1. Don’t eat or drink before the procedure.

This will make you even more nauseous than you might be normally.

2. Stock up on the good stuff.

Ice cream: Smooth, tasty flavors can make you feel much, much better. Blend them up if its too hard to eat but, DO NOT use a straw, this can dislocate blood clots that cover the gaping holes in your mouth preventing very painful dry sockets.

Best Bets: Chocolate Banana Smoothie – one banana, soymilk, vanilla ice cream, unsweetened cocoa. It’s so yummy! Possibly the best smoothie ever.

OR sorbet smoothie(raspberry and mango are the best!)

Pudding: Stay clear of the skin it can get stuck in your teeth.

Best Bets: chocolate soy pudding. The recipe is on the side of the plain Silk container. I lived on this stuff.

            OR try jello, in just about any color you like!

Vitamin Water: Cold fluids keep the swelling down and your body healthy. Enhanced beverages supply you with electrolytes that keep you running even without normal meals. Drink about three bottles a day but be warned that you might have to get up from the movie you’re watching to pee more than you are used to.

            Best Bets: SoBe Life Water

            OR Gatorade or Powerade

Scrambled Eggs: The morning after the procedure you are going to be craving some real food. Eggs have a lot of protein that can boost your energy and speed up the healing process.

Best Bets: Try putting ketchup on your eggs or shredded cheddar for more flavor.

OR if you don’t eat eggs try a tofu scramble.

Mashed Potatoes: It’s almost six o’clock and you are on disc five of your favorite television show. It’s time for some dinner.

            Best Bets: Add cheese or gravy if potatoes bore you.

3. But don’t just stock up on food!

You are going to want things to keep you busy while you recover (takes a good three days on a couch).

Best Bets: Movies – easy ones to watch that you don’t have to pay much attention to… You are going to want to sleep a lot the first couple of days.

Seasons of your favorite television shows – Consider this as your chance to catch up before a new premiere.

Books – If you are really behind on school, you might want to pick up that book for English, this might be your last chance.

Magazines – Pictures pictures pictures. Too much information is going to make you feel even more exhausted.

4. Have someone to drive you home.

If anesthesia does to you, what it did to me you won’t be able to drive while you are crying uncontrollably.

5. Get your prescriptions filled ahead of time.

You will want all those painkillers very soon after you leave the dentist’s chair. And make sure to TAKE THE MEDS ON TIME. You won’t feel very much pain if you watch the clock.

6. Don’t freak out.

Teens have been getting their wisdom teeth out for decades and the technology has been getting better and better. Just try not to think about it.

7. Accept the fact that you won’t look the same for a couple of days.

Your cheeks will puff up and you will have bruises that won’t go away for about a week. Get over it. Complaining is just going to make you more tired.

Use the little ice packs they give you, it helps the swelling go down and reduces soreness

8. Buck up!

A least you are getting over with what has to be done. It’s not every day you get to stay home and eat ice cream and watch movies.