When my son’s oral surgeon told us he needed all six wisdom teeth removed in one sitting, I braced myself for a rough week. I’d heard the horror stories about the swelling, the pain, the days on the couch. So I did what I always do before a big medical event in our house: I made sure we were well stocked with our post surgical homeopathic remedies which include remedies for swelling, pain and even anesthetic issues.
Arnica Montana has been part of our family’s medicine cabinet for years; bumps, bruises, sports injuries, you name it. But I’ll admit, going into oral surgery, I wasn’t sure if it would be enough to get him through something this significant. Here’s how it actually went.
The Surgery Day
We started him on Arnica before the surgery and the moment we got home from the oral surgeon’s office. This is something I routinely suggest to my clients as well.
The Recovery Week
Here’s the part that genuinely surprised me: over the entire recovery, he only needed one single dose of Motrin on the second night. One. For six wisdom teeth. I kept waiting for the pain to catch up with him, kept the “just in case” pain meds on the counter but day after day, he told me he just didn’t need them.
We started out with Arnica 200C, he seemed to respond better to a 200C dry rather than in water. Usually, I suggest putting remedies in water for a more gentle, frequent repetition. On day 3-4 when it’s anticipated that the swelling and pain is the greatest, we did have to go up to Arnica 1M and that, I put in water. He slept well that night and was noticeably more comfortable by morning.
Our oral surgeon talked us through the preventative antibiotics and, in our case, we decided not to use them. That was a conversation to have with him, and yours may go differently. We kept up the salt water rinses he recommended, with a little calendula added to the cup to aid in healing. Please don’t read any of this as a suggestion to skip medication your oral surgeon has recommended, whether that’s pain relief or antibiotics.
What We Used to Get Him Through
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A few products made a real difference in keeping him comfortable during recovery:
- Ice Pack / Cold Compress Wrap — This was on his face more than off it for the first 48 hours. A soft, moldable pack that wraps comfortably around the jaw made all the difference over a bag of frozen peas.
- Hahnemann Labs Pharmacy— The pharmacy I always recommend, especially if needing higher potencies.
- Syringes – To help keep the wounds clean.
A Few Notes for Other Parents
I want to be upfront about something: every child, every mouth, every surgery is different. What worked beautifully for my son isn’t a guarantee of how your child’s recovery will go. Please don’t read this as a suggestion to skip pain medication your oral surgeon has recommended, or to substitute Arnica for prescribed post-surgical care. Wisdom tooth extraction can be extremely painful for many kids, and there’s no shame in needing more than one dose of anything to get comfortable.
What I can tell you is this: Arnica has a long-standing place in homeopathic tradition for bruising and swelling. We use it because it’s part of our family’s approach and it’s given us peace of mind, not because I’m claiming it as a substitute for medical advice. If your child is in surgery recovery, please stay in close contact with your oral surgeon about pain management, and don’t hesitate to give them the medication they’re prescribed if they need it.
If you need a homeopath for post surgical recovery, you can contact me at: danielle@waveofwellness.us and I will also provide you with my post-surgery PDF and am available for support for 5 days. Additional time is available at a small additional fee.
Disclosure: This post reflects our personal family experience and is not medical advice. Please consult your child’s oral surgeon or dentist regarding pain management and recovery care.