slow healing. Staying nourished helped with inflammation, energy levels, and my overall mood.
My Go To First Week Food Picks:
Ninja Creami Protein Fro-Yo: This one takes a little extra effort because I strained the mixture to remove the strawberry seeds which is HIGHLY recommended for post surgery snacking. (You don’t want to get strawberry seeds stuck in your extraction site). It’s creamy, cold, and surprisingly filling.
Ingredients: 1 medium banana, 155 grams of strawberries, 160 grams of whole milk, and 30 grams of chocolate protein powder
Roasted Vegetable Soup: I made my roasted vegetable soup and strained it completely to keep the texture smooth and easy to eat, while still getting all the flavor and nutrients.
Store bought shortcuts:
Pacific Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup to mix with their Chicken Bone Broth. An easy way to boost protein without extra work when you’re exhausted and swollen.
Pre-made Refrigerated Mashed potatoes, I tried basically every brand I could find none came close to homemade mashed potatoes, but they served their purpose. It was soft, comforting, and of one those few foods I wanted even when my appetite was low. Add some gravy into the mix too to change things up.
A bag of avocados - smashed them up with salt basically avocado toast… minus the toast LOL. Healthy fats, zero chewing, a win in my book.
My Actual Timeline:
After spending a little too much time with Dr. Google, I learned that wisdom teeth recovery can take longer once you’re over 30. So that alone convinced me to stop trying to “power through” and commit to real rest. Something I’m terrible at. My husband knows when I’m sick and I get just an inkling of energy I'm up and running, then down for the count and worse because of it. It was a hell of a challenge, but I did it.
Week 1
Mostly liquid foods, lots of swelling, soreness, and very limited energy. Sleeping elevated was ANNOYING but helped. So did reminding myself that doing nothing was the assignment. I watched way too much Netflix and tried to eat as much as possible which was minimal.
Week 2
I started incorporating more soft foods like mashed avocado, mashed potatoes, soft scrambled eggs. Better, but still not back to normal. My jaw was extremely stiff and pain melted into discomfort.
Week 3
I finally felt human again though I still wasn’t eating normally. I realized my diet had leaned heavily vegetarian and sweet (hello smoothies, pudding cups, ice cream, and mashed carbs), and my skin definitely noticed. Reintroducing meat slowly helped and ground beef was a total hame changer as I worked back toward “real” meals. At this point there was no more pain just slight discomfort especially when trying to start working out again and funny enough whenever hunger struck.
Dental Follow Ups: What Helped and What I’d Do Differently:
I had my extraction sites checked out twice after my extraction. Once by my oral surgeon and once by my dentist.
At the one week mark, I saw my oral suregon for a checkup and was given a syringe to clean my sockets. The appointment was helpful, reassuring, and necessary. I came in with a full list of questions I’d been keeping in my Notes app all week, things like “Is it okay to start eating spicy foods again?" “ How long do I need to use this syringe?” “How do I use it properly, is there a video you can share” “Are you sure this isn’t dry socket” LOL
Basically, any question that popped into my head through the week went on the list, and I talked through all of it with the surgeon. Checklists are my best friend, and while I’m pretty sure I surprised him with the amount of questions, I left the appointment feeling way more confident than when I walked in.
At three weeks, I decided to go in for my annual cleaning. In hindsight, even though I got the ay-okay from the dentist I probably should have waited another week. I was sore for about 3 days afterward, but mentally, it helped to know a professional was cleaning the areas I’d been scared to touch and confirming once again that everything was healing properly.
Maybe it’s age. Maybe it’s timing. Maybe it’s just that bodies are complicated things. But this recovery was completely different from my earlier wisdom teeth removals, and the downtime required was unmatched.
If you’re facing wisdom teeth removal in your 30s (or later), slower healing doesn’t mean something is wrong. It just means your body needs more patience, more nourishment, and fewer expectations.
Prep your food. Rest longer than you think you need to. And don’t underestimate how much gentler you’ll need to be with yourself this time around.
Friendly reminder: This post reflects my own experience and what worked for me. Healing timelines, pain levels, and dietary needs can vary from person to person. When in doubt, your dentist or oral surgeon is always the best resource for advice!