No one wants to get their wisdom teeth out and honestly no one is ever ready for wisdom teeth extraction. Most people have to go through this procedure. It is just only a matter of time until your doctor says you are ready. You can expect a few days
of recovery from this procedure. If you are getting your wisdom teeth out soon you should be ready to expect some pain afterwards and a swollen face also. A trend that has been floating around social media has said that drinking pineapple juice before surgery can help with the swelling afterwards. There is some truth to this but not much. Pineapple does have an enzyme called bromelain which is an anti-inflammatory enzyme. This enzyme can help with swelling however drinking pineapple juice
is not the way to do it. Pineapple juice also has a bunch of sugar and acid which can be alarming for your teeth. By drinking an excess amount of pineapple juice you would be risking getting tooth decay from all the sugar and acid. There have been no studies that show that drinking a large amount of pineapple juice to get the enzyme bromelain before tooth extraction actually works. There is really no evidence that supports this dental hack. This hack could really hurt you more than help
because of all the sugar and acid. If you still want to try this hack before getting your wisdom teeth taken out don’t drink the juice just eat the actual fruit. This is a much healthier way of getting all of the nutrients a pineapple has to offer. If you do have questions about your surgery and how you can prepare for it just contact your Dentist Spanish Fork and he will help you out. He can give you
suggestions on how you should prepare and if you have any other questions don’t hesitate just give us a call today. Recommended Posts Healing After Wisdom Teeth RemovalUncategorized Fluoride 101Uncategorized Recently my daughter had her wisdom teeth extracted. The day before she asked me to buy her pineapple juice. I replied, “Pineapple juice? Why do you want that? You don’t even like pineapples.” She said, “I saw on TikTok that drinking pineapple juice before getting your wisdom teeth out reduces pain and swelling.” Uggghh! Another person believing what they see on social media, but this time it was it was my own child who could have easily asked her dentist mom about how to reduce post-operative symptoms. Before I decided how to respond, I did some research on this TikTok tooth trend as well as others to see if there is any truth behind what TikTokers are telling. Drinking Pineapple juice before surgery Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain which is an anti-inflammatory. There were two studies on a small number of participants where they took bromelain after wisdom teeth removal surgery and found a decrease in pain and swelling.1 However, the participants in the study took bromelain supplements, not pineapple juice. There are no studies on the effect of taking bromelain before surgery and no studies using pineapple juice before or after surgery.2 So, what’s the truth about this dental hack? There is no evidence to support it. You shouldn’t have more than a cup of juice a day due to the high acid and sugar content. Juice increases risk of decay, the acid can irritate the mouth after surgery and the sugar can cause blood sugar spikes affecting the healing process. A better way to decrease inflammation is to take anti-inflammatory medications and a better way to decrease swelling is with ice. Salt water rinses starting the day after surgery increases wound repair activity.3 Bottom line: Don’t add pineapple juice to your pre-operative and post-operative extraction instruction sheet. Whitening your teeth with cleaning sponges Bottom line:There is no evidence to support the use of these sponges. If a patient asks you about this trend, tell them, “There are safer ways to whiten your teeth that give better results. Let me explain the options …” Using elastic bands to close diastemas Bottom Line: Tell your patients that teeth movement should be supervised by a dentist or orthodontist and that closing the spaces themselves can be catastrophic. Using nail files to shape your
teeth While enameloplasty can be safely done in dental offices, people doing it themselves can end up with exposed dentin causing tooth sensitivity. If your patient is interested in even incisal edges, explain the advantages and disadvantages of enameloplasty and let them know it can be done in the dental office. Bottom Line:Tell your patients to use their nail files on their nails, not their teeth. Nails grow back, teeth don’t. Whitening your teeth with hydrogen peroxide Bottom Line:Tell patients that to get the best whitening result, choose gels with hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide offered by dental professionals. Mouthwash and toothpaste dispenser Bottom Line: Advise patients to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use. Veneers Bottom Line: Since dentists are the ones doing this, this trend is up to dentists to stop. The big bottom line How do we get people to turn to us for advice instead of TikTok? Ask people how they care for their mouth at home and if they have any questions about their home care. This will make them more willing to tell you about any trends they are doing and ask you questions about them. If they tell you they are doing a dental hack, don’t criticize them; instead, have a conversation. Say, “I can tell you really care about your oral health since you are seeking knowledge in how to improve it. I can help you achieve your goals. I can give you advice that I know will work and that will be safe. What do you want to know about?” References
About the Author Dr. Mohanta graduated from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry in 1999. She practises general dentistry in Brampton, ON. She can be reached at or on Instagram @drsanjmohanta.RELATED ARTICLE: Competing with TikTok Dental Advice: Educating Gen Z Before the Damage is Done |