I have four teeth (all impacted) that need to be removed. I’m scheduled to have them surgically removed on August 25. I leave for college on the September 2, flying from CA to NJ. I move in September 5. Will I recover in time? I don’t want any complications to start college so I may reschedule.
What does your oral surgeon say?
My kids both had their wisdom teeth removed the week before Christmas. One felt fine by Christmas dinner…and the other one did not. No way of predicting.
D felt fine after three days, but everyone is different. If the surgeon says you can fly, I’d get it over with.
Did you ask this question of your oral surgeon? No two cases are alike, but he or she should be able to evaluate if it is enough time. For example, my daughter had hers removed about two weeks ago, one impacted, the other three not, still immature enough not to have roots. While she still didn’t feel great and could only eat yogurt and applesauce, she felt well enough to attend a family reunion a couple days later. She had no complications and feels fine now. In contrast, I had four severely impacted mature rooted teeth when mine came out, had complications, and the recovery took a good month.
You also need to make sure that NOT removing them now won’t pose a problem and waiting will be okay. Also, make sure you have a resource for follow up near your school if you do it next week.
Most people would be fine in time for the trip, but there are exceptions. Each person is different. One of my two kids took much longer to recover from having wisdom teeth removed than the other did.
Also, you’re moving to an unfamiliar environment, right? If you had a complication that required you to follow up with a dentist, it would be more difficult for you to find one in a brand-new place than it would be in a community that’s already familiar to you.
I would ask the oral surgeon whether it would be OK to wait until Winter Break.
The painkillers made me sick to my stomach after mine; I threw up everything I tried to eat for several days. Took a while to recover from that. Also, two of my friends, my sister, and I all had some sort of infection in the weeks following our respective surgeries.
My point being: while it is not likely that these things will happen to you, if your operation doesn’t go textbook-perfectly, you’ll be running up against really inconvenient school interruptions.
Ask the dentist. One of mine went to soccer practice the day after getting hers out - a light practice but still went. The other was out and about the next day also. The first one had four erupted teeth; the second one had two erupted teeth.
Call you oral surgeon and ask these questions.
If I don’t take them out now, I’ll have to wait until next summer (and who knows how my schedule will look like then) because I have only 4 days during winter break to recover.
Ten days may be just enough time. Ask your parents to call your doctor or call yourself and ask. If you can put it behind you then your options for next summer remain open.
Parent here, typing this while D sleeps on the sofa recovering from having her wisdom teeth pulled this week. We failed to account for the need for a followup appt with the oral surgeon. So we had to adjust D’s return to college schedule to find time to get in with the surgeon.
D did very well, no complications with the actual surgery, and because essential oils are an important part of her daily life, she was rubbing oils on her jaw as I drove her home from the surgery. The surgeon prescribed 3 meds: one for nausea (ask for the one you slip under your tongue instead of having to swallow), motrin 800 mg to take for 3 days to help with inflammation, and a narcotic for pain.
D took the motrin as prescribed, and followed all instructions for diet and wound care. She used her oils and rested, and never had to take narcotics or nausea med.
Every patient will have their own unique recovery, but if you have a 10 day window, I say go for it and get it over with. My D is glad she went ahead and got this out of the way.
My D1 had hers done the day after Christmas freshman year. Gave her time to recover before going back. D2 had them in July before freshman year. She was working @ Walmart, and they made her go back for a night shift the day she had them pulled. 
The OP has an 8 day window (counting the day of removal), and will be flying cross-country on the 9th day. That would be too soon with my family’s history of wisdom teeth removal (complications).
Are your wisdom teeth impacted?
^yes all of them are impacted
I’m sure people here will say how their kids had impacted teeth and were out and about within one day, but I’m just saying that was not our experience. You may be just fine in a matter of days, but sometimes there are complications (ex. dry socket) that require checks by the oral surgeon. It could all resolve within days, or it could not. I echo the others who say to call your oral surgeon’s office.
Talk to your oral surgeon.
One impacted tooth is not necessarily the same as another.
The oral surgeon may say that even though your teeth are impacted, their removal will be simple and your recovery is likely to be quick. But on the other hand, you might have one or more teeth that are in weird locations that will require more complicated surgery (like breaking up the tooth and taking it out in pieces). If that’s the case, recovery might take longer.
I am rethinking my opinion after realizing the OP will fly across the country. My D will only be a 2 hour car ride from home, so if she has any complications next week we could more easily get her home to see her oral surgeon.
If it were my D flying across the country, I would ask her to reschedule.
A week is more than sufficient for recovery if all goes well. But if not, it can make followup care more difficult.
The opioid narcotic painkillers are overkill and can have bothersome other effects. Antibiotics can be quite bothersome to your digestive tract until it is repopulated with the desirable kinds of bacteria.
I think you have more than enough to recover but you have no choice, since it’s impact you need to remove them. One of my kids had hers removed when she was in her senior year or maybe after she graduated. It was getting close and if the surgeon was not careful, the nerves on her face could be damage or turned numb. Luckily the surgery went well.
You will probably be fine but be sure to follow the post op instructions faithfully. When I was 20 I did not and had a dry socket. My son had his out at 15, impacted. He followed the Dr’s instructions to a T. He needed one round of painkillers after the procedure and was feeling fine that evening. I was surprised it turned into a non event. He had them out on a Friday morning and was back in school Monday. Good luck.