<p>My daughter has to get all 4 wisdom teeth out this month, and it was rather a surprise to us. They aren't causing pain or popping through but the dentist and oral surgeon said they're creating havoc and will soon cause problems with the bone underneath and ruin her braces enhanced smile! He said it would be a little tougher then your normal wisdom teeth removal, and said no practice for 2-4 weeks maybe more! Does this sound right? More like 2 or 4? My daughter is also afraid this will somehow screw up her embouchure (Oboe). I think she's just trying to get out of surgery! Thoughts? </p>
<p>D just had hers out in May. Her top two were just pulled. The bottom two were partially erupted but were not going to come in any further. One had a cavity which the dentist refused to fill. That was the breaking point for us to schedule the removal. The roots were fully developed and close to the nerves. I was concerned about nerve damage. But she recovered with no problems. </p>
<p>She is a singer in a BA program. She was not doing any formal practice at the time, but I think she was cleared for anything at her one week checkup. She also felt good by that time. I am surprised that they would say 2-4 weeks! D was an oboe player in HS, but has not played since. I could see how there might be some pressure when playing so it would be good to wait a week and ease into practicing at a gradual pace. After one week there should be no risk of dry socket when the clot would come loose. I would ask what kind of problems the practice would cause.</p>
<p>D3 (viola) had all her wisdom teeth removed a few years back and took a good week to recover. I think she started practicing again perhaps 7-10 days afterwards - but of course the stress on the mouth and jaw area would be different in your D’s case.</p>
<p>Stock up on movies and cold compresses and smoothies! Hope she’s one of the people with a fast and easy recovery - I’ve heard tales of people going out for steak dinners the night after the surgery, but can’t imagine it.</p>
<p>S had all four wisdom teeth removed, and less than 2 weeks later he was off to music camp with all the usual auditions, playing and performing involved in that. The decision to remove them also came as a surprise to us, otherwise we certainly wouldn’t have signed up for the camp. He is also a woodwind player, so the embouchure issue was a concern for us. But, he luckily recovered quickly, and had no problems whatsoever. I believe he started short practices about a week after the surgery to to get ready for the camp audition.</p>
<p>My daughter is an oboist and had to take 3 weeks off after her wisdom teeth surgery. Her private teacher had told us 3-4 was normal. She tried to play earlier but it was too painful. It did not affect her embouchure at all. Good luck! </p>
<p>I have four kids, all of whom had all 4 wisdom teeth removed. For the violinist we put it off for years (despite dire warnings from the dentist) because it seemed there was never a good time (i.e., time that she could afford to take off two weeks from practice.) She finally bit the bullet (excuse bad pun) last summer–and her recovery, luckily, was swift. Two of her sisters had a difficult recover; a third sister recovered swiftly. It really does vary from individual to individual. </p>
<p>I am an oboe player and I refused to have my wisdom teeth out the summer before my freshman year. Then they wanted to take them out during Christmas break and I said no because I had auditions when I went back. I never got them out and they never gave me any trouble.</p>
<p>Our violist son had his out the summer before senior year - not great timing with imminent prescreen recordings that he was preparing for! He did take about two weeks before the swelling in his jaw area had gone down enough so that practicing wasn’t overly painful. Good luck red eye!</p>
<p>D (clarinet of course) had all 4 out age 19. No play for one week (oral surgeon said 5 days but probably had no experience with musicians, we were playing it safe). Partial practice for the following week, then full speed ahead. No problems. No change in embouchure. Played “Quartet for End of Time” during that summer.</p>
<p>My kids were told by somebody to eat half of a fresh pineapple the day before the surgery, which supposedly helps prevent swelling. My wife (who is a doctor) scoffed at this advice, but they both ate the pineapple and had less swelling than friends who didn’t. Take that for what it is worth. I do think it’s important to follow the directions you’ll get from the oral surgeon–use the ice packs as long as suggested, try to stay upright, rinse as directed, etc.</p>
<p>My normally dignified young violinist woke from her surgery with a mouth packed with gauze, motioned for me to record on my iPhone, and sang, “I feel good” (James Brown) for the camera. Later, she had no memory of singing or insisting I record it. (Maybe she should have tried a pre-op pineapple!)</p>
<p>Hope you saved that recording :)</p>
<p>My 2 musicians both had all 4 wisdom teeth out during the summer between semesters. One’s recovery took a bit longer, but he at least one more impaction than his sister. Ice, Ice, Ice! Buy 2 1-lb. packages frozen peas. Wrap each in a dish towel. Apply one to each side of face and ace-bandage in place for 20-30 minutes every 1-2 hrs the first couple days. Looks extremely weird but worked like a charm, neither had any real swelling. And use the pain meds as ordered to stay ahead of the pain. Full, comfortable range of jaw motion was a good couple of weeks, if I remember, for the singer.</p>
<p>I just had all four taken out and was back to normal the next day (other than not being able eat normally, of course). Recovery varies a lot from person to person. Definitely ice constantly from the second she gets home until she goes to bed. I did about 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off nonstop, and I didn’t noticeably swell at all. Perhaps I was lucky? I’m at about the two week post-surgery mark now and haven’t started practicing yet (also an oboe player). I probably will within a few days, just to be safe. My mouth doesn’t feel any different though, so I can’t see her embouchure being affected in any way unless her surgery doesn’t that well. Jaw motion was definitely limited for the first week or so, then it gradually goes back to normal. I say wait two weeks and then go by feel! It’s really not as bad as everyone says as long as you follow the surgeon’s directions! The only part of the whole thing that bothered me was not being able to eat what I wanted for about a week!</p>
<p>Any swelling needs to subside and incisions need to heal, hence the 2-4 weeks. D1’s recovery was on the quick end, but she’s a cellist - not a wind. She stayed out of gym class for one week, but played her cello within a day or so. D2, the hornist, hasn’t had hers out yet. A friend of hers, also horn, had them out a few months ago. They had a concert coming so he tried to play after less than one week, but it caused some bleeding. He waited one more week and was fine - so about 2 weeks total for him until he could play again. No impacts to his emboucher.
I’d ask your doctor specifically about the recovery and how to mitigate swelling and pain. Our surgeon prescribes a very short course of steroids which really cuts down on swelling, but that might not be the preference for some. Definitely agree with all the comments on applying ice - or frozen peas! That also seemed to help D1. </p>
<p>DD plays flute. Oral surgeon recommended removing her wisdom teeth during summer before senior year. Due to worries about auditions, etc. we decided to postpone surgery for one year, and the surgeon was okay with that. Flash forward to surgery one year later, summer after college freshman year. She waited approx 10 days to start light practicing and had no problems with embouchure or bleeding or numbness or anything, but she took it easy and lightly for a few weeks. So glad we waited to avoid more stress during senior year. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>My son just had all 4 of his wisdom teeth out beginning of July . His dentist wanted the bottom two out but the oral surgeon recommended all 4. He was able to play his oboe after one week of recup time. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I think it makes a difference if they are impacted (they basically have to dig them out) or not! Impacted = more recovery time! When we expressed concerns about a quick recovery to surgeon, he injected a preventative antibiotic of some sort at the site to ward off infection. It really seemed to help! I know that overuse of antibiotics is not recommended but we were grateful in this circumstance!</p>
<p>We went on vacation the day after his surgery and DS decided to go for a swim in the barely unfrozen Missouri River (think Polar Plunge)! It really helped the swelling go down! But I don’t know if I’d recommend it!</p>