If your wisdom teeth are impacted, they'll need to be extracted. Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to serious complications such as pain, oral infections, and jaw displacement. Now that you have your appointment scheduled for your dental extractions, it's time to start preparing for the procedure. Once you've had your wisdom teeth extracted, you'll need to relax and allow yourself to heal properly. Here are three steps you can take that will help you recover safely and comfortably.

Get Some Help for the First Few Days

Following surgery, you're going to be in a lot of pain. Not only that, but you won't be able to drive home due to the anesthesia. It's important for you to get someone to help you out for a few days. In addition to needing someone to drive you home from the office, you'll likely need someone to pick up your prescriptions for you. Finally, you'll need someone to help you around the house for a few days. Having someone to help will ensure that you don't over-exert yourself. Over-exerting yourself after an extraction can lead to excessive bleeding and increased pain.

Keep the Swelling Under Control

After an extraction, your jaw is going to experience some swelling. Unfortunately, the swelling can lead to pain. To reduce the inflammation and keep the pain under control, you'll need to use ice for several days. If you haven't purchased an ice pack, there are still a few easy ways to get the relief that ice can provide. One way is to fill a baggie with ice and place it on your face.

Another way is to make your own ice packs, using baggies, water, and rubbing alcohol. You'll also need a couple drops of blue food coloring. First place two cups of water, and one cup of rubbing alcohol in a one-gallon sized, resealable plastic baggie. Add several drops of food coloring, and place the baggie in the freezer for several hours. The food coloring will let people know that it's not ordinary water in the baggie. Place the baggie on your face for about 30 minutes at a time to reduce the swelling.

Watch for Signs of Infection

Finally, after you've had your wisdom teeth extracted, you'll need to take all of your antibiotics. Taking your antibiotics will help reduce the chance of post-extraction infection. If you notice any signs of infection, you should contact your dentist as soon as possible. Some signs you should be aware of include increased pain and inflammation, excessive bleeding, or foul-smelling discharge from the wound site.